Biden assures Ukraine of US support in stand-off with Russia

KIEV • President Joe Biden underscored US support for Ukraine in its stand-off with Russia and pledged not to hold talks about Ukraine's future without its representatives at the table, during a phone call with the country's President Volodymyr Zelensky.

"The United States and its allies and partners are committed to the principle of 'no decisions or discussions about Ukraine without Ukraine'," the White House said in a statement.

The call, which lasted more than an hour on Thursday, was warm and saw Mr Biden affirming a commitment to Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity.

Mr Biden also warned that Russian aggression would be met with unprecedented economic penalties, according to a senior US official who described the conversation on the condition of anonymity.

The Kremlin has massed about 100,000 troops on the countries' shared border, and US intelligence has concluded that Moscow may be readying an attack as soon as early next year, according to another senior Biden administration official.

Mr Zelensky told Mr Biden that he would like to speak directly to Russian President Vladimir Putin.

"The Ukrainian side is ready for those talks, has its position, and we hope that including - with the support of our partners - this conversation will happen," said Mr Andriy Sybiha, the deputy head of Mr Zelensky's office, who listened in on the call with Mr Biden.

"We back a peaceful resolution of the conflict, we back diplomatic tools. It is needed for diplomats and experts to do their job," Mr Sybiha said in a public broadcast.

On the call with Mr Putin on Tuesday, Mr Biden said invading Ukraine would lead to unprecedented economic sanctions against Russia, according to the White House.

Mr Putin blamed the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (Nato) for ratcheting up tensions by expanding ties with Kiev and boosting its military presence on the border with Russia, the Kremlin said.

The Russian President has warned that Ukraine's accession to Nato or a Western deployment of offensive weaponry in the country are "red lines", and has demanded binding security guarantees from the US and its allies.

Later on Thursday, Mr Biden promised Central European Nato members more military support, Lithuania's presidential adviser said.

Mr Biden also reassured the allies that Washington would not reach any agreement with Russia about the region behind their backs, the adviser, Ms Asta Skaisgiryte, told reporters.

The US President had spoken by phone to the leaders of Nato countries along the alliance's border with Russia, Belarus and Ukraine - Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Romania and Bulgaria.

"He said additional reassurance elements are possible in these countries, and additional military capabilities," Ms Skaisgiryte said, without naming possible locations.

On the leaders' call, Polish President Andrzej Duda pressed Mr Biden to ensure that talks on how to handle any potential Russian aggression were not carried out solely in a small circle of countries, a Polish official said.

Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda told Mr Biden that a permanent US troop presence in his country would be "most effective" for deterrence and security in the region.

BLOOMBERG, REUTERS