Joe Biden and Vladimir Putin hold two hours of tense talks amid fears of Ukraine war

The US president warned his Kremlin counterpart of a ‘strong’ Western response should Russian troops massed on the border invade

Biden and Putin agreed that their teams would ‘follow up’ on the summit, with the White House underlining that it would be ‘in close coordination with allies’

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US President Joe Biden (left) and Russian leader Vladimir Putin also discussed a range of other issues, including Iran’s nuclear programme and a wave of cyberattacks against the United States. Photos: various sources via AFP

Published: 3:31am, 8 Dec 2021Updated: 12:25pm, 8 Dec 2021

US President Joe Biden warned President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday of “strong” Western economic blowback against any Russian attack on Ukraine, while the Kremlin leader demanded guarantees that the Nato alliance keep clear of Russia.

The two leaders met by video link in a two-hour summit seen as a vital chance to defuse tension on the Russian-Ukrainian frontier, where Russia has deployed up to 100,000 troops, sparking fears of a major war in Europe.

Russia denies planning to invade Ukraine, where it already seized swathes of territory in 2014. However, Biden made clear that economic pain, perhaps including “risk” to Russia’s new Nord Stream 2 natural gas pipeline supplying Europe, would follow if it does.

“President Biden voiced the deep concerns of the United States and our European allies about Russia’s escalation of forces surrounding Ukraine,” the White House said in a statement.

US President Joe Biden (right), with Secretary of State Antony Blinken (second from right) speaks with Russian President Vladimir Putin (on screen) from the White House on Tuesday. Photo: White House via AFP

Biden “made clear that the US and our allies would respond with strong economic and other measures in the event of military escalation”. The US leader also “called for de-escalation and a return to diplomacy,” the statement said.