President Joe Biden will hold a call with Russian President Vladmir Putin on Thursday to discuss a range of topics, including upcoming diplomatic engagements with Russia.

The call comes as U.S. and Russian officials are set to meet next month, according to reports. In the past several months, there has been a buildup of Russian troops along Ukraine’s eastern border and Biden and allies have said they will impose tough economic sanctions if the situation escalates.

Biden held a high-stakes video teleconference with Putin earlier this month, where he emphasized that he preferred a diplomatic solution to the crisis in Ukraine. However, the president warned that if Russia invades Ukraine, the U.S. would send additional defense resources above what it is already providing and would be looking to deploy additional forces to fortify its NATO allies in the area.

USAToday