Biden concerned over alleged pro-Russian coup plot in Ukraine

President Joe Biden said on Friday that he was concerned about an alleged pro-Russian coup in Ukraine and that he might call Russian President Vladimir Putin to discuss the allegations made by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.

“I’m worried. Look, we support Ukraine ‘s territorial integrity. We support Ukraine’ s ability to self – govern. And we reject anything that comes at a distance. [that]Biden told reporters when asked about the alleged coup attempt.

Biden, who is spending a big Thanksgiving weekend in Nantucket, said he would “probably” talk to both Putin and Zelensky about the issue, which comes as Russia reportedly raises troops nearby. on the border with Ukraine.

Zelensky claimed on Friday that Ukrainian intelligence agents had learned of a coup plot scheduled for December 1-2. He said Ukrainian billionaire Rinat Akhmetov could conspire with Russian and Ukrainian accomplices.

Ukraine, which is deeply corrupt and impoverished, has alternated between pro-Russian and pro-Western leaders since the end of the Cold War. A 2014 uprising ousted Ukraine from Russian influence, sparking pro-Russian protests across the Russian-speaking south and east of the country.

Russia annexed the Crimean peninsula from Ukraine in 2014 following a controversial referendum. Prior to 1954, the major port and resort was part of Russia, not Ukraine.

The Putin government has also reportedly backed a pair of pro-Russian separatist states in eastern Ukraine. These lands in the carbon-rich Donbass region remain at war with the central government based in Kiev.

Zelensky wants Ukraine to join NATO, something that will bind the United States and Western Europe to his country’s military defense.

As vice president, Biden led the Obama administration’s foreign policy toward Ukraine, including using US foreign aid to ostensibly eradicate corruption. At the same time, Hunter Biden’s son joined the board of directors of the Ukrainian gas company Burisma, which paid him $ 1 million a year, despite his lack of experience in the industry.