Video summit on crisis: Biden threatens Putin with consequences if he attacks Ukraine

American President Joe Biden threatened with his Russian colleague Vladimir Putin at the video summit, according to the White House, with consequences in the event of an escalation in the Ukraine conflict.

After the two-hour conversation on Tuesday, the White House said that Biden had expressed "the deep concern of the United States and our European allies" about the crisis.

At the same time, he made it clear that "the USA and our allies would react with strong economic and other measures in the event of a military escalation".

The White House also said that Biden had reiterated its support for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine.

He called for de-escalation and a return to diplomacy.

Biden consults with Western heads of government

After his conversation with Putin, Biden wanted to confer with outgoing Chancellor Angela Merkel, French President Emmanuel Macron, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi, as the White House announced before the video summit. In a conversation the day before, the allies had already agreed "to stay in close contact with one another in order to develop a coordinated and comprehensive concept in response to Russia's military rearmament on the borders of Ukraine".

Even before Biden's switch with Putin, the United States' government in Moscow threatened serious consequences in the event of a military escalation in the Ukraine conflict.

The costs would turn out to be very high, "should Russia decide in favor of such an approach," said a US government official.

Putin would then have to reckon with "considerable economic countermeasures by both the Europeans and the United States".

"Good to see you again"

NATO is alarmed by reports of alleged Russian plans to attack Ukraine.

Moscow, on the other hand, rejects the accusation of aggression and in return accuses Ukraine of having deployed more than 120,000 soldiers on the line to the eastern Ukrainian separatist regions of Donetsk and Luhansk.

While the White House initially did not broadcast television images of the summit, Russian state television showed Putin at his desk in front of a screen on Tuesday.

"Good to see you again," Biden said in greeting.

Unfortunately, the Kremlin chief was not at the G20 summit in Rome at the end of October.

Next time he wants to meet Putin personally again, said the American president.