LUS President Joe Biden warned his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin of the ‘severe and swift repercussions’ Russia would face if Ukraine were attacked, in a phone call just over an hour between the two leaders on Saturday, the White House announced. The United States and its allies “will respond resolutely and impose severe and swift repercussions on Russia” if the latter invades Ukraine, the US executive said.
The long-awaited call between US President Joe Biden and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin on Saturday to defuse tension over the Ukraine file did not lead to “fundamental change”, a US official said. The exchange was “professional and rich and lasted just over an hour. There has been no fundamental change in the dynamics that we have been observing for several weeks now,” the official told reporters on condition of anonymity.
Joe Biden reaffirmed that an invasion “would cause considerable human suffering and weaken Russia’s position”, according to the White House. The United States and its allies, who remain prepared for a diplomatic solution, are “just as ready for other scenarios”, he told Vladimir Putin. Washington had advanced Friday that an attack against Ukraine could be imminent, accusations described as “provocative” by the master of the Kremlin.
KLM suspends flights to Ukraine
An intense diplomatic ballet took place on Saturday: before his call with Joe Biden, Vladimir Putin spoke with French President Emmanuel Macron. The latter, who also spoke with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, must call the American President and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz. Earlier, the head of American diplomacy Antony Blinken had told his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov that the diplomatic channel remained “open” to avoid a conflict, but would require a “de-escalation” from Moscow.
The airline KLM announced on Saturday the suspension of flights to Ukraine until further notice, just after the Dutch government advised its nationals to leave the country due to the deterioration of the security situation. “The next flight to the capital Kiev was scheduled for this evening, but will not be operated,” KLM said in a statement, adding that the decision was “following the adjustment of travel advice (…) and a in-depth security analysis”. “There are no more flights in Ukrainian airspace until further notice,” KLM said. Like many European countries, including Germany, Italy and Belgium, the Netherlands called on its nationals to leave Ukraine on Saturday, advising against travel to this country.
