A phone conversation between Biden and Putin as the Ukraine crisis escalates
US President Joe Biden speaks with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin on Saturday, amid mounting warnings from Western countries that war in Ukraine could break out at any moment.
Washington ordered some embassy staff to leave Ukraine on Saturday after calling last week on its citizens to leave the country as soon as possible.
A White House official said Putin requested the call on Monday but Biden wanted it sooner, while the United States detailed increasingly clear signs of a possible attack on Ukraine.
On Saturday, Australia and New Zealand joined countries urging their nationals to leave Ukraine after Washington said a Russian invasion - possibly including an air attack - could happen at any time.
Meanwhile, Russia accused Western countries of spreading lies and said on Saturday it had decided to "rationalize" its diplomatic staff in Ukraine for fear of "provocations" from Kiev or any other party.
Moscow did not say whether this meant reducing staff, but said the embassy and consulates in Ukraine continued to perform their main functions.
US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken said Washington would impose swift economic sanctions if Moscow invaded Ukraine.
"I still hope that he will not choose the path of renewed aggression and that he will choose the path of diplomacy and dialogue," Blinken told reporters after a meeting with Pacific leaders in Fiji.
"But if he doesn't, we are ready," he added.
In a subsequent phone call with Blinken, Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov accused Washington and its allies of launching a "propaganda campaign" about possible Russian aggression, the Russian Foreign Ministry said.
German Foreign Minister Annalina Birbock said today, Saturday, that the crisis between Russia and Ukraine is escalating, but Germany is making every effort to reach a diplomatic solution.
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