NEW YORK – President Joe Biden is set to hold an eleventh-hour telephonic conversation with Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin today (Saturday) amid growing fears of a war in Ukraine.
The development comes as the White House warned that Russia could invade Ukraine “at any time” and advised American nationals to leave the country. It added that the invasion could begin with aerial bombing that would make departure of flights difficult.
Meanwhile, Russian ambassador to the US, Anatoly Antonov, rejected US claim that Moscow is planning to invade Ukraine, and accused the US of spreading misinformation without any evidence.
The statements in Washington show the US has intensified its “propaganda campaign against our country,” the Russian official said.
US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said, “I would expect that President Biden will engage by telephone with President Putin, but I don’t have anything to announce for you on that right now”.
Reports said that Putin requested the phone call between the leaders to take place on Monday, but President Biden requested for the conversation to be held today.
Both leaders are scheduled to hold phone call at 4pm (GMT).
Earlier, French president Emmanuel Macron and British Foreign Secretary Liz Truss visited Moscow in a bid to remove the risk of war.
The Russian president is also set to speak again to French president Emmanuel Macron today, according to Russia’s TASS news agency.
