WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden held a video call on Friday with the leaders of several NATO allies and other U.S. partners to discuss Russia’s escalating military buildup on the Ukrainian border.
Biden spoke with the leaders of France, Germany, Italy, the United Kingdom, Canada, NATO, the European Union, Poland and Romania, the White House said Friday.
The call was not on the president’s official schedule released last night. This suggests it may have been arranged at the last minute, which is unusual for a call involving so many world leaders.
Russia has been building up its military presence on the Ukrainian border for the past several months, and currently has more than 100,000 troops stationed there.
This week Russia and its ally Belarus are holding military exercises that analysts say could effectively serve as a dress rehearsal for a Russian invasion of Ukraine.