In a phone conversation with his Russian counterpart, US President said the West would respond decisively to any attack on Ukraine.

Iran PressAmerica: Russian President Vladimir Putin had telephone conversations with Presidents of France and the United States Emmanuel Macron and Joe Biden on Saturday. Conversations were held at requests of Paris and Washington and the situation around Ukraine expectedly became their key topic.

Putin and Biden spoke by phone for an hour a day after Washington and its allies warned that the Russian military, which has 100,000 troops massed near Ukraine, could invade at any moment. Moscow has dismissed those warnings as "hysteria."

According to Reuters, neither side said there had been any breakthroughs. A senior Biden administration official said the call was professional and substantive but that there was no fundamental change.

The Russian leader reminded his counterparts that the West does not do enough to force Ukraine to perform the Minsk Agreements and said the Russian response to the US and NATO answers on security guarantees will be presented shortly.

Paris said after the conversation that they do not believe that Moscow "is preparing an offensive" against Ukraine, while Washington stated that it is still unclear for them whether Russia plans to achieve its goal diplomatically or "by way of using force."

The US State Department ordered most of its embassy staff to leave Ukraine. The Pentagon said it was withdrawing about 150 military trainers.

214

Read More:

Iran's embassy in Kyiv calls on its citizens to be prepared for any eventuality

'Imminent invasion of Ukraine'; 'disinformation campaign’ against Russia

Biden says 'things could go crazy quickly' over Ukraine