On December 7,President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. held a secure video call with President Vladimir Putin of Russia to discuss a range of issues on the U.S.-Russia agenda.
What was said in the White House
“President Biden voiced the deep concerns of the United States and our European Allies about Russia’s escalation of forces surrounding Ukraine and made clear that the U.S. and our Allies would respond with strong economic and other measures in the event of military escalation. President Biden reiterated his support for Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity and called for de-escalation and a return to diplomacy. The two presidents tasked their teams to follow up, and the U.S. will do so in close coordination with allies and partners. The presidents also discussed the U.S.-Russia dialogue on Strategic Stability, a separate dialogue on ransomware, as well as joint work on regional issues such as Iran” the message reads.
As for Biden's call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, it will take place on December 9.
What the Kremlin said
Kremlin statements following the negotiations could be predicted in advance. The press service of Russia’s president specified that "Putin illustrated the destructive nature of Kyiv’s policy to dismantle the Minsk Package of Measures and the agreements reached within the Normandy format”.
At the same time, the Kremlin confirmed that Putin is reluctant to watch Ukraine’s integration with NATO.
The President of the Russian Federation demanded from the United States "reliable, legally binding guarantees ruling out the eventuality of NATO’s eastward expansion".
The Kremlin also noted that the conversation between the two heads of state "was frank and businesslike".
What happened right after the negotiations
As soon as the negotiations were over, the media reported that rather controversial provisions against the Russian Federation were excluded from the agreed draft defense budget of the United States.
In particular, the US Congress removed sanctions against Nord Stream 2, Russian sovereign debt, and 35 Russian individuals from the draft defense budget. The announcement came right after the Biden-Putin call.