<span style="color: #222222;">United States President Joe Biden called up Russian President Vladimir Putin to reduce tensions stirred by a Russian military build-up on Ukraine's border. Biden proposed a summit to tackle the disputes.</span><br />'' <span style="color: #222222;"> </span><br />'' <span style="color: #222222;">According to a White House, they discussed a number of regional and global issues, including the intent of the United States and Russia to pursue a strategic stability dialogue on a range of arms control and emerging security issues, building on the extension of the New START Treaty.</span><br />'' <span style="color: #222222;"> </span><br />'' <span style="color: #222222;">President Biden also made clear that the United States will act firmly in defence of its national interests in response to Russia's actions, like cyber intrusions and election interference.</span><br />'' <span style="color: #222222;"> </span><br />'' <span style="color: #222222;">President Biden emphasised the United States' unwavering commitment to Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity.</span><br />'' <span style="color: #222222;"> </span><br />'' <span style="color: #222222;">Biden also voiced concerns over the sudden Russian military build-up in occupied Crimea and on Ukraine's borders, and called on Russia to de-escalate tensions.</span><br />'' <span style="color: #222222;"> </span><br />'' <span style="color: #222222;">He reaffirmed his goal of building a stable and predictable relationship with Russia consistent with US interests and proposed a summit meeting in a third country in the coming months to discuss the full range of issues facing the United States and Russia.</span><br />'' <span style="color: #222222;"> </span><br />'' <span style="color: #222222;">Russia seized Crimea from Ukraine in 2014 and fighting has increased in recent weeks in eastern Ukraine, where government forces have battled Russian-backed separatists in a seven-year conflict that Kyiv says has killed 14,000 people.</span><br />'' <span style="color: #222222;"> </span><br />'' <span style="color: #222222;">In a sign of concern about tensions spinning out of control in the Ukraine crisis, Biden phoned Putin to propose they meet in a third country while underlining U.S. commitment to Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity.</span><br />''  <br />