By Christina Zhao
President Joe Biden warned Russian President Vladimir Putin on Saturday that the consequences of a full-scale invasion of Ukraine, which U.S. officials said could be imminent, would be "rapid and severe," according to a description of the conversation. the White House.
Biden told Putin that the United States and its allies and partners "will respond decisively and impose swift and severe costs" if Moscow acts on its neighbor, the White House said.
Biden also reiterated that a Russian invasion would produce "large-scale human suffering and diminish Russia's standing" in the world, the White House said, adding that Biden was "clear with President Putin that while the United States remains prepared to engage in diplomacy, in full coordination with our allies and partners, we are equally prepared for other scenarios.”
[USA. urges its citizens to leave Ukraine in 24 to 48 hours because the war may start in the next few days]
The president, Joe Biden, and his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, talk this Saturday about the conflict with Ukraine.AP
The call between the two leaders, which lasted just over an hour, came after the State Department ordered the evacuation of most of its embassy staff in Kiev.
The Pentagon on Saturday also ordered the departure of 160 Florida National Guardsmen who had been deployed to train Ukrainian forces.
After the call, a senior Biden Administration official told reporters that it is "unclear" whether Russia is interested in pursuing targets through diplomacy or the use of force, noting that "there was no change." fundamental in the dynamic that has been developing for several weeks”.
Biden was "very direct" with Putin about his concern for the safety of Americans remaining in Ukraine, the official said, describing the conversation as "professional" and "substantial."
The two leaders agreed that their teams would stay in touch, the official added.
[From Drones to Restored Tanks: Ukrainians Raise Funds to Help Their Army]
Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin also held calls with their Russian counterparts on Saturday.
Russia has massed more than 100,000 troops along the Ukrainian border
and has held military exercises in Belarus, which borders Russia and Ukraine.
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Putin strongly denies Western accusations that he is planning an offensive.
Yet he has issued bold security demands, including that the US and its allies agree to block Ukraine and other former Soviet nations from joining NATO.
He also wants NATO to reduce its forces in Central and Eastern Europe, as well as provide guarantees that it will not deploy weapons near Russia's borders.
White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan said Friday that the threat of such an incursion is "immediate enough right now" that Americans still in Ukraine will leave in the next 24 to 48 hours. hours.
He also reiterated that the Biden Administration believes there is a "distinct possibility" that Russia will invade its neighbor before the end of the Winter Olympics on February 20, although he stressed that the United States does not believe that Putin has made a final decision. .
“We continue to see signs of Russian escalation, including new forces arriving at the Ukrainian border.
As we have said before, we are in the window where an invasion could start at any time if Vladimir Putin decides to order it," Sullivan told reporters at Friday's White House briefing.
A US official told NBC News on Friday that there is new intelligence about Russia's military operations that officials find very concerning.
What worries the most is that an invasion could happen at any moment.
The 2,000 soldiers who are going to reinforce NATO in Eastern Europe have already left Fort Bragg
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The intelligence report found that
Moscow has amassed about 80% of the forces it needs
to launch a full-scale invasion and troops have been moving closer to the border, the official said.
Russia also brought in Iskander missiles, a naval presence with land-attack cruise missiles and additional support, including medical, the official added.
The Russian military could take nine different routes into Ukraine in a full-scale invasion, according to a US military and intelligence assessment, with tanks reaching the capital Kiev within 48 hours, it previously reported. NBCNews.
[From Drones to Restored Tanks: Ukrainians Raise Funds to Help Their Army]
Blinken warned Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on Saturday that if Moscow invaded Ukraine, "it would result in a determined, large-scale and united transatlantic response," according to State Department spokesman Ned Price.
A reading of the Lavrov-Blinken call provided by Moscow said Russia's foreign minister
had accused Washington of running a "propaganda campaign"
about possible Russian aggression while ignoring key demands made by the Kremlin.
The White House said on Friday that Russia had proposed holding a call on Monday, but the White House counter-proposed on Saturday.
The last time the two leaders spoke was on December 30.
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