Iran Press/ America: Joe Biden and Vladimir Putin will speak Thursday as the Russian leader has stepped up his demands for security guarantees in Eastern Europe.
The two sides will “discuss a range of topics” during their phone call, “including upcoming diplomatic engagements with Russia,” National Security Council spokesperson Emily Horne said in a statement. But the main point of conversation is certain to be the Russian military presence on Ukraine’s eastern frontier, which “remains a continuing source of great concern,” a senior administration official told reporters.
The call on Thursday will come ahead of security talks between U.S. and Russian officials set to take place in Geneva in January. Earlier this month, Russia demanded assurances from NATO that the alliance will not expand farther east and that it will end all military activity in Ukraine and Eastern Europe.
Earlier this month, Moscow submitted draft security documents demanding that NATO deny membership to Ukraine and other former Soviet countries and roll back its military deployments in Central and Eastern Europe. 219
