Biden speaks with Ukrainian president amid concerns of Russian invasion

President Biden on Sunday spoke with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky as U.S. officials warn of the threat of a Russian invasion of Ukraine as early as this week.

“President Biden made clear that the United States would respond swiftly and decisively, together with its Allies and partners, to any further Russian aggression against Ukraine,” the White House said in a readout of the call. “The two leaders agreed on the importance of continuing to pursue diplomacy and deterrence in response to Russia’s military build-up on Ukraine’s borders.”

Biden and Zelensky spoke for 51 minutes, a White House official said.

The call took place one day after Biden held a call with Russian President Vladimir Putin, who Biden warned would face “swift and severe costs” if he moves forward with an invasion of Ukraine. Still, there was no sign of a diplomatic breakthrough on the call with Putin.

U.S. officials have for weeks been concerned about Russian aggression toward Ukraine as Moscow has assembled military equipment and forces along the Ukrainian border. But the sense of urgency was heightened on Friday when officials warned Russia could begin an invasion before the end of the Winter Olympics on Feb. 20.

A senior administration official on Saturday described an invasion as a “distinct possibility,” but indicated the U.S. still has not assessed that Putin has made up his mind on invading Ukraine.  

Zelensky has been notably less alarmist in discussing the threat of a Russian invasion, and he has avoided saying Moscow could make a move imminently. U.S. officials have declined to elaborate on the difference in rhetoric coming out of Kyiv versus Washington, D.C.

In the meantime, the U.S. has ordered most of its embassy staff to leave Kyiv, the State Department said Saturday morning, and officials are urging American citizens in Ukraine to leave immediately, warning that it would be difficult to safely evacuate the country should fighting break out.

The Biden administration has threatened punishing sanctions and export controls should Russia move troops into Ukraine and has been engaging with European allies to come to an agreement on a sanctions package. The senior administration official said Saturday that those discussions are “reaching a culmination point.”   

The Pentagon has also deployed 6,000 troops to Eastern Europe to help secure NATO allies, including a deployment of 3,000 troops to Poland that was announced on Friday.