Biden to speak with foreign leaders about Russia-Ukraine concerns

President Biden on Friday will speak with the leaders of U.S. allies about the ongoing Russian military buildup at the Ukrainian border.

Biden and the transatlantic leaders will discuss “shared concerns about Russia’s continued buildup of military forces around Ukraine and continued coordination on both diplomacy and deterrence,” the White House said in a statement.

The other leaders on the call include Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, French President Emmanuel Macron, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, Polish President Andrzej Duda, Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi and Romanian President Klaus Iohannis.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President Charles Michel will also be on the call, the White House said.

Biden has spoken repeatedly in recent weeks with foreign leaders about the situation in Ukraine, and he hosted Scholz at the White House earlier in the week. The president has twice this week urged Americans who are in Ukraine to leave the country, citing the risk of military fighting breaking out.

U.S. officials have warned for weeks about the possibility of a Russian invasion into Ukraine as Moscow amasses troops and military equipment at the border. Last week, Biden also authorized the deployment of 3,000 troops to Eastern Europe to provide additional support to NATO allies, including Germany.