Invited By President Zelenskiy, White House Says President Joe Biden Has No Plans To Visit Ukraine

JAKARTA - United States President Joe Biden has no plans to visit Ukraine, the White House said, responding to an invitation from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy.

"I have no travel plans to announce or preview at this time," White House Deputy Principal Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said in a press release, citing TASS Feb. 15.

"We don't have a trip to confirm at the moment, that's the president's schedule and certainly not confirming to visit Ukraine," Jean-Pierre continued.

"Our focus right now is to continue talks at the staff level to ensure that we keep the door to diplomacy open," he added.

As previously reported, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy invited US President Joe Biden to visit Ukraine soon when they spoke by telephone on Sunday, President Zelenskiy's office said.

"I am sure that your arrival in Kyiv in the coming days, which is very important for stabilizing the situation, will be a strong signal and contribute to de-escalation," the presidential office quoted President Zelenskiy as telling President Biden.

For information, President Zelenskiy has voiced frustration with some of the dire assessments of the looming war. Such warnings have had an impact on the economy, piling pressure on the national currency.

The United States and its allies fear a buildup of about 100,000 Russian troops on the border with Ukraine, saying an invasion could occur at any time.

Meanwhile, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov denounced these claims as "empty and baseless", serving as a tactic to increase tensions, insisting Russia does not pose any threat to anyone.

However, Peskov did not rule out possible provocations aimed at justifying the claims, warning that attempts to use military force to resolve the crisis in southeastern Ukraine would have serious consequences.