Biden and Putin to speak Thursday amid tensions over Ukraine
CBSN
President Biden and Russian President Vladimir Putin will speak on the phone on Thursday, the White House said Wednesday. The call was requested by Putin, a White House official said.
The White House said the two leaders will discuss "a range of topics, including upcoming diplomatic engagements with Russia."
The two held a video call earlier this month, with Mr. Biden telling Putin he had "deep concerns" about Russia's buildup of troops near the border with Ukraine. The White House said Mr. Biden told Putin the U.S. would pursue "strong economic and other measures" in the event of an invasion.
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President Biden's decision to allow Ukraine to fire U.S.-made and supplied missiles deeper into Russia — a major policy shift announced over the weekend after months of intense lobbying by Kyiv — has drawn a furious response from Moscow. While there was no immediate reaction directly from the man who launched the nearly three-year war on his neighboring nation, lawmakers aligned with President Vladimir Putin in Russia said Monday that the move was unacceptable and warned it could lead to a third world war.
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