US President Joe Biden delivers a speech on Ukraine and Russia at the White House on February 15, 2022 (AFP/Brendan Smialowski)
Joe Biden wants to give “every chance to diplomacy” with Russia after soothing announcements from Moscow, but there is no question for the American president to release the pressure in the face of the risk of a Russian attack against Ukraine, still “completely possible”.
In a brief speech at the White House, he alternated signs of openness and messages of firmness, against a backdrop of still frenetic diplomatic activity around Russia.
Moscow has announced the start of the withdrawal of tens of thousands of Russian soldiers massed for several months on the Ukrainian borders. This “would be positive”, judged Joe Biden, “but we have not checked at this stage” its implementation.
On the contrary, these troops, now estimated at “more than 150,000” while the Americans have so far spoken of more than 100,000, remain in “a threatening position” around Ukraine, on the Russian side or in neighboring Belarus, he said. he lamented.
Therefore, “an invasion remains quite possible”, warned the American president.
– “Partial withdrawal” –
The Russian Ministry of Defense has released images of armored vehicles loaded on a train, supposed to illustrate the return to garrison of part of the troops massed on the Ukrainian borders.
Russian President Vladimir Putin (R) and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz give a press conference after their meeting in the Kremlin on February 15, 2022 (Sputnik/Mikhail Klimentyev)
Russian President Vladimir Putin confirmed this “partial withdrawal”. However, Russia is continuing to carry out major maneuvers in Belarus, a pro-Russian neighbor of Ukraine, until February 20.
Like Joe Biden, Westerners took these announcements with caution.
The most positive was German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, received in the Kremlin by Vladimir Putin.
He welcomed “a good sign”, and considered that there were “enough grounds for discussion” with Russia “for things to evolve positively”.
The Russian president for his part assured that “of course” he did not want a war, while hammering that the expansion of NATO constituted a threat for Russia – Moscow claims the guarantee that Kiev will never be able to join it.
“There is one fact: Ukraine’s membership in NATO is not on the agenda,” replied Olaf Scholz.
“Everyone has to take a step back and realize that we cannot have a possible military conflict over an issue that is not on the agenda,” he added.
The German Chancellor tackles an extremely sensitive subject head-on.
Joe Biden, who is the first to temper Kiev’s hopes of joining the military alliance, nevertheless refuses to publicly end the “open door” posture which, at least in theory, would allow NATO to welcome new members.
– “Ready” sanctions –
Map showing Russian troop deployment on Ukrainian borders and Russian, Belarusian and Ukrainian military installations (AFP/)
In general, Washington maintains a posture of firmness against Moscow, again recalled by Joe Biden on Tuesday.
He reiterated that a Russian invasion of Ukraine could occur “at any time”, and warned that the sanctions to respond to it were “ready”.
These “powerful” measures will notably put “pressure on their largest and most important financial institutions and on key industries”, added the American president, also reaffirming that the controversial Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline between Russia and Germany would ever come into operation in the event of a Russian attack.
He also said he was “ready to respond” to any “asymmetrical attack” against the United States or its NATO allies, which may include cyberattacks.
The 79-year-old Democrat also once again praised the “unity” of the Western camp, which he said has been strengthened by this crisis.
The Americans are constantly consulting their allies in all possible configurations.
On Tuesday, Joe Biden, for example, took stock with his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron, while the heads of American, French, German and British diplomacy also spoke on their side.
US national security adviser Jake Sullivan met with Jakub Kumoch, adviser to the Polish president, to discuss Ukraine and “transatlantic coordination” on “defense and deterrence”, according to the White House.
– “Pragmatic dialogue” –
US soldiers embark for Europe at Fort Bragg Air Force Base on February 14, 2022 in North Carolina (AFP / Allison Joyce)
Joe Biden continued to reach out to his Russian counterpart, saying there were ways to address each side’s “security concerns”.
Moscow, which denies any desire to invade Ukraine, deplores the rejection by the West of its main demands, namely the end of the Alliance’s enlargement policy, the commitment not to deploy arms offensives near Russian territory and the withdrawal of NATO infrastructure from Eastern Europe.
The West has offered talks on topics like arms control in exchange.
Ukraine announced Tuesday that the websites of the Ministry of Defense and those of two public banks had been targeted by a cyberattack, the Ukrainian authorities pointing the finger at “the aggressor”, an expression generally used to designate Russia.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on February 14, 2022 in Kiev (AFP / SERGEI SUPINSKY)
A large computer attack is one of the scenarios evoked as being the harbinger of a classic military offensive.
At the same time, the Russian Parliament asked President Putin to recognize the independence of the secessionist territories in eastern Ukraine, an appeal immediately condemned by the European Union.