Ukraine joe biden

President Joe Biden spoke on the phone with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, the White House announced Friday. Biden spoke to Zelensky for the first time Friday — 72 days after Biden’s inauguration. The president expressed “unwavering support for Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity in the face of Russia’s ongoing aggression in the Donbas and Crimea,” according to the statement from the White House. Russia annexed Crimea in March 2014 during former President Barack Obama’s administration when Biden was vice president. During the call, the White House said Biden also expressed his support for Zelensky’s plan to root out corruption in Ukraine and the defense of democracy in the country and throughout the region. Ukraine recently launched an International Crimean Platform to challenge Russia’s annexation of Crimea, which received support from the United States and other countries in the G7 coalition. Biden spoke to Zelensky as Russia is reportedly … [Read more...] about Joe Biden Calls Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky

President Biden has landed the first punch in an escalating contest between a reviving America and a revisionist Russia by publicly affirming that Russian President Vladimir Putin Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin Hostility rises between Biden, Putin Pompeo dismisses Biden's 'rhetoric and name calling' toward Putin Blinken warns of possible sanctions on Russia's Nord Stream 2 pipeline MORE is a killer . Biden could have gone even further by naming Putin as a terrorist for his complicity in the bombing of apartment blocks in Russia in 1999 and a war criminal for the slaughter of tens of thousands of civilians during Moscow’s attack on Chechnya that same year. Regardless of such charges, words have to be followed with deeds or Putin will not take the new U.S. administration seriously. Moscow’s interventions in U.S. elections and periodic cyberattacks, most notably the Solar Winds hack, must be viewed in a broader context. The Kremlin is engaged in a … [Read more...] about Biden vs. Putin: Round One

MSNBC “Morning Joe” host Joe Scarborough on Monday weighed in on the prospect of a virtual debate between President Joe Biden and Russian President Vladimir Putin. Russian leadership claims to be working on setting up the debate, but there is no indication the White House would accept the invitation. Scarborough, pointing to polls online showing Putin’s approval rating “shot up in the Republican Party when Donald Trump was president,” called it “bizarre” to see GOP commentators cheering for the two to debate. He argued that the same commentators “bizarrely” think “Biden would be wiped out by Putin.” “I know it sounds bizarre — certainly bizarre to people … who grew up either in families filled with cold warriors or who actually worked to help in small or large ways during the Cold War, but you’ve actually got Republicans and these anti-Democratic forces … and you could go through it, chapter and verse over the past several years about how we talk about Russian disinformation, … [Read more...] about Scarborough: ‘Bizarre’ to Think Putin Would Beat Biden in a Debate

The U.S. military's top officer on Wednesday spoke to his Ukrainian and Russian counterparts to discuss “concerns” over a buildup of Russian forces and aggression in eastern Ukraine, the Pentagon confirmed. Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Gen. Mark Milley Mark Milley Overnight Defense: Report urges sweeping changes to Capitol security | Biden touts female general nominees on International Women's Day | US stands by Saudis after 'heinous' Houthi attacks Biden nominates female generals whose promotions were reportedly delayed under Trump DC Guard chief: Approval to deploy on Jan. 6 took more than 3 hours MORE spoke by phone with Ukraine Chief of General Staff Lt. Gen. Ruskin Khomchak about the security environment in Eastern Europe, Defense Department spokesman John Kirby told reporters. Milley also spoke by phone with Russia's top officer, Chief of the General Staff Gen. Valery Gerasimov, and the two “exchanged their views on issues of mutual concern,” Kirby … [Read more...] about Top US military officer calls Russia, Ukraine over ‘concerns’ about troop buildup

Over 260 organizations urged President Biden Joe Biden The Hill's Morning Report - GOP pounces on Biden's infrastructure plan Biden administration unveils network of community leaders to urge COVID-19 vaccinations Pompeo 'regrets' not making more progress with North Korea MORE and Congress to support freedom of speech protections for whistleblowers by making improvements to protections. Government Accountability Project, a nonprofit that works with whistleblowers and on whistleblowing legislation, led a letter on Thursday with other groups calling for Biden and congressional leaders to strengthen U.S. whistleblower laws to match or exceed those of other democratic nations. “Truth shared by whistleblowers fuels oversight mechanisms by shining a light on existing weaknesses, inefficiencies, and injustices. We must protect those who courageously speak out about abuses of public trust that undermine our nation’s safety and security and threaten our democracy,” … [Read more...] about Over 260 groups call on Biden to improve whistleblower protections