Joe Biden threatens Vladimir Putin with strong sanctions if he attacks Ukraine
Steph Deschamps / December 8, 2021
Joe Biden let Vladimir Putin know that Russia would face strong sanctions, including economic in case of military escalation in Ukraine, during the virtual summit Tuesday between the two men.
According to a White House statement, the U.S. president also expressed the deep concern of the United States and its allies about the Russian troop build-up on the border with Ukraine.
Both presidents have instructed their teams to follow up on the exchange, and the United States will do so in close coordination with its allies and partners, the U.S. executive said.
The Kremlin had not yet delivered its version of the meeting between the two men, which lasted two hours.
Russian television showed an exchange of courtesies at the beginning of the video conference, filmed from the point of view of Vladimir Putin, sitting in front of a screen behind a long varnished table in his residence in Sochi, a seaside resort on the Black Sea.
For its part, the White House released a photograph showing the counter-frame: Joe Biden in the Situation Room, the ultra-secure crisis room of the White House, surrounded by advisers.