WASHINGTON • US President Joe Biden has urged his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin to ease mounting tensions with neighbouring Ukraine, joining a pushback against a build-up of troops along their border that has alarmed Nato allies.
As a new report from American intelligence said Russia was not seeking direct conflict with the United States, Mr Biden in a telephone conversation with Mr Putin on Tuesday proposed a summit between the two leaders at a neutral venue in the coming months.
The Russian build-up at the Ukrainian border has caused growing concern in the West in recent days, with the US saying that troop levels are at their highest since 2014, when war first broke out with Moscow-backed separatists.
Mr Biden "voiced our concerns over the sudden Russian military build-up in occupied Crimea and on Ukraine's borders, and called on Russia to de-escalate tensions," the White House said after the call.
White House press secretary Jen Psaki said Mr Biden was "not looking for an establishment of trust as much as a predictability and stability" in relations with Russia.
The Kremlin said it would "continue dialogue" without accepting the offer for a first summit with Mr Biden, who came to office vowing a tougher line on Russia, including over its alleged interference in US elections and harsh treatment of opposition leader Alexei Navalny.
Mr Putin similarly held a summit in Finland in 2018 with then US President Donald Trump, who caused a furore at home by appearing to accept the Russian leader's denials of election meddling.
The Biden-Putin call came as Ukraine's Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba met top officials of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (Nato), including US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Nato secretary-general Jens Stoltenberg, in Brussels.
Mr Stoltenberg said at his meeting with Mr Kuleba: "Russia's considerable military build-up is unjustified, unexplained and deeply concerning - Russia must end this military build-up in and around Ukraine, stop its provocations and de-escalate immediately."
Mr Blinken also met European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell, and both of them expressed deep concern over Russian troop movements, according to a European statement.
And, in a clear sign that Washington is looking to bolster its backing for European allies, Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin announced that the US was sending some 500 new personnel to Germany.
Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu hit back, saying that Moscow has deployed troops to its western borders for "combat training exercises" in answer to Nato military moves.
In televised remarks, Mr Shoigu said that Russia had taken "appropriate measures", adding that the exercises would be completed within two weeks.
Ukraine - which applied to join Nato in 2008 - is pressing Western powers for "practical" support as it seeks to deter any new aggression from Moscow.
Said Mr Kuleba as he met Mr Stoltenberg and Mr Blinken: "Russia will not be able to catch anyone by surprise any more. Ukraine and our friends remain vigilant."
Some Nato members remain deeply reluctant to heed Ukraine's appeal to speed up its push for admission as they seek to avoid ratcheting up the tension.
In the report released on Tuesday, the director of US national intelligence said that Russia would "continue destabilisation efforts against Ukraine".
AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE
