The summit was proposed by French President Emmanuel Macron after he called Putin for a second time in one day on Sunday. Macron also spoke with Biden and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Sunday. According to France’s Elysée, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov will prepare the summit during their meeting on Thursday, February 24.
The French government and the White House emphasize that the summit, for which a date has not yet been set, will only take place if Russia has not invaded Ukraine in the period before. Should Russia still opt for war, the US is still ready to take swift and severe measures, the US government said in a response Monday morning.
The White House further states that Biden will use a virtual summit of G7 leaders on Thursday to discuss the situation regarding Russia and Ukraine. In addition to the Putin-Biden summit, Macron has also proposed a summit with the leaders of all countries involved in the Ukraine crisis.
The summit should ease the ever-increasing tension. “All signs point to Russia preparing a large-scale attack on Ukraine,” NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg told German broadcaster ARD on Sunday.
Satellite images from the American company Maxar also show, according to a press statement from that company, the formation of new army formations and troop building no more than 15 kilometers from the border with Ukraine. In addition, it was announced on Sunday that Russian troops will remain in Belarus longer than previously indicated for military exercises in Ukraine’s neighbor.