On Wednesday, Germany’s foreign minister said that Germany, France, Britain, and the U.S. were discussing the situation at the Ukrainian border in preparation for an upcoming conversation with Russia. United States President Joe Biden and Russian President Vladimir Putin will also meet this week. As tensions rise on the Ukrainian border, foreign ministers and leaders must unite to prevent excessive use of violence that would threaten civilian life.

The Washington Post said that Antony Blinken, the U.S. Secretary of State, tweeted that the United States and its allies shared an effort to counter Russian aggression towards Ukraine. This week, Biden and Putin discussed Russian and American relations. According to Reuters, Biden made it clear that there would be a response if Russia moved into Ukraine. A Washington Post report said that Putin warned that if harsh sanctions against Russia continued, relations between the two countries would be damaged. 

The threat of violence on the Ukrainian border has effectively gained attention from world leaders. Powerful countries like Germany, France, Britain, and the United States must work towards a peaceful resolution to avoid a violent conflict. Although it currently seems unlikely that Putin and Biden will agree on a course of action, communication between world leaders must continue to prevent a violent invasion. Furthermore, leaders should continue to discuss ways to prevent an invasion while connecting with the countries that would be directly involved should Russia decide to move into Ukraine.   

Tensions between the United States and Russia have been growing for the past few years. The ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict has heightened these tensions as the United States has attempted to prevent a Russian invasion of Ukraine. However, these responses have only served to damage relations between the two leaders. After the most recent discussion between Biden and Putin, it is clear that the leaders have vastly different priorities. Both countries may resort to violence to protect their interests. Any kind of violent reaction could be devastating in eastern Europe, and leaders need to communicate to take preventative measures against a violent reaction on either side.  

The threat of violence against Ukraine deserves a response from other European countries. The conversation between the presidents of Russia and the United States demonstrated the growing tension between the two nations. Peaceful communication between these great powers is a necessity to prevent future violence.