US President Joe Biden can imagine sanctions against Russian President Vladimir Putin if Russia invades Ukraine.

"Yes," said Biden when asked by a reporter on Tuesday whether he could imagine personally sanctioning Putin in the event of an invasion.

"I can imagine that," Biden said.

Biden also again threatened Russia with "heavy consequences" and "economic sanctions."

In the end, everything depends on what Putin decides about Ukraine.

With a massive Russian troop deployment near Ukraine, there are fears in the West that the Kremlin may be planning an invasion of the neighboring country.

However, it is also considered possible that fears are only being stirred up in order to persuade the NATO states to make concessions when demands for new security guarantees are made.

Efforts to defuse the conflict have been going on for days in various talks.

A Russian invasion of Ukraine could be the "biggest invasion since World War II," Biden said, given the massive troop presence near the border.

Such a move would "change the world," said the US President.

According to US information, Moscow is said to have positioned around 100,000 Russian troops along the Ukrainian border.

No deployment of US troops to Ukraine

Moscow has denied plans to invade Ukraine.

Biden again warned Russia against drastic sanctions and countermeasures in the event of an attack.

At the same time, he stressed that there were no plans to move US troops to Ukraine.

"No American forces will be transferred to Ukraine."

Yesterday, the US military put around 8,500 soldiers on increased standby to enable them to be transferred to Europe at short notice if necessary.

"I could move some of these troops at short notice - simply because it takes a certain amount of time," Biden said.

This is not a provocation, but a precautionary measure to address the concerns of Eastern European NATO members, he said.

When asked, Biden added that it was still unclear whether Putin was actually planning an attack.

"I'll be perfectly honest with you: It's a bit like reading coffee grounds."