President Biden and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy spoke late Wednesday night U.S. time as Russian troops launched their expected attack on Ukraine.
In a statement, Mr. Biden said he was asked by his Ukrainian counterpart to call on world leaders to speak out against the Russian invasion. Mr. Biden said he’ll respond by imposing “severe sanctions” on Russia as soon as Thursday.
Mr. Biden is scheduled to meet with the Group of Seven allies to discuss Russia’s aggression.
For his part, Mr. Zelenskyy said that the U.S. has already started uniting international support for his country. He urged Ukrainian citizens to stay calm.
“No panic. We are strong. We are ready for everything. We will win over everybody because we are Ukraine,” he said in a video statement posted on social media.
It was the second time this week the two leaders spoke. They also talked on Monday after Russian President Vladimir Putin announced he would recognize as independent two breakaway separatist territories in eastern Ukraine.
• Jeff Mordock can be reached at jmordock@washingtontimes.com.
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