Biden Repeats Assurances to Ukraine After Putin Call

U.S. President Joe Biden has reassured Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky of U.S. commitment to supporting Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity as the former Soviet nation faces a buildup of Russian troops along its eastern border. “President Biden made clear that the United States and its allies and partners will respond decisively if Russia further invades Ukraine,” White House press secretary Jen Psaki said in a statement following the Sunday call with Russian President Vladimir Putin. The assurances come two days after Biden talked with Putin for almost one hour on Dec. 30. That call came at the request of Putin to discuss a “range of security and strategic issues,” according to a senior Biden administration official. According to Russian state media TASS, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov has pushed back on reports that Russia was planning a possible “invasion” into Ukrainian territory, saying that Russia is looking to resolve problems in …