Biden, Putin trade frank talk as alarm rises over Ukraine

By AAMER MADHANI and VLADIMIR ISACHENKOV
Associated Press

WILMINGTON, Del. (AP) — Presidents Joe Biden and Vladimir Putin spoke frankly by phone for nearly an hour late Thursday about the Russian troop buildup near Ukraine. It was a new round of leader-to-leader talks as the Kremlin has stepped up its calls for border security guarantees and has test fired hypersonic missiles to underscore its demands. Biden reaffirmed the U.S. threat of new sanctions against Russia in case of an escalation or invasion, to which Putin responded with a warning of his own — that such a U.S. move could lead to a complete rupture of ties. The Russians have moved an estimated 100,000 troops toward Ukraine.