Joe Biden should make public the sanctions that the US will impose against Russia in the & nbsp; case of military action against Ukraine. & Nbsp; This was stated by two former US ambassadors to & nbsp; Russia (Michael McFaul and & nbsp; Alexander Vershbow), and & nbsp; also 22 more American experts and & nbsp; former diplomats, reports Associated Press.
Ideally, the plan of these sanctions should now be brought to information from Moscow so that the Kremlin has a clear idea of the scale of the economic blow that it will face. According to their statement
Among the signatories & nbsp; & mdash; former US ambassadors to & nbsp; Ukraine Steven Pifer and & nbsp; John Herbst. Others & nbsp; & mdash; These are former US national security officers and & nbsp; experts on & nbsp; Russia, who, among other things, worked in the & nbsp; administrations of Barack Obama, George W. Bush and & nbsp; Bill Clinton, writes Associated Press.
Blinken discussed with the Foreign Ministers of France, Germany and Britain the coordination of Ukraine and Russia 
The & nbsp; their & nbsp; statement says that the & nbsp; United States, together with & nbsp; NATO member states and & nbsp; with & nbsp; Ukraine, must “ take immediate steps '' that could “ affect & nbsp; the Kremlin's calculations '' before & nbsp & nbsp; Russia decides on & nbsp & nbsp; ; further military escalation. '' According to the & nbsp; opinion of ambassadors, diplomats and & nbsp; experts, it is necessary to develop a package of “ serious and & nbsp; painful sanctions '' that will be introduced.
US President Joe Biden raised the topic of sanctions due to & nbsp; possible actions of Russia in & nbsp; in relation to Ukraine in negotiations with Vladimir Putin. The conversation took place in & nbsp; night from & nbsp; 30 to & nbsp; 31 & nbsp; December & nbsp; & mdash; the leaders spoke on the & nbsp; phone. During his & nbsp; time, Biden announced that he was & nbsp; ready to go to & nbsp; “ drastic measures '' in the & nbsp; case of military escalation. Washington, with & nbsp; this did not & nbsp; disclose the information about & nbsp; what measures are in question. Biden later reiterated that & nbsp; warned Putin about the & nbsp; risk of imposing sanctions. He also & nbsp; said that & nbsp; escalation would lead to & nbsp; an increase in the US military presence in & nbsp; Europe. & Nbsp; such & nbsp; steps, according to & nbsp; and & nbsp; other NATO member states.
But & nbsp; Vladimir Putin & nbsp; immediately & nbsp; & nbsp; and & nbsp; reacted to & nbsp; this by the fact that & nbsp; if the West nevertheless decides to impose these unprecedented sanctions in & nbsp; certain conditions, then & nbsp; all this can lead to & nbsp; a complete rupture of relations between our countries & nbsp; , said the assistant to the Russian leader Yuri Ushakov. As follows from & nbsp; his words, Putin told Biden that & nbsp; relations between Russia and & nbsp; the United States in & nbsp; in this case, “ the most serious damage '' will be inflicted.
The sanctions, about & nbsp; of which we are talking, the United States and & nbsp; countries of the West threatened to impose after reports appeared about the & nbsp; build-up of the number of Russian military on the & nbsp; border with & nbsp; Ukraine. Information about & nbsp; this, in & nbsp; in particular, was published by the Politico portal and & nbsp; newspaper The Washington Post. The Pentagon at the end of November also reported on the & nbsp; transfer of Russian troops to the & nbsp; Ukrainian border.
Commenting on these reports, the Kremlin stated that Russia has every right to transfer troops to Russian territory.
Also, the presidential press secretary Dmitry Peskov said that “ about & nbsp; unusual military activity is said by those who & nbsp; themselves drove their armed forces from across the ocean. '' & ldquo; This is not & nbsp; quite logical and & nbsp; not & nbsp; quite decent & rdquo;, & nbsp; & mdash; added & nbsp; he.
Commenting on reports about the & nbsp; concentration of Russian military equipment in & nbsp; close proximity to & nbsp; the border with & nbsp; Ukraine, Peskov noted that & nbsp; & ldquo; about & nbsp; unusual military activity is said by those who & nbsp; themselves drove their armed forces from across the & nbsp; ocean & rdquop; & ldquo; This is not & nbsp; quite logical and & nbsp; not & nbsp; quite decent & rdquo;, & nbsp; & mdash; added & nbsp; he.
In & nbsp; in mid-December, the Russian Foreign Ministry announced the proposals that Russia is putting forward to the United States. Among them, in & nbsp; in particular, a proposal to legally consolidate the provision on & nbsp; that & nbsp; the former USSR countries will not & nbsp; will be admitted to & nbsp; NATO, and & nbsp; on & nbsp; their & nbsp; territories will not & nbsp; will host the military bases of the alliance. These guarantees of Russia's security during the conversation were discussed by & nbsp; Putin and & nbsp; Biden. The Kremlin indicated that & nbsp; Putin announced & nbsp; that & nbsp; Russia will & ldquo; achieve results in & nbsp; the form of ensuring guaranteed security for Russia & rdquo;. Biden, in & nbsp; turn, & ldquo; in & nbsp; principle, with & nbsp; agreed with this point of view & rdquo;, said the aide to the Russian President Yuri Ushakov.
Grigory Naberezhnov