Joe Biden and his European allies spoke for nearly an hour on Tuesday afternoon about the war in Ukraine. Conclusion of this telephone conversation: the American, British, French, German and Italian leaders affirmed “their determination to continue to increase the cost paid by Russia for its brutal attack on Ukraine, as well as to continue to provide security to Ukraine to defend itself,” according to a White House statement.
Joe Biden, Boris Johnson, Emmanuel Macron, Olaf Scholz and Mario Draghi also agreed that ‘there can be no relaxation of Western resolve until the horror inflicted on Ukraine is over’ , according to a statement released by Downing Street.
Putin judged “by his actions and not by his words”
The American president also said that Westerners were waiting to see if Russia “kept its word” on the reduction of its military activity in the direction of kyiv and Cherniguiv, in Ukraine. “There seems to be a consensus that we have to see what they have to offer,” Joe Biden told reporters. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson also stressed that Putin’s regime should be judged “by its actions and not its words”, according to a statement.
Russian and Ukrainian delegations met Tuesday in Istanbul for talks described as “substantial” by the representative of the Kremlin, Vladimir Medinsky, at the end of the discussions. Russia has notably promised to “radically” reduce its military activity in the direction of kyiv and Cherniguiv, in Ukraine.