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Russian president Vladimir Putin and French president Emmanuel Macron discussed the need to step up the search for diplomatic solutions to the escalating crisis in eastern Ukraine in a phone cal on Sunday, the Kremlin said in a statement.
In view of the urgency of the situation, the presidents acknowledged the need to intensify the search for solutions through diplomatic means via the foreign ministries and political advisers to the leaders of the Normandy format, the Kremlin said in a statement.
These contacts should facilities the restoration of the ceasefire regime and ensure progress in the settlement of the conflict in Donbass, the Kremlin added.
In a separate call earlier on Sunday, Macron and Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky discussed possible ways to secure immediate de-escalation.
On the other, hand US president Joe Biden said Friday that he is convicted Russian president Vladimir Putin has decided to invade Ukraine, including an Assault on the capital, as tensions spiked along the militarized border with attacks that the West called "false-flag" operations meant to establish a pretext for invasion.
A humanitarian convoy was hit by shelling, and pro-Russian rebels evacuated civilians from the conflict zone. A car bombing hit the eastern city of Donetsk, but no casualties were reported.
After weeks of saying the US wasn't sure if Putin had made the final decision to invade, Biden said that assessment had changed, citing American intelligence.
"As of this moment, I am convinced he has made the decision," Biden said.
We have reason to believe that. He reiterated that the assault could occur in the coming days.
Meanwhile, the Kremlin announced massive nuclear drills to flex its military muscle, and Putin pledged to protect Russia's national interests against what it sees as encroaching Western threats.
Biden reiterated his threat of massive economic and diplomatic sanctions against Russia if it does invade, and pressed Putin to rethink his course of action. He said the US and its Western allies were more united than ever to ensure Russia pays a price for the invasion.
With an estimated 15,000 Russian troops posted around Ukraine's borders, US and European officials warn the long-simmering separatist conflict in eastern Ukraine could provide the spark for a broader attack.
As a further indication that the Russians are preparing for a potential invasion, a US defense official said an estimated 40% to 50% of the ground forces deployed in the vicinity of the Ukrainian border have moved into attack positions nearer the border. That shift has been under way for about a week, other officials have said, and does not necessarily mean Putin has decided to begin an invasion. The defense official spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss internal US military assessments.
The officials also said the number of Russian ground units known as battalion tactical group deployed in the border area had grown to as many as 125, up from 83 two weeks ago. Each battalion tactical group has 750 to 1,000 soldiers.
Lines of communication remain open: The US and Russian defense chiefs spoke Friday, and US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin called for de-escalation, the return of Russian forces surrounding Ukraine to their home bases and a diplomatic resolution, according to the Pentagon.
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