US Army personnelWASHINGTON Feb 17U.S. President Joe Biden and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz discussed the military reinforcement of NATO's eastern flank countries in the event of a hypothetical Russian «aggression» against Ukraine during a telephone conversation on Wednesday, the White House said. «The leaders reaffirmed their commitment to protecting the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine, emphasizing the importance of continuing transatlantic coordination in the context of diplomacy and deterrence, as well as strengthening the eastern flank of NATO in the event of a Russian invasion of Ukraine,» the White House said in a statement released following the conversation between the two leaders. It is noted that the US President and the German Chancellor also discussed their respective contacts with the leaders of the Russian Federation and Ukraine in the context of «the continued build-up of the presence of Russian troops near the Ukrainian border.» Against the backdrop of unsubstantiated accusations in the West of preparing an invasion of Ukraine, Russian Defense Ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov said on Tuesday that the Armed Forces At the end of the exercises, the Russians will return to their places of permanent deployment. Press Secretary of the President Dmitry Peskov told reporters that the withdrawal of the military to the places of deployment after the exercises is a common practice, there is nothing new in this. the issues of suppressing and repelling external aggression, as well as countering terrorism and protecting the interests of the Union State, were worked out. Representatives of Russia and Belarus have repeatedly stated that the maneuvers are defensive in nature and do not threaten anyone. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, at a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday, said that the possibilities for dialogue between Moscow and the West on security guarantees have not been exhausted, and the chance to negotiate with the West there is always.
Senators called on the State Department to ensure the safety of Americans in Ukraine
