On Thursday, US President Joe Biden warned Russia that if it continues to "interfere with our democracy," he would take more action, but expressed optimism for improved relations.
The alert came after the US placed sanctions on hundreds of Russian individuals and businesses, as well as expelling ten Russian diplomats, in retaliation for the Kremlin's attempts to sway US elections and a massive cyberattack blamed on Moscow, which the US says infected 16,000 computer systems, including those of federal agencies.
If Russian President Vladimir Putin decides to escalate, Biden said it is his "responsibility as president of the United States to" retaliate, but added that Washington "is not looking to start a period of escalation and confrontation with Russia."
"The US does not want to start a new cycle of escalation and confrontation with Russia. We want a relationship that is secure and predictable "At the White House, he said. “Throughout our long history of rivalry, our two countries have managed to hold tensions in check and prevent them from spiraling out of control."
During a phone call with Putin on Tuesday, Biden said that he was clear "We could have gone even further, but I decided not to. I made the decision to be proportionate.”
“When I spoke with President Putin, I shared my belief that personal and direct contact between the two of us was critical in moving forward to a more effective relationship," Biden said.
Part of that includes Biden's suggestion that the leaders meet in Europe this summer to sort out their differences and find areas of cooperation.
"If that summit takes place, as I believe it will," the president said, "the United States and Russia could begin a strategic stability dialogue to seek cooperation in arms control and defense."
"We should resolve crucial global problems that need Russia and the US to work together, such as containing nuclear threats from Iran and North Korea, ending the global pandemic, and dealing with the existential crisis of climate change," he said.
The call and Biden's remarks come amid reports that Russia is amassing forces along its border with Ukraine at a pace not seen since 2014 when it invaded and later annexed Ukraine's the Crimean Peninsula and started supporting separatist forces in the Donbas region of eastern Ukraine.
During the Russian power buildup, Biden said he "strongly urged" Putin to "refrain from any military action," adding that "now is the time to de-escalate."
"The only way to move forward is to engage in thoughtful dialogue and engage in a diplomatic process. “The United States is prepared to work constructively to advance the process,” he said.
