Joe Biden talks sanctions, Putin warns of rupture over Ukraine

Joe Biden talks sanctions, Putin warns of rupture over Ukraine

Joe Biden talks sanctions, Putin warns of rupture over Ukraine

Wilmington (US) : President Joe Biden has warned Russia's Vladimir Putin that the US could impose new sanctions against Russia if it takes further military action against Ukraine, while Putin responded that such a US move could lead to a complete rupture of ties between the nations.

The two leaders spoke frankly for nearly an hour on Thursday amid growing alarm over Russia's troop buildup near Ukraine, a crisis that has deepened as the Kremlin has stiffened its insistence on border security guarantees and test-fired hypersonic missiles to underscore its demands.

Further US sanctions "would be a colossal mistake that would entail grave consequences”, said Putin's foreign affairs adviser Yuri Ushakov, who briefed reporters in Moscow after the Biden-Putin phone conversation. He added that Putin told Biden that Russia would act as the US would if offensive weapons were deployed near American borders. — AP