Biden talks sanctions, Putin warns of a rupture over Ukraine

During a 50-minute phone call, US President Joe Biden warned Russia’s Vladimir Putin on Thursday that the US could impose new sanctions against Russia if it takes further military action against Ukraine, Time reported.

Putin also responded that such a US move could lead to a complete rupture of ties between the nations.

The two leaders spoke frankly for nearly an hour amid Russia’s troop buildup near Ukraine, the issue that has deepened as the Kremlin has stiffened its insistence on border security guarantees and test-fired hypersonic missiles to underscore its demands.

Further US sanctions “would be a colossal mistake that would entail grave consequences,” said Putin’s foreign affairs adviser Yuri Ushakov, who briefed reporters in Moscow after the Biden-Putin phone conversation. He added that Putin told Biden that Russia would act as the US would if offensive weapons were deployed near American borders.

White House officials offered a far more muted post-call readout, suggesting the leaders agreed there are areas where the two sides can make meaningful progress but also differences that might be impossible to resolve.

RHM/PR