By Matthias Williams and Natalia Zinets

KYIV (Reuters) – U.S. President Joe Biden assured Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy that Kyiv’s bid to hitch the NATO army alliance was in its personal arms, Zelenskiy’s chief of employees stated after the 2 leaders spoke on Thursday.

Biden and Zelenskiy had a name two days after Biden held talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin to attempt to defuse a disaster over Russian troop actions close to Ukraine’s borders.

Ukraine accuses Russia of massing tens of 1000’s of troops in preparation for a doable massive scale army offensive, elevating fears {that a} simmering battle in Ukraine’s japanese Donbass area may erupt into open struggle between the neighbours.

Russia denies planning any assault however accuses Ukraine and america of destabilising behaviour, and has sought safety ensures in opposition to NATO’s eastward enlargement.

Ukraine rejects any such ensures as illegitimate and has sought reassurances that no offers about its future can be determined with out its involvement.

“President Biden stated very clearly … that any negotiations, any selections that concern Ukraine, can’t be taken with out Ukraine,” Zelenskiy chief of employees, Andriy Yermak, advised the 1+1 TV channel.

“President Biden stated very clearly that the choice on Ukraine’s accession to NATO is the choice of the Ukrainian folks solely, this can be a sovereign and impartial Ukrainian state,” he stated. “And it relies on Ukraine and NATO members.”

In a name which Zelenskiy stated lasted 1-1/2 hours, Ukraine’s president additionally advised Biden that he had “clear proposals to unblock the peace course of” in japanese Ukraine and was prepared to debate them in numerous codecs.

The White Home earlier had stated Biden deliberate to convey help for Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity through the name.

Zelenskiy and Biden spoke as Russia saved up a barrage of hostile rhetoric in the direction of Ukraine, accusing Kyiv of transferring heavy artillery in the direction of the frontline of preventing within the east and failing to have interaction within the peace course of.

Ukraine’s ties with Russia collapsed in 2014 after Russia’s annexation of Crimea and Moscow-backed forces seized territory in japanese Ukraine that Kyiv needs again. Kyiv says some 14,000 folks have been killed in preventing since then.

Zelenskiy has welcomed Biden’s “private function” in making an attempt to realize peace in japanese Ukraine.

Overseas Minister Dmytro Kuleba welcomed the Putin-Biden name as a step in the direction of deterring Moscow from launching a brand new assault however urged allies to attract up a tricky package deal of measures to warn Russia off any additional army escalation.