US President Joe Biden and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky held a discussion on Saturday regarding issues like security and financial support for Ukraine. The two leaders also discussed sanctions against Russia for its military campaign in Ukraine. This is the second phone call between Biden and Zelensky this week. After the conversation, Zelensky tweeted, “As part of the constant dialogue, I had another conversation with @POTUS. The agenda included the issues of security, financial support for Ukraine, and the continuation of sanctions against Russia.”
The White House press pool said the conversation between Biden and Zelensky lasted about half an hour. On Thursday, Biden had received an update from Zelensky regarding the situation at the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant. A tweet by the White House about the meeting said that Biden “reiterated his concern about the recent Russian attack on a Ukrainian nuclear power plant and he commended the skill and bravery of the Ukrainian operators who have kept the reactors in safe condition.”
The White House said that Joe Biden welcomed Visa and Mastercard’s decision to cease operations in Russia in a bid to isolate Russia from the global economy. A tweet in the thread said, “In particular, he (Biden) welcomed the decision this evening by Visa and Mastercard to suspend service in Russia.”
The leaders also discussed the recent talks between Russia and Ukraine. Notably, Israeli PM Naftali Bennett has offered his country’s service to mediate peace between Russia and Ukraine. Bennett visited Putin on Saturday and held a telephonic conversation with Zelenskyy later in the day.
