Ahead of the meeting between US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Russia's Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov scheduled for today in Geneva, the United States President Joe Biden on Thursday issued a warning to Russian President Vladimir Putin saying Moscow would “pay a heavy price” for any Russian troop movements across Ukraine’s border.

A day earlier, President Biden had said that a "minor incursion" by Russia into Ukrainian territory could result in a "more measured response by the United States and allies". Biden maintained that he is not planning to send combat troops in the case of a further Russian invasion.

While the United States and the European Union have been calling out Russia for trying to invade Ukraine, Moscow denies any such plans and has rather accused the West of plotting “provocations” in Ukraine.

At the heart of the matter is the Russian demand for a permanent prohibition on Ukrainian membership to the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO). However, Kyiv aspires to become a NATO member and the United States has said that security proposals by Russia are "simply non-starters".

The Biden administration has also asked Russia to return to the Minsk accords of 2014 and 2015, which aimed at ending a war between the Ukrainian government and Russia-backed separatists but Moscow has denied backing any separatist group. In fact, Putin has warned Biden against NATO deploying large forces in Ukraine as it did in 2014 when Russia captured Crimea.

As a result of these differences, the two great military powers have been trading warnings over Ukraine for several months now. Here is a timeline:

December 30, 2021: During a 50-minute phone call, Putin and Biden pushed back against each other. While Biden warned Moscow of "decisive action" in the event of Russia invading Ukraine, Putin said any economic sanction would lead to a "complete rupture" of bilateral relations.

December 7, 2021: During a two-hour virtual summit between the two leaders, Biden warned of "strong economic measures" if Russia further invades Ukraine. Putin, for his part, sought guarantees that the NATO military alliance will never expand to include Ukraine.

July 9, 2021: Besides Ukraine, ransomware attacks have also been a root of contention between the US and Russia. In a phone call to Putin on July 9, Biden said ransomware operations coming from Russian soil would no longer be treated as criminal acts but as a threat to national security.

June 16, 2021: Biden and Putin held talks for nearly three hours in Geneva. After the summit, Biden said that he warned Putin against cyberattacks, build-up of Russian troops at Ukraine border, and alleged poisoning and imprisonment of Russia's opposition leader Alexei Navalny. Meanwhile, in a media interaction after the summit, Putin said it was "hard to say" if relations would improve.

May 30, 2021: In his Memorial Day speech, Biden issued a warning to Putin over "human rights abuse". He said, "We will not stand by and let him (Putin) abuse rights."

April 14, 2021: President Joe Biden emphasised the "unwavering commitment to Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity" and warned Putin that the US "will act firmly in defense of its national interests". He also asked Moscow to de-escalate tensions.

February 4, 2021: In his first speech to the state department, Biden issued a stern warning to Putin saying, “I made it clear to President Putin in a manner very different from my predecessor (Donald Trump) that the days of the US rolling over in the face of Russia's aggressive actions - interfering with our elections, cyber-attacks, poisoning its citizens - are over."

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(Edited by : Thomas Abraham)

First Published:Jan 21, 2022 12:43 PM IST