Biden, Putin to hold phone call ahead of talks
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The spokesperson for the US National Security Council says the presidents of the US and Russia will have a phone call on Thursday about "a range of topics, including upcoming diplomatic engagements with Russia."
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It will be the second telephone call in less than a month between the two presidents.
The White House announced that US President Joe Biden and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin will speak by telephone on Thursday amid tensions on Ukraine ahead of US-Russia security talks next month.
It will be the second call in less than a month between the two presidents, with Biden warning Putin against invading Ukraine.
Emily Horne, the spokesperson for the National Security Council, said Biden will speak to Putin about "a range of topics, including upcoming diplomatic engagements with Russia."
In a statement, Horne mentioned that "The Biden administration continues to engage in extensive diplomacy with our European allies and partners, consulting and coordinating on a common approach in response to Russia's military build-up on the border with Ukraine."
For his part, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov confirmed to RIA Novosti the call will take place late on Thursday.
In a potential step to defuse tensions, senior US and Russian officials plan to meet on January 10 in Geneva.
The meeting comes after Russia offered proposals to the US that included calls not to expand NATO eastward or to set up bases in former Soviet republics.
Tensions between Russia and Ukraine have been aggravated in the past few weeks amid an alleged Russian troop buildup at the Ukrainian border and claims of preparations for invasion.
Moscow has repeatedly denied the accusations, arguing that Russia has the right to relocate the troops within its territory at its own discretion, while NATO's military activity near Russian borders poses a threat to its security.
