Biden, Putin talk nearly an hour as alarm rises over Ukraine

By AAMER MADHANI and VLADIMIR ISACHENKOV
Associated Press

WILMINGTON, Del. (AP) — Presidents Joe Biden and Vladimir Putin spoke frankly by phone for nearly an hour late Thursday about the Russian troop buildup near Ukraine. It was a new round of leader-to-leader talks as the Kremlin has stepped up its calls for security guarantees and test fired hypersonic missiles to underscore its demands. Putin’s foreign affairs adviser said Biden reaffirmed the U.S. threat of new sanctions against Russia in case of an escalation or invasion, to which Putin responded with a warning of his own — that such a U.S. move could lead to a complete rupture of ties. The Russians have moved an estimated 100,000 troops toward Ukraine, and Putin has stepped up his demands for guarantees precluding NATO from expanding to Ukraine.