Biden offers Ukraine’s Zelenskyy support amid Russia tensions

The phone call between Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and US President Joe Biden comes on the heels of Russia last week warning that an escalation in Donbass could ‘destroy’ Ukraine.

United States President Joe Biden used a first official phone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Friday to offer staunch support in Ukraine’s standoff over Russian forces near its border. Washington has been Ukraine’s most powerful ally since Russia’s annexation of Crimea in 2014, but ties were overshadowed by Ukraine’s unwilling involvement in events leading to the impeachment trial of Biden’s predecessor Donald Trump. The conversation came after Western nations and transatlantic military alliance NATO voiced concern over Russian troop movements near the eastern Donbass region, where Ukrainian troops are in conflict with Russian-backed forces.