U.S. President Joe Biden and German Chancellor Angela Merkel had a phone call late on Wednesday, as they agreed to call on Russia to draw back its troops from the Ukrainian border.
"The leaders expressed concern about the build-up of Russian troops on Ukraine's border and in occupied Crimea, and reaffirmed their support for Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity," the White House's readout of the call noted.
Biden and Merkel agreed on urging Russia to reduce the latest troop reinforcements near the border to Ukraine, "in order to achieve a deescalation of the situation," Merkel's spokesman Steffen Seibert revealed.
On her part, German Defense Minister Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer was asked about the developments in Ukraine on ARD public television on Wednesday evening.
"My impression is that the Russian side is trying everything to provoke a reaction," Kramp-Karrenbauer said. "Together with Ukraine, we won't be drawn into this game."
The continuing Russian presence near the Ukrainian border has caused major concern in the West in recent days.
Washington notes that Russian troop levels there are at their highest since 2014, when war erupted in eastern Ukraine with Moscow-backed separatists.
However, Russia has clarified their action, explaining that it's for combating drills because of “threats” from the transatlantic alliance NATO.
Furthermore, White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki stated that Biden had stressed the consequences of Russia's activities during his phone call with Putin on Tuesday, suggesting that the two leaders should meet.
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