Joe Biden-Putin phone call begins: White House

Washington [US], December 31 (ANI): The phone call between US President Joe Biden and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin began at 3:35 PM EST on Thursday (local time), according to a White House official.

"President Biden call with President Putin convened at 3:35 PM EST," the official said.

A range of topics is scheduled to be discussed during the talks including upcoming diplomatic engagements with Russia, US National Security Council's spokesperson Emily Horne said earlier on Wednesday (local time).

She has also said that the Biden Administration continues to engage in extensive diplomacy "with our European Allies and partners, consulting and coordinating on a common approach in response to Russia's military build-up on the border with Ukraine".

The phone call's initiator was Putin, said Kremlin on Thursday.

"It was Putin's initiative. The time is quite normal taking into account the time difference [between countries]. That's why there are no issues. You all know that late hours for the Russian president has never been an issue. Moreover, he often works actively this time of day," said Dmitry Peskov, Kremlin spokesperson.

The call comes at a time when the US continues to pressure Russia to draw down its large military presence near Ukraine's borders. US intelligence officials have warned Ukraine and its allies that Russia could be planning to launch an attack as soon as January. (ANI)