Biden spoke to new German chancellor about Russia-Ukraine tensions

The president of U.S, Joe Biden, called on Friday the new German Chancellor, Olaf Scholz, to discuss the tensions on the Ukrainian border where tens of thousands of Russian troops are concentrated.

Biden tweeted that he congratulated Scholz on his appointment as German leader. “I look forward to working closely with him on the full range of global challenges, including transatlantic efforts to address Russia’s destabilizing military build-up,” he wrote.

The call with Scholz culminates an intense week of telephone diplomacy for Biden, at a time when Ukraine fears a Russian invasion.

On Tuesday, Biden held a video conference with the Russian president Vladimir Putin, in which he warned of severe economic sanctions if Russian troops deployed near the border began an attack.

He also said the United States could work with Russia to restart a diplomatic process.

In addition, the US president communicated with the major European powers before and after the conversation with Putin. On Thursday he spoke with the Ukrainian president, as well as the leaders of nine allied countries in Eastern Europe.

Scholz received Germany’s first post this week from her predecessor, Angela Merkel, who has led the country since 2005.

In a statement, the White House indicated that Scholz and Biden also discussed “global challenges such as the end of the covid-19 pandemic”, as well as how to “counter the threat of climate change.”