WASHINGTON – President Joe Biden warned Russian President Vladimir Putin on Saturday that an invasion of Ukraine would result in "swift and severe costs for Russia" during an hourlong phone call that failed to ease rising tensions.
A senior Biden administration official described the call as "professional" but said the dialogue resulted in "no fundamental change in the dynamics that have been unfolding now for several weeks."
The call, which lasted a little over an hour, ended shortly after noon ET. It came as the White House says a Russian invasion of Ukraine could be imminent, perhaps before the conclusion of the Beijing Winter Olympics, which end Feb. 20.
Biden told Putin that "if Russia undertakes a further invasion of Ukraine, the United States together with our Allies and partners will respond decisively and impose swift and severe costs on Russia," according to the White House.
"President Biden reiterated that a further Russian invasion of Ukraine would produce widespread human suffering and diminish Russia’s standing," the White House said, adding that Biden was also clear the U.S., while committed to diplomacy, is "equally prepared for other scenarios."
The talks came after the State Department late Friday directed most staff who remain in the U.S. Embassy in Kyiv to leave Ukraine immediately. The Pentagon also ordered the withdrawal of 160 National Guard troops from Ukraine.
Biden is in Camp David in Maryland for the weekend.
During a phone call earlier Saturday, Secretary of State Antony Blinken warned Russia’s foreign minister, Sergey Lavrov, that if Russia invades Ukraine, it would result in a "resolute, massive, and united Transatlantic response."
‘Sincere dialogue’ incompatible with military escalation, Macron tells Putin
Putin also spoke on Saturday with French President Emmanuel Macron, who has tried to serve as a chief European interlocutor in the crisis.
Macron told Putin that “sincere dialogue” is not compatible with military escalation, during a phone call that lasted more than an hour, according to French media.
Putin, meanwhile, suggested the United States was engaging in “provocative speculations” about a possible Russian investigation of Ukraine, according to a statement from the Kremlin on the Russian leader's conversation with Macron. Putin also raised concerns about the “massive supplies of modern weaponry” the West is sending to Ukraine and suggested that would create conditions for a Ukrainian military assault in the eastern Donbass region of Ukraine where Russian-backed separatists have been operating.
– Deirdre Shesgreen
US directs most embassy staff in Ukraine to leave
The State Department late Friday directed most staff at its embassy in Kyiv to evacuate as the White House warned a Russian invasion of Ukraine could be imminent.
The embassy is suspending consular services but will still provide some emergency services with a small team remaining. The embassy will operate at a "bare minimum" to maintain "core functions," according to a senior State Department official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity.
The move comes as Washington has ratcheted up warnings for Americans to leave the country. If a conflict materializes, Americans in Ukraine should not expect the U.S. military to rescue them, the official said Saturday morning, adding: "It isn't just time to leave Ukraine. It is past time for private citizens to leave Ukraine."
The State Department had earlier ordered families of U.S. Embassy staffers in Kyiv to leave, but it had left it to the discretion of nonessential personnel if they wanted to depart.
The department also updated its travel advisory urging Americans not to travel to Ukraine. U.S. officials say they don't have a count of how many Americans are in Ukraine.
US orders withdrawal of 160 troops from Ukraine
Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin ordered the withdrawal of 160 National Guard troops from Ukraine on Saturday amid signs of an imminent invasion by Russia.
The troops from the Florida National Guard have been advising Ukrainian forces since November. They will be sent elsewhere in Europe.
“The secretary made this decision out of an abundance of caution – with the safety and security of our personnel foremost in mind – and informed by the State Department’s guidance on U.S. personnel in Ukraine,” Pentagon press secretary John Kirby said in a statement.
On Friday, Austin ordered 3,000 soldiers from Fort Bragg, North Carolina, to Poland to reinforce NATO’s eastern flank. Jake Sullivan, President Joe Biden's national security adviser, also urged all U.S. citizens to leave Ukraine.
– Tom Vanden Brook
Biden, Putin to speak; US warns Russia of 'resolute, massive' response to invasion
President Joe Biden and Russian President Vladimir Putin are set to speak by phone Saturday morning as the U.S. seeks to cool the tensions at the Ukraine border, where Russia has amassed more than 100,000 troops.
Earlier Saturday, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin spoke to Russian Minister of Defense Sergey Shoygu to discuss Russia's military build-up, and Secretary of State Antony Blinken spoke to Russia’s foreign minister, Sergey Lavrov.
Blinken pushed for a "diplomatic path to resolving this crisis," according to a State Department readout of the call, but said it would require Moscow deescalating and engaging in "good-faith discussions." Blinken said that if Russia invades Ukraine, it would result in a "resolute, massive, and united Transatlantic response."
Sullivan said Friday there is a "credible prospect" military action could occur before Feb. 20, when the Beijing Olympics end.
The 3,000 combat troops on the way to Poland will join 1,700 who already are assembling there in a demonstration of American commitment to NATO allies worried at the prospect of Russia invading Ukraine.
Reach Joey Garrison on Twitter @Joeygarrison.
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