US President Joe Biden said the United States will increase its military force in Europe.

The US president informed that over $700 billion has been provided to Ukraine since he took office even as 50 countries have pledged new commitments to the country battling Russian forces.

"In Germany, we came up with offers to develop the developing countries, unlike China, all the projects in the developing countries will be transparent," the president added while pledging to support Ukraine.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/russia-says-it-has-withdrawn-its-military-from-snake-island-in-the-black-sea-493215">Also Read:&nbsp;Russia says it has withdrawn its military from Snake Island in the Black Sea</a>

"Putin wanted Finlandization of NATO, he got NATOisation of Finland," Biden said on Finland's application to join the European military alliance.

The US should sell F-16s to Turkey, Biden said told reporters at the press conference, while adding that&nbsp;Congress will approve the F-16 sale.

&nbsp;"I need congressional approval to do that and I think I can do that," the president said, adding,"there was "no quid pro quo" of linking the sale to Turkey's approval for Finland and Sweden entering NATO.

The president added that America is in a "better position to lead the world". Biden said the US will announce a new $800 million weapons package for Ukraine in a few days while asserting that "Ukraine has already given a severe blow to Russia."

Watch:&nbsp;US pledges to boost military in Europe as NATO strengthens defences

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"Just today Snake Island is taken over by the Ukrainians," he added. The president said the Ukrainians are "increasing resistance against Russia". The president said:&nbsp;"war could end tomorrow if Russia stops its irrational behaviour".

Biden said he has suggested a cap on money to be paid for Russian oil while blaming the Putin regime for high gas prices and food security problems.

"The prices are up because of Russia, Russia and Russia!"

President Biden informed that he would be visiting Israel during his trip to the Gulf.

(With inputs from Agencies)

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US President Joe Biden said the United States will increase its military force in Europe. The US president informed that over $700 billion has been provided to Ukraine since he took office even as 50 countries have pledged new commitments to the country battling Russian forces.

US President Joe Biden said the United States will increase its military force in Europe. The US president informed that over $700 billion has been provided to Ukraine since he took office even as 50 countries have pledged new commitments to the country battling Russian forces. "In Germany, we came up with offers to develop the developing countries, unlike China, all the projects in the developing countries will be transparent," the president added while pledging to support Ukraine. Also Read: Russia says it has withdrawn its military from Snake Island in the Black Sea "Putin wanted Finlandization of NATO, he got NATOisation of Finland," Biden said on Finland's application to join the European military alliance. The US should sell F-16s to Turkey, Biden said told reporters at the press conference, while adding that Congress will approve the F-16 sale. "I need congressional approval to do that and I think I can do that," the president said, adding,"there was "no quid pro quo" of linking the sale to Turkey's approval for Finland and Sweden entering NATO. The president added that America is in a "better position to lead the world". Biden said the US will announce a new $800 million weapons package for Ukraine in a few days while asserting that "Ukraine has already given a severe blow to Russia." Watch: US pledges to boost military in Europe as NATO strengthens defences "Just today Snake Island is taken over by the Ukrainians," he added. The president said the Ukrainians are "increasing resistance against Russia". The president said: "war could end tomorrow if Russia stops its irrational behaviour". Biden said he has suggested a cap on money to be paid for Russian oil while blaming the Putin regime for high gas prices and food security problems. "The prices are up because of Russia, Russia and Russia!" President Biden informed that he would be visiting Israel during his trip to the Gulf. (With inputs from Agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

US should sell F-16 fighter planes to Turkey, Congress can approve, says Biden

The number of Russian military stations surrounding Ukraine has risen to 149,000, according to the Ukrainian Defence Minister, Oleksiy Reznikov.

"We are watching the divisions of the Russian troops, which number 129,000. And put together with naval and air components, this figure reaches 149,000," Oleksiy Reznikov told parliament.

Meanwhile, the Russian military launched large-scale strategic force drills on Friday, a striking reminder of the country's nuclear power amid Western fears that Moscow is planning an invasion of Ukraine. 
 
<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/more-tanks-returning-to-permanent-bases-after-drills-says-russia-454247">Also read | More tanks returning to permanent bases after drills, says Russia</a>

Russian President Vladimir Putin will personally observe Saturday's drill, which will include repeated mock launches of intercontinental ballistic missiles and cruise missiles, according to the Russian Defence Ministry. 
 
<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/ukraine-crisis-how-putin-built-russias-army-as-a-potent-force-453715">Also Read in Pics:&nbsp;&nbsp;How Putin built Russia's Army as a potent force</a>

The operations, according to the ministry, were planned a long time ago to test the military command and personnel's readiness, as well as the reliability of Russia's nuclear and conventional weapons.

The drills come after US Vice President Joe Biden warned on Thursday that Russia might attack Ukraine in a matter of days.&nbsp;

Western concerns centre on an estimated 150,000 Russian troops stationed near Ukraine's borders, accounting for around 60% of Russia's total field forces.

The Kremlin maintains that no invasion is planned. 
 
Watch | Russia-Ukraine Conflict: Shelling by Russia-backed separatists in Donbass hits nursery school

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Moscow, on the other hand, has requested that the United States and its allies keep Ukraine and other former Soviet republics out of NATO, refrain from deploying armaments in Ukraine, and withdraw NATO forces from Eastern Europe.

Moscow vowed to use unspecified "military-technical measures" if the West continued to stonewall. Washington and its allies flatly rejected the Russian demands.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)

The number of Russian military stations surrounding Ukraine has risen to 149,000, according to the Ukrainian Defence Minister, Oleksiy Reznikov. "We are watching the divisions of the Russian troops, which number 129,000.

The number of Russian military stations surrounding Ukraine has risen to 149,000, according to the Ukrainian Defence Minister, Oleksiy Reznikov. "We are watching the divisions of the Russian troops, which number 129,000. And put together with naval and air components, this figure reaches 149,000," Oleksiy Reznikov told parliament. Meanwhile, the Russian military launched large-scale strategic force drills on Friday, a striking reminder of the country's nuclear power amid Western fears that Moscow is planning an invasion of Ukraine. Also read | More tanks returning to permanent bases after drills, says Russia Russian President Vladimir Putin will personally observe Saturday's drill, which will include repeated mock launches of intercontinental ballistic missiles and cruise missiles, according to the Russian Defence Ministry. Also Read in Pics: How Putin built Russia's Army as a potent force The operations, according to the ministry, were planned a long time ago to test the military command and personnel's readiness, as well as the reliability of Russia's nuclear and conventional weapons. The drills come after US Vice President Joe Biden warned on Thursday that Russia might attack Ukraine in a matter of days. Western concerns centre on an estimated 150,000 Russian troops stationed near Ukraine's borders, accounting for around 60% of Russia's total field forces. The Kremlin maintains that no invasion is planned. Watch | Russia-Ukraine Conflict: Shelling by Russia-backed separatists in Donbass hits nursery school Moscow, on the other hand, has requested that the United States and its allies keep Ukraine and other former Soviet republics out of NATO, refrain from deploying armaments in Ukraine, and withdraw NATO forces from Eastern Europe. Moscow vowed to use unspecified "military-technical measures" if the West continued to stonewall. Washington and its allies flatly rejected the Russian demands. (With inputs from agencies)

Number of Russian troops around Ukraine reaches 149,000: Kyiv

Amid tensions with Ukraine, Russia said it was withdrawing more tanks and hardware from the border.

The move comes as European leaders are set to attend the Munich Security Conference with the Ukraine crisis set to dominate.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/ukraine-crisis-how-putin-built-russias-army-as-a-potent-force-453715">Also Read in Pics:&nbsp;&nbsp;How Putin built Russia's Army as a potent force</a>

Russia said a military train carrying personnel and equipment had returned to Nizhny Novgorod region after completing exercises. The defence forces added&nbsp;that ten warplanes were also pulled out&nbsp;of the Crimean region and were being redeployed in other regions for drills.

"Another military train carrying personnel and military equipment belonging to tank army units of the western military district returned to their permanent bases in the Nizhny Novgorod region after completing scheduled exercises," the Russian defence ministry said

Earlier this week Russia had announced it was pulling back some troops involved in drills in Belarus. Russian troops involved in military exercises in Crimea were also returning to their barracks, the military had claimed.

Watch:&nbsp;Our NATO bid process is stalled, says Ukraine president

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The US however said on Thursday that Russia had added 7,000 soldiers along Ukraine's border as President Biden warned that Putin's regime may resort to "false flag" operation to invade Ukraine.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/tsirkon-serial-production-russias-race-for-hypersonic-missiles-revealed-452075">Also Read in Pics:&nbsp;Russia's race for hypersonic missiles revealed</a>

The US claims Russia has massed over 100,000 troops along the Ukraine border in an attempt to invade the country&nbsp;which could take place at any moment. However, Russian President Putin had dismissed reports however he has said Russian troops can move around anywhere within their own territory.

(With inputs from Agencies)&nbsp;

Amid tensions with Ukraine, Russia said it was withdrawing more tanks and hardware from the border. The move comes as European leaders are set to attend the Munich Security Conference with the Ukraine crisis set to dominate.

Amid tensions with Ukraine, Russia said it was withdrawing more tanks and hardware from the border. The move comes as European leaders are set to attend the Munich Security Conference with the Ukraine crisis set to dominate. Also Read in Pics: How Putin built Russia's Army as a potent force Russia said a military train carrying personnel and equipment had returned to Nizhny Novgorod region after completing exercises. The defence forces added that ten warplanes were also pulled out of the Crimean region and were being redeployed in other regions for drills. "Another military train carrying personnel and military equipment belonging to tank army units of the western military district returned to their permanent bases in the Nizhny Novgorod region after completing scheduled exercises," the Russian defence ministry said Earlier this week Russia had announced it was pulling back some troops involved in drills in Belarus. Russian troops involved in military exercises in Crimea were also returning to their barracks, the military had claimed. Watch: Our NATO bid process is stalled, says Ukraine president The US however said on Thursday that Russia had added 7,000 soldiers along Ukraine's border as President Biden warned that Putin's regime may resort to "false flag" operation to invade Ukraine. Also Read in Pics: Russia's race for hypersonic missiles revealed The US claims Russia has massed over 100,000 troops along the Ukraine border in an attempt to invade the country which could take place at any moment. However, Russian President Putin had dismissed reports however he has said Russian troops can move around anywhere within their own territory. (With inputs from Agencies)

More tanks returning to permanent bases after drills, says Russia

Russian troops are encircling Ukraine from three sides. In Washington and Brussels, there are warnings of crushing sanctions if Vladimir Putin orders an invasion. Embassy families — both American and Russian — are being evacuated from Kyiv.

Yet there are still diplomatic options — “off-ramps” in the lingo of the negotiators — and in the next several days the Biden administration and NATO are expected to respond, in writing, to Putin’s far-reaching demands.

The question is whether there is real potential for compromise in three distinct areas: Russia’s demand for ironclad assurances that Ukraine won’t enter NATO; that NATO won’t further expand; and that Russia can somehow restore some approximation of its sphere of influence in the region to before the strategic map of Europe was redrawn in the mid-1990s.

The hardest issue of all defies negotiation: Putin’s demand that Ukraine reverse its “drift” toward the West. That is a matter of national sentiment, and polls show that in the years since Russia’s seizure of Crimea in 2014, Ukrainians are more desirous than ever of joining the Western alliance. Putin’s massing of the troops is likely to accelerate that trend, US&nbsp;officials say, rather than reverse it.

And as in all conflicts with roots in the Cold War and its aftermath, the subtext of any negotiation includes how the world’s two largest nuclear-armed states manage their arsenals — and use them for leverage.

While there is still time to avoid the worst, even President Joe Biden’s top aides say they have no idea if a diplomatic solution, rather than the conquest of Ukraine, is what Putin has in mind. The Russian president views Ukraine not as a separate nation but as a land that was negotiated away after the collapse of the Soviet Union. Many who have dealt with Putin believe he now sees it as his mission to correct that error, even if that means risking war to redraw the map of Europe.

Even if the diplomacy is for real, no one is certain how long they have to head off military action. A few weeks? Until the end of the Beijing Winter Olympics, on the theory that Putin would not want to anger President Xi Jinping by starting a war that would divert attention from China’s big moment?

Not all the potential blockades to a solution involve the Russians. If facing down Moscow was once a bipartisan task in Washington, it is no longer. Even before the counterproposals to Russia are finished, Republicans have been using the tensions to portray the administration as offering “appeasement,” a word chosen to evoke images of Britain’s approach to Nazi Germany in the 1930s.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken, trying to blunt the angle of attack, shot back Sunday that “engaging in diplomacy doesn’t take the word ‘nyet’ out of your vocabulary.”

Defusing Ukraine

It is possible that Putin’s bottom line in this conflict is straightforward: that he wants to stop Ukraine from joining NATO and get an assurance that the United States and NATO will never place offensive weapons that threaten Russia’s security in Ukrainian territory.

On those two issues, it would seem, there is trading space. While the United States says it will never abandon the NATO “open door” policy — which means that every nation is free to make its own choice about whether it seeks to join the Western alliance — the reality is clear: Ukraine is so corrupt, and its grasp of democracy is so tenuous, that no one expects it to be accepted for NATO membership in the next decade or two.

On this, Biden has been clear.

“The likelihood that Ukraine is going to join NATO in the near term is not very likely,” he said at a news conference Wednesday, giving voice to a previously unspoken truth. “So there is room to work if he wants to do that.”

It seemed an open invitation to offer Russia some kind of assurance that, for a decade or maybe a quarter-century, NATO membership for Kyiv was off the table. But the Biden administration has drawn a red line at allowing Putin a right to veto which nations can join NATO.

More complex is negotiating the reverse problem: How the United States and NATO operate in Ukraine. Ever since the annexation of Crimea in 2014, the United States and NATO nations have been haltingly providing Ukraine with what the West calls defensive arms, including the capability to take out Russian tanks and aircraft. That flow has sped up in recent weeks.

To hear Putin, those weapons are more offensive than defensive — and Russian disinformation campaigns have suggested that Washington’s real goal is to put nuclear weapons in Ukraine. Administration officials say the United States has no such plans — and some kind of agreement should be, as one official said, “the easiest part of this,” as long as Russia is willing to pull back its intermediate-range weapons as well.

Upending the European Order

Putin has made clear that he wants to restore what he calls Russia’s “sphere of influence” in the region — essentially a return to the Cold War order, before Bill Clinton and Boris Yeltsin agreed in 1997 that former Soviet states and Warsaw bloc nations could choose whether to seek membership in NATO. Since then, the alliance has roughly doubled in size.

Putin also wants all nuclear weapons out of Europe, even though those weapons — mostly gravity bombs that have been stored in Germany, Turkey, Italy and Belgium — have been there for decades.

Asked Wednesday whether he would take those weapons out or stop troop rotations through the former Soviet bloc, Biden said, “No, there’s not space for that.”

Rose Gottemoeller, who negotiated New START, the last major nuclear accord with Russia, said at the Center for the National Interest on Monday that Putin’s demands were partly “a temper-tantrum effect” after years in which Putin’s grievances have, in his view, never been taken seriously.

So is there room for negotiation? Perhaps there is, Gottemoeller said. She noted that Putin “cares about summitry with Biden,” which suggests that the two men might, ultimately, come to some kind of broader understanding about Europe’s future. At a minimum they could address the nuclear issues by reviving the Intermediate Nuclear Forces agreement, which Putin violated for years and President Donald Trump scrapped.

And the United States has suggested reviving an old agreement that would limit military exercises, prescribe how far away from borders they needed to be and reduce the fear that an “exercise” turns into an invasion.

The problem with this approach is that it sounds a lot like continuing the kind of grinding, incremental arrangements that have marked the post-Cold War era. And that is exactly the era Putin is trying to blow up.

Cuban Missile Crisis Redux?

If all these sound like quarter-century-old problems, well, they are. Which is why any new accords with Russia, to be truly effective, would have to embrace Russia’s turn toward deniable, hard-to-detect cyberweapons. As the Department of Homeland Security reminded private industry over the weekend, U.S. critical infrastructure, including the power grid, is laced with Russian-planted malware. So far, none has been triggered — and as a deterrent the United States has planted code in the Russian grid as well.

Such weapons do not lend themselves to arms control — they are hard to find and impossible to count. But no agreement with Russia that excludes them will address the constant, asymmetric battling that goes on between the two countries every day.

And then there is the problem that dominated the Cold War: nukes.

In the past week, Putin has been on the phone — not just to his old allies, but to the leaders of Venezuela, Nicaragua and Cuba. Some Russian news organizations have said the topics might be what Putin likes to call a “military-technical” response to the Ukraine crisis.

There have been hints from Russian officials about what that means: Russia could consider placing nuclear weapons back in the Western Hemisphere, within easy, short reach of US&nbsp;cities. If that sounds familiar, it should. It was the core of the Cuban Missile Crisis in 1962, the closest the world came to annihilation during the Cold War.

Putin’s motivation is clear: If the United States won’t remove its weapons from Europe — even ageing tactical weapons that need to be dropped from airplanes — he is determined to put US&nbsp;cities at similar risk. So far, there is no evidence that he is doing anything but talking. But even the suggestion of it has revived old fears.

“The last thing in the world President Biden would want is to engage us and Russia in a nuclear exchange,” said Thomas Pickering, a veteran of Cold War diplomacy who is considered the dean of retired American diplomats.

The fear, now as then, is escalation. “Many people have postulated how that might happen,” Pickering said. “Almost no one that I know has given a conclusive way to stop it once it starts.”

Russian troops are encircling Ukraine from three sides. In Washington and Brussels, there are warnings of crushing sanctions if Vladimir Putin orders an invasion.

Russian troops are encircling Ukraine from three sides. In Washington and Brussels, there are warnings of crushing sanctions if Vladimir Putin orders an invasion. Embassy families — both American and Russian — are being evacuated from Kyiv. Yet there are still diplomatic options — “off-ramps” in the lingo of the negotiators — and in the next several days the Biden administration and NATO are expected to respond, in writing, to Putin’s far-reaching demands. The question is whether there is real potential for compromise in three distinct areas: Russia’s demand for ironclad assurances that Ukraine won’t enter NATO; that NATO won’t further expand; and that Russia can somehow restore some approximation of its sphere of influence in the region to before the strategic map of Europe was redrawn in the mid-1990s. The hardest issue of all defies negotiation: Putin’s demand that Ukraine reverse its “drift” toward the West. That is a matter of national sentiment, and polls show that in the years since Russia’s seizure of Crimea in 2014, Ukrainians are more desirous than ever of joining the Western alliance. Putin’s massing of the troops is likely to accelerate that trend, US officials say, rather than reverse it. And as in all conflicts with roots in the Cold War and its aftermath, the subtext of any negotiation includes how the world’s two largest nuclear-armed states manage their arsenals — and use them for leverage. While there is still time to avoid the worst, even President Joe Biden’s top aides say they have no idea if a diplomatic solution, rather than the conquest of Ukraine, is what Putin has in mind. The Russian president views Ukraine not as a separate nation but as a land that was negotiated away after the collapse of the Soviet Union. Many who have dealt with Putin believe he now sees it as his mission to correct that error, even if that means risking war to redraw the map of Europe. Even if the diplomacy is for real, no one is certain how long they have to head off military action. A few weeks? Until the end of the Beijing Winter Olympics, on the theory that Putin would not want to anger President Xi Jinping by starting a war that would divert attention from China’s big moment? Not all the potential blockades to a solution involve the Russians. If facing down Moscow was once a bipartisan task in Washington, it is no longer. Even before the counterproposals to Russia are finished, Republicans have been using the tensions to portray the administration as offering “appeasement,” a word chosen to evoke images of Britain’s approach to Nazi Germany in the 1930s. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, trying to blunt the angle of attack, shot back Sunday that “engaging in diplomacy doesn’t take the word ‘nyet’ out of your vocabulary.” Defusing Ukraine It is possible that Putin’s bottom line in this conflict is straightforward: that he wants to stop Ukraine from joining NATO and get an assurance that the United States and NATO will never place offensive weapons that threaten Russia’s security in Ukrainian territory. On those two issues, it would seem, there is trading space. While the United States says it will never abandon the NATO “open door” policy — which means that every nation is free to make its own choice about whether it seeks to join the Western alliance — the reality is clear: Ukraine is so corrupt, and its grasp of democracy is so tenuous, that no one expects it to be accepted for NATO membership in the next decade or two. On this, Biden has been clear. “The likelihood that Ukraine is going to join NATO in the near term is not very likely,” he said at a news conference Wednesday, giving voice to a previously unspoken truth. “So there is room to work if he wants to do that.” It seemed an open invitation to offer Russia some kind of assurance that, for a decade or maybe a quarter-century, NATO membership for Kyiv was off the table. But the Biden administration has drawn a red line at allowing Putin a right to veto which nations can join NATO. More complex is negotiating the reverse problem: How the United States and NATO operate in Ukraine. Ever since the annexation of Crimea in 2014, the United States and NATO nations have been haltingly providing Ukraine with what the West calls defensive arms, including the capability to take out Russian tanks and aircraft. That flow has sped up in recent weeks. To hear Putin, those weapons are more offensive than defensive — and Russian disinformation campaigns have suggested that Washington’s real goal is to put nuclear weapons in Ukraine. Administration officials say the United States has no such plans — and some kind of agreement should be, as one official said, “the easiest part of this,” as long as Russia is willing to pull back its intermediate-range weapons as well. Upending the European Order Putin has made clear that he wants to restore what he calls Russia’s “sphere of influence” in the region — essentially a return to the Cold War order, before Bill Clinton and Boris Yeltsin agreed in 1997 that former Soviet states and Warsaw bloc nations could choose whether to seek membership in NATO. Since then, the alliance has roughly doubled in size. Putin also wants all nuclear weapons out of Europe, even though those weapons — mostly gravity bombs that have been stored in Germany, Turkey, Italy and Belgium — have been there for decades. Asked Wednesday whether he would take those weapons out or stop troop rotations through the former Soviet bloc, Biden said, “No, there’s not space for that.” Rose Gottemoeller, who negotiated New START, the last major nuclear accord with Russia, said at the Center for the National Interest on Monday that Putin’s demands were partly “a temper-tantrum effect” after years in which Putin’s grievances have, in his view, never been taken seriously. So is there room for negotiation? Perhaps there is, Gottemoeller said. She noted that Putin “cares about summitry with Biden,” which suggests that the two men might, ultimately, come to some kind of broader understanding about Europe’s future. At a minimum they could address the nuclear issues by reviving the Intermediate Nuclear Forces agreement, which Putin violated for years and President Donald Trump scrapped. And the United States has suggested reviving an old agreement that would limit military exercises, prescribe how far away from borders they needed to be and reduce the fear that an “exercise” turns into an invasion. The problem with this approach is that it sounds a lot like continuing the kind of grinding, incremental arrangements that have marked the post-Cold War era. And that is exactly the era Putin is trying to blow up. Cuban Missile Crisis Redux? If all these sound like quarter-century-old problems, well, they are. Which is why any new accords with Russia, to be truly effective, would have to embrace Russia’s turn toward deniable, hard-to-detect cyberweapons. As the Department of Homeland Security reminded private industry over the weekend, U.S. critical infrastructure, including the power grid, is laced with Russian-planted malware. So far, none has been triggered — and as a deterrent the United States has planted code in the Russian grid as well. Such weapons do not lend themselves to arms control — they are hard to find and impossible to count. But no agreement with Russia that excludes them will address the constant, asymmetric battling that goes on between the two countries every day. And then there is the problem that dominated the Cold War: nukes. In the past week, Putin has been on the phone — not just to his old allies, but to the leaders of Venezuela, Nicaragua and Cuba. Some Russian news organizations have said the topics might be what Putin likes to call a “military-technical” response to the Ukraine crisis. There have been hints from Russian officials about what that means: Russia could consider placing nuclear weapons back in the Western Hemisphere, within easy, short reach of US cities. If that sounds familiar, it should. It was the core of the Cuban Missile Crisis in 1962, the closest the world came to annihilation during the Cold War. Putin’s motivation is clear: If the United States won’t remove its weapons from Europe — even ageing tactical weapons that need to be dropped from airplanes — he is determined to put US cities at similar risk. So far, there is no evidence that he is doing anything but talking. But even the suggestion of it has revived old fears. “The last thing in the world President Biden would want is to engage us and Russia in a nuclear exchange,” said Thomas Pickering, a veteran of Cold War diplomacy who is considered the dean of retired American diplomats. The fear, now as then, is escalation. “Many people have postulated how that might happen,” Pickering said. “Almost no one that I know has given a conclusive way to stop it once it starts.”

War may loom, but are there off-ramps?

Putin-Biden Summit: When Russia, US leaders talked politics

In a landmark move, President &nbsp;Vladimir <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/putin-says-us-threats-smack-of-soviet-unions-fatal-mistakes-389662">Putin</a> on Monday signed a legislation which signalled the formal exit of Russia from the 1992 Open Skies arms control treaty.

Watch:

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/russia-is-the-navalny-network-an-extremist-group-389636/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

The development came after the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/trump-hits-out-at-biden-for-bowing-down-to-china-urges-him-to-put-america-first-389769">Biden</a> administration last month had informed the Russian government that it wouldn't reenter the pact after the former Trump administration pulled out of it last year.

President Putin and Biden as set to meet at a summit in Geneva on June 16 this month, however, the US decision was communicated to Russian officials earlier.&nbsp;

The Open Skies treaty which had come into effect on January 1, 2002, allowed both countries to conduct unarmed surveillance flights over military installations in a bid to ensure friendly terms between the two world powers.

There were 34 other countries who had signed the deal and was put forward by George H. W. Bush's administration in 1992 and was signed in Helsinki by former US secretary of state James Baker along with 23 countries.

The Biden administration had earlier extended <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-rejects-russian-proposal-for-one-year-extension-of-new-start-treaty-335941">New START treaty </a>by five years after the Trump did not extend it.&nbsp;

The US in a statement earlier had said: “The United States regrets that the Treaty on Open Skies has been undermined by Russia’s violations. In concluding its review of the treaty, the United States, therefore, does not intend to seek to rejoin it, given Russia’s failure to take any actions to return to compliance."

"Further, Russia’s behaviour, including its recent actions with respect to Ukraine, is not that of a partner committed to confidence-building,” the US statement added.

The Open Skies treaty was meant to allow militaries of both nations to monitor each other's activities in a transparent and friendly manner. However, the Trump administration had pulled out of the Open Skies treaty citing violations from the Russian side.

Russia's lower house earlier voted to exit from the treaty and the upper house reached the same verdict allowing Putin to put his stamp on Russia's exit from the post-cold war treaty.

Russian news agency TAAS had said it was "another political mistake, inflicting a new blow to the European security system" after the US government led by President Bident had decided not to reenter the deal.

The Kremlin said the US decision was a "threat to Russia’s national security" which upset the "balance of interests" leading the Russian government to also pull out of it.

In a landmark move, President Vladimir Putin on Monday signed a legislation which signalled the formal exit of Russia from the 1992 Open Skies arms control treaty.

In a landmark move, President Vladimir Putin on Monday signed a legislation which signalled the formal exit of Russia from the 1992 Open Skies arms control treaty. Watch: The development came after the Biden administration last month had informed the Russian government that it wouldn't reenter the pact after the former Trump administration pulled out of it last year. President Putin and Biden as set to meet at a summit in Geneva on June 16 this month, however, the US decision was communicated to Russian officials earlier. The Open Skies treaty which had come into effect on January 1, 2002, allowed both countries to conduct unarmed surveillance flights over military installations in a bid to ensure friendly terms between the two world powers. There were 34 other countries who had signed the deal and was put forward by George H. W. Bush's administration in 1992 and was signed in Helsinki by former US secretary of state James Baker along with 23 countries. The Biden administration had earlier extended New START treaty by five years after the Trump did not extend it. The US in a statement earlier had said: “The United States regrets that the Treaty on Open Skies has been undermined by Russia’s violations. In concluding its review of the treaty, the United States, therefore, does not intend to seek to rejoin it, given Russia’s failure to take any actions to return to compliance." "Further, Russia’s behaviour, including its recent actions with respect to Ukraine, is not that of a partner committed to confidence-building,” the US statement added. The Open Skies treaty was meant to allow militaries of both nations to monitor each other's activities in a transparent and friendly manner. However, the Trump administration had pulled out of the Open Skies treaty citing violations from the Russian side. Russia's lower house earlier voted to exit from the treaty and the upper house reached the same verdict allowing Putin to put his stamp on Russia's exit from the post-cold war treaty. Russian news agency TAAS had said it was "another political mistake, inflicting a new blow to the European security system" after the US government led by President Bident had decided not to reenter the deal. The Kremlin said the US decision was a "threat to Russia’s national security" which upset the "balance of interests" leading the Russian government to also pull out of it.

Russia formally exits from Open Skies pact with US after Putin's approval

As president-elect Joe Biden prepares to take office on January 20, Russian President Vladimir <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/putin-signs-bill-awarding-former-presidents-lifetime-immunity-351782">Putin</a> who had congratulated him earlier on his US election victory said it would be "it will be business as usual" with the new US president.

Watch:

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/russian-president-vladimir-putin-visits-foreign-intelligence-services-hq-hails-spies-351316/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

"Now about the change of leadership in the United States and that it will be more difficult for us. I don't think so. It will be business as usual," Putin said. The Russian President last week during his annual year-end press conference had said problems "will be resolved under the new administration".&nbsp;

Russian deputy foreign minister Sergei Ryabkov had earlier said that "it would be strange to expect good things from people, many of whom made their careers on Russophobia and throwing mud at my country," he added. "We are definitely not expecting anything good," he informed.

Amid the simmering US-Russia tensions, Ryabkov said the government will not initiate any contacts with Biden's transition staff.

US-Russia relations have been going downhill since the Trump administration began its engagement with the country, the latest being the huge<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/russian-president-vladimir-putin-appreciates-spy-agency-after-us-hack-controversy-351221"> cyber attack </a>in US departments which US secretary of state blamed Russia.

Biden said the cyber attack cannot go "unanswered".

The US also announced fresh sanctions on &nbsp;45 Russian organisations over their military connections as &nbsp;deputy foreign minister Ryabkov said, "We are going from bad to worse." &nbsp;The relations took a further slide as the US administration announced that it would close its two remaining consulates in Russia.

Trump had earlier withdrawn from the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) treaty and the fate of New START which expires on February 2021 hanging in the balance.

As president-elect Joe Biden prepares to take office on January 20, Russian President Vladimir Putin who had congratulated him earlier on his US election victory said it would be "it will be business as usual" with the new US president.

As president-elect Joe Biden prepares to take office on January 20, Russian President Vladimir Putin who had congratulated him earlier on his US election victory said it would be "it will be business as usual" with the new US president. Watch: "Now about the change of leadership in the United States and that it will be more difficult for us. I don't think so. It will be business as usual," Putin said. The Russian President last week during his annual year-end press conference had said problems "will be resolved under the new administration". Russian deputy foreign minister Sergei Ryabkov had earlier said that "it would be strange to expect good things from people, many of whom made their careers on Russophobia and throwing mud at my country," he added. "We are definitely not expecting anything good," he informed. Amid the simmering US-Russia tensions, Ryabkov said the government will not initiate any contacts with Biden's transition staff. US-Russia relations have been going downhill since the Trump administration began its engagement with the country, the latest being the huge cyber attack in US departments which US secretary of state blamed Russia. Biden said the cyber attack cannot go "unanswered". The US also announced fresh sanctions on 45 Russian organisations over their military connections as deputy foreign minister Ryabkov said, "We are going from bad to worse." The relations took a further slide as the US administration announced that it would close its two remaining consulates in Russia. Trump had earlier withdrawn from the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) treaty and the fate of New START which expires on February 2021 hanging in the balance.

'It will be business as usual': Putin expects no change in US policies under Biden

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