Imminent war fears in ukraine: Biden, Putin set for talks

Russian President Vladimir Putin is set to speak with his US and French counterparts yesterday after the United States warned that Moscow could invade Ukraine in days.

The United States had dramatically raised the alarm over Ukraine on Friday, saying a Russian invasion starting with civilians caught under aerial bombing could begin in days and telling US citizens to leave within 48 hours.

In a diplomatic flurry to head off a possible invasion, Putin was scheduled to speak with Joe Biden and Emmanuel Macron later yesterday.

Two calls in December between Biden and Putin produced no breakthroughs but set the stage for diplomacy between their aides. The two leaders have not spoken since, and diplomats from both sides have struggled to find common ground.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken also talked with his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov yesterday.

During a call between Washington and Moscow's top diplomats yesterday, "the secretary made clear that a diplomatic path to resolving the crisis remained open, but it would require Moscow to deescalate and engage in good-faith discussions," State Department spokesman Ned Price said in a statement.

Weeks of tensions that have seen Russia surround its western neighbor with more than 100,000 troops revved up another notch when the Kremlin launched its biggest naval drills in years across the Black Sea.

Moscow has repeatedly disputed Washington's version of events, saying it has massed the troops near the Ukrainian border to maintain its own security against aggression by Nato allies.

According to Russia, Lavrov accused the United States during the call of seeking to provoke conflict in Ukraine.

"The propaganda campaign unleashed by the United States and its allies concerning 'Russian aggression' against Ukraine pursues provocative goals," Lavrov said, according to the Russian foreign ministry.

Earlier Saturday the United States ordered all non-emergency Kyiv embassy staff to leave Ukraine because of the threat of invasion. Australia, New Zealand, Germany and the Netherlands yesterday joined countries urging their citizens to Ukraine.

Russia meanwhile said it had decided to "optimise" its diplomatic staff numbers in Ukraine, fearing "provocations" by Kyiv or another party.

On Friday, White House National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan called on Americans to immediately leave Ukraine, warning a Russian attack "is likely to begin with aerial bombing and missile attacks that could obviously kill civilians."

While stressing that it was not yet known whether Putin had taken a decision, saying "we can't predict the exact determination," Sullivan made clear the United States was bracing for the worst, including a "rapid assault" on the capital Kyiv.

Sullivan spoke shortly after President Joe Biden and six European leaders, the heads of Nato and the European Union held talks on the worst crisis between the West and Russia since the end of the Cold War.

The Pentagon on Friday announced it was sending 3,000 more troops to bolster ally Poland.

Russian naval forces and troops, including units brought in from all over the vast country, now surround Ukraine to the south, east and north.

The Kremlin says its goal is to get Nato to agree to never give Ukraine membership and also to withdraw from eastern European countries already in the alliance, effectively carving Europe into Cold War-style spheres of influence. The United States and its European allies reject the demands, insisting that Nato poses no threat to Russia.