The latest on Ukraine and Russia tensions

US President Biden plans to speak with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Saturday, a person familiar with the matter said, as the US warns Russia could attack Ukraine using bombs and missiles at any moment.

The high-stakes talks come at what US officials describe as a?critical juncture in the ongoing crisis. A significant increase of Russian ground forces and military assets have surrounded Ukraine, and Putin could decide at any moment to activate them into a deadly invasion.

He hasn’t decided whether to act, the White House said Friday. But that has not stopped American officials from dramatically increasing their warnings an attack is now a “distinct possibility” and could occur swiftly.

Biden’s phone conversation with Putin — scheduled for 11 a.m. ET Saturday, according to the Kremlin — will be his first since the?end of December. Since then, the number of Russian troops near Ukraine has increased and the prospects of an invasion have increased, according to American intelligence assessments.

Putin has also engaged a series of Western leaders in talks that have so far appeared fruitless in defusing the situation. The Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs Friday accused Western countries and the media is spreading a “large-scale disinformation campaign,” which promotes the thesis about an allegedly impending Russian invasion of Ukraine.

“At the end of 2021 and the beginning of 2022, the global information space faced a media campaign unprecedented in its scale and sophistication, the purpose of which is to convince the world community that the Russian Federation is preparing an invasion of the territory of Ukraine,” the Ministry said in a statement published on its website, accusing Western nations and media outlets of spreading disinformation “in order to divert attention from their own aggressive actions.”

US national security adviser Jake Sullivan said Friday the two men would speak by phone but didn’t specify when. The President was planning the spend the weekend at the Camp David presidential retreat.

Earlier Friday, Sullivan warned a Russian assault on Ukraine could begin soon, beginning with aerial bombings and missile attacks. He advised all Americans to depart the country for their own safety as quickly as possible.

“Any American in Ukraine should leave as soon as possible, and in any event in the next 24 to 48 hours,” Sullivan said. “We obviously cannot predict the future, we don’t know exactly what is going to happen. But the risk is now high enough and the threat is now immediate enough that this is what prudence demands.”

Read more about the call and where things stand on Ukraine-Russia tensions here.

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin spoke with several of his NATO counterparts today, underscoring the US warning that a potential Russian invasion of Ukraine could come at anytime, including in the coming days.?

Austin spoke with his Polish, German, Canadian, French, Romanian and Italian counterparts Friday, making clear that the US continues to see signs of Russian escalation, according to a readout of the calls.?

Austin laid out steps to reassure NATO allies and underscored the United States’ “ironclad commitment”?to Article 5 of NATO, according to the readout.

Article 5 is the principle that an attack on one member of NATO is an attack on all members. It’s been a cornerstone for the 29-member alliance since it was founded in 1949 as a counterweight to the Soviet Union.

Though Austin did not speak with his Ukrainian counterpart, Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense Laura Cooper, who covers DoD policy in the region, spoke with Ukrainian Deputy Minister of Defense Oleksandr Polishchuk.

On Friday, the top US general also spoke with a number of his NATO counterparts, as well as a call with the head of the Russian military.

Responding to new intelligence?suggesting?possible Russian military action in Ukraine?before the end of the Olympics,?a?Ukrainian?official?close to the government’s thinking on this?says?that the “situation?is?really?serious?and?uncertain.”

Multiple sources familiar with?the?matter told CNN earlier today, that the US and its allies have new intelligence that suggests Russia could launch an attack on Ukraine even?before?the?end?of?the?Olympics,

Previous assessments had suggested that Russia was unlikely to move into Ukraine until after?the?Olympics?end?on Feb. 20, U.S.?officials had told CNN in?the?past.?

The?revelation?of?the?new intelligence comes as administration?officials have dramatically ramped up?the?urgency?of?their public warnings related to Ukraine in?the?past 24 hours.

US Secretary?of?State Antony Blinken said Friday that a?Russian invasion?of?Ukraine?“could begin at any time,” including during?the?Beijing Winter?Olympics, and?the?United States continues “to see very troubling signs?of?Russian escalation, including new forces arriving at?the?Ukrainian border.”

Kyiv is among?the?targets identified in?the?Russian planning, three sources familiar with?the?new intelligence tell CNN.?

When asked about new intelligence, reported by CNN, that Russia could launch an attack?before?the?end?of?the?Olympics, a spokesperson for?the?Ukrainian Defense Minister said that such warnings “have already been heard.”

CNN’s Mick Krever and Alex Marquardt contributed reporting to this post.

In a series of phone calls, the top US general spoke with his Russian counterpart and NATO allies Friday, as the Pentagon announced another 3,000 troops headed for Poland in the coming days.

Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Mark Milley spoke about “security-related issues of concern” with Russian General Staff Gen. Valery Gerasimov, according to a readout of the call.

The two agreed to keep the details of the call private.

Shortly before the call was publicized, National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan warned a Russian invasion of Ukraine could be imminent and told American citizens to leave the country within the next 24 to 48 hours.

Milley also spoke with Adm. Rob Bauer, the chair of the NATO Military Committee, as well as his counterparts from Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Romania, and the United Kingdom.

The calls focused on “ongoing coordination during the adjustment of US force posture in Europe,” according to the readouts.

White House national security advisor Jake Sullivan met with Karin Wallensteen, the Swedish state secretary for foreign affairs, on Friday to discuss the continued tensions on the Russia-Ukraine border.?

She added: “In addition, they discussed the close defense partnership between the United States and Sweden. They agreed on the importance of boosting our bilateral cooperation in promoting democracy and human rights worldwide as well as addressing climate change, global health, and health security.”

Ahead of the expected call tomorrow between US President Biden and Russian President Vladimir Putin, the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs is saying that Western countries and the media are spreading a “large-scale disinformation campaign” that promotes the thesis about an allegedly impending Russian invasion of Ukraine.

The ministry accused Western countries and Western media of spreading disinformation “in order to divert attention from their own aggressive actions.”

What the US is saying about Russia-Ukraine tensions: President Biden’s national security adviser Jack Sullivan warned a Russian assault on Ukraine could begin soon, beginning with aerial bombings and missile attacks. He advised all Americans to depart the country for their own safety as quickly as possible.

Earlier Friday, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the US believes a?Russian invasion of Ukraine could begin “at any time,”?including during the ongoing Olympics in Beijing. He also said the US continues “to see very troubling signs of Russian escalation, including new forces arriving at the Ukrainian border.”

CNN’s Maegan Vazquez, Kevin Liptak, Natasha Bertrand, Kylie Atwood and Kaitlan Collins contributed reporting to this post.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken listens during a joint press availability at the Quad meeting of foreign ministers in Melbourne, Australia, on February 11. (Kevin Lamarque/Pool Photo via AP)

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken spoke with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba Saturday morning local time in Australia, according to a senior State Department official.

The latest call between the two diplomats comes as CNN has learned that the US and its allies have new intelligence that suggests Russia could launch an attack on Ukraine even before the end of the Olympics, according to multiple sources familiar with the matter.

“The Secretary underscored that any and all aggression against Ukraine by Russia will be met with swift, severe, and?united consequences.?The Secretary briefed on global efforts to urge de-escalation and enhance defense and deterrence measures against Russia’s unprovoked and continued build-up of troops and equipment in Ukraine and around its borders.?He reinforced that Ukraine continues to have the United States’ enduring and steadfast support for?its?sovereignty and territorial integrity,” according to Price.

President Joe Biden on the South Lawn of the White House before boarding Marine One in Washington, on Friday.

Russian President Vladimir Putin will hold a telephone conversation with US President Biden on Saturday at 7 p.m. Moscow time (11 a.m. ET), Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told CNN on Friday.

According to Peskov, a telephone conversation between Putin and French President Emmanuel Macron is also planned on Saturday.

A person familiar with the matter told CNN earlier that Biden and Putin would speak tomorrow.

The White House confirmed CNN’s reporting that the leaders will speak tomorrow, but an official says the Kremlin proposed holding a call on Monday. The White House, offering a bit of unusual detail, says they counter-offered a call for tomorrow.?

At a White House press briefing today, national security adviser Jake Sullivan said the two men would speak by phone, but didn’t say when.

Biden last spoke to Putin at the end of December. Prior to that, on Dec. 7, they had negotiations via videoconference. The first face-to-face meeting between Putin and Biden as leaders of state took place in Geneva in June 2021.

Biden is spending the weekend at the Camp David presidential retreat.

CNN’s Darya Tarasova and Sharon Braithwaite contributed reporting to this post.

The State Department is calling Americans in Ukraine to find out if they have plans to leave as the US continues to urge Americans to depart the country.??

Lee Humerian, an American living in Ukraine with his family and working as a missionary, told CNN that he got a call from the State Department on Friday asking if he had plans to leave the country.

The State Department official asked if he read the most recent email from the State Department encouraging Americans to leave, he said. He told her he had read it and he did not have plans to leave.??

Humerian registered with the State Department’s program that tracks Americans abroad.

The State Department did not immediately respond to request for comment about these calls.

The meeting of President?Biden’s top national security aides in the Situation Room Thursday night was abruptly scheduled?in the context of Russia’s escalating military buildup?and had not been organized in advance, a source familiar with the meeting said.??

Biden joined for part of the meeting, CNN previously reported.?

Following Thursday night’s meeting, officials have begun warning publicly that Russia could invade Ukraine before the end of the Olympics.?

“Russians are in a position to be able to mount a major military action in Ukraine in day now,” Sullivan said.

Today’s urgent messages from Biden’s top aides comes after last week they had decided to no longer use the word “imminent” to describe the likelihood of an invasion.?

“I used that once. I think others have used that once. And then we stopped using it because I think it sent a message that we weren’t intending to send, which was that we knew President Putin had made a decision,” White House press secretary Jen?Psaki?said.

A British diplomat tells CNN that staff are not evacuating the British Embassy in Kyiv, but they are “temporarily removing all nonessential staff and dependents” and “a core team will remain to continue with essential duties.”

A European Union spokesperson added it will not evacuate its staff from Kyiv: “We are not evacuating. For the time being, the nonessential staff has been given the opportunity to telework from outside the country.”

Earlier: The UK government advised nationals in Ukraine to leave now while commercial means are still available, according to the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office.

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin ordered 3,000 more soldiers from the 82nd Airborne to deploy to Poland amid rising concern about Russia’s potential invasion of Ukraine, according to a senior defense official. The troops will leave in the next couple of days, joining about 1,700 members of the unit already there.?

The soldiers will fall under the command of Maj. Gen. Christopher Donahue, who was the commander of forces during the final evacuation and withdrawal from Afghanistan.

Three hundred members of the 18th Airborne Corps have also arrived in Germany, the official said. They are under the command of Lt. Gen. Michael Kurilla, slated to be the next commander of US Central Command.

On Wednesday, CNN reported that the White House has approved a plan for members of the 82nd Airborne in Poland to help Americans who may try to leave Ukraine. The troops will begin setting up processing areas and temporary shelters.

French President Emmanuel Macron meets with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow on Monday.

Russian President Vladimir Putin and French President Emmanuel Macron will speak Saturday at noon local time (or 6 a.m. ET), according to élysée Palace.

Macron met with Putin on Monday in Moscow, and he said he and the Russian president were able to find “points of convergence” over the crisis.

Ukrainian authorities discussed the threat from “provocations” during heightened tensions caused by the buildup of Russian forces around the borders of Ukraine and insisted that cities under threat will be protected.

Oleksiy Danilov, secretary of Ukraine’s National Security and Defense Council, was asked at a press briefing in the city of Kharkiv about possible provocations that Russia might blame on Ukraine, so-called false flag operations.

“We are currently considering any issues. Every day we receive information from our services,” he said.

“We have heard so far about the Chernobyl [nuclear] station, we have heard about the territory of the occupied Donetsk and Luhansk regions, and about other facilities both in our territory and in the occupied Crimea, and in the occupied Donetsk and Luhansk regions,” he said.

The Chernobyl area near the border with Belarus is an exclusion zone after the disaster at its nuclear plant in 1986.?Much of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions are under the control of pro-Russian separatists and have been since 2014.

“The Russian Federation has started a war in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions and is now beginning to tell nonsense that we will allegedly reclaim the Donetsk and Luhansk regions militarily. I would like to emphasize once again that we cannot do that because we are responsible for the civilian population,” Danilov said.

“I just do not understand why the Russians need that ‘trouble’ called our country? Believe me, we will not give anything to anyone,” he said.?“They are aware of the position of our citizens that we will fight for our [land.] … We have never attacked anyone in the history of our country. But we will not give ours to anyone.”

Danilov said the city of Kharkiv will be protected in case of an invasion.

Speaking on the evacuation of government institutions, Danilov said. “To date, there are no reasons to take out or evacuate documents. If there are such reasons, the relevant institutions will immediately work in the appropriate direction.”

“Now no one is moving anywhere, because we do not see any reasons for it today,” he added.

US oil prices briefly climbed above $94 a barrel on Friday for the first time since September 2014 as concerns mount about a potential Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Crude jumped as much as 5.3% to a fresh seven-year high of $94.66 a barrel.?

Oil prices eased off their highs, however, as US national security adviser Jake Sullivan briefed reporters. Although Sullivan said an?invasion could begin at “any time,”?even during the Olympics, he added that the United States does not believe Russian President Vladimir Putin has made a decision on whether to invade.?

In recent trading, oil was up 3.5% to $93 a barrel. Brent crude, the world benchmark, gained 3.2% to $94.20. US stocks similarly pared their losses during Sullivan’s briefing.

Analysts have warned that a?conflict in Ukraine could threaten energy supplies, including through potential sanctions. Russia is the world’s No. 2 producer of both oil and natural gas.

Oil could “easily” hit $120 a barrel?if there are “any disruptions” to oil flows from Russia, JPMorgan analysts said earlier this week. A halving of Russian oil exports would likely send oil to $150 a barrel, JPMorgan said. The record high for Brent crude was set in July 2008 when it hit $147.50 a barrel.

Higher oil prices will only drive up prices at the pump and contribute to historic inflation in the United States.

The national average for regular gas stands at a?seven-year high of $3.48 a gallon,?up from $3.30 a month ago, according to AAA.

Following a virtual meeting?with US President Biden and key allies, North Atlantic Treaty Organization Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg?said “the risk of conflict in Europe is real”?in a statement.

Biden organized a call on the situation between Russia and Ukraine Friday morning with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson, NATO and EU leaders.

In?a statement?by the European Commission,?the group underscored its support for Ukraine and its final adoption of an emergency financial assistance package of 1.2 billion euros. European Union chief Ursula Von der Leyen indicated that?sanctions against Russia would concern the financial and energy sectors,?as well as exports of high-tech products, according to the statement.

Von der Leyen also emphasized “the need to continue fighting Russian disinformation through effective strategic communication efforts.”

Stoltenberg has?invited Russia and all other members of the NATO-Russia Council to further meetings to discuss European security, according to the NATO statement.

The conference comes as multiple embassies worldwide, including those of?Japan, Norway, South Korea, Latvia and the United Kingdom,?advise their citizens to evacuate Ukraine.

United Kingdom Prime Minister Boris Johnson told allies that he feared for the security of Europe due to the current situation in Ukraine, a Downing Street spokesperson said Friday.

Johnson held a virtual meeting with the leaders of the US, Italy, Poland, Romania, France, Germany, the European Council, the European Commission and NATO to discuss the situation in Ukraine on Friday evening, the spokesperson said in a statement.

“He impressed the need for NATO allies to make it absolutely clear that there will be a heavy package of economic sanctions ready to go, should Russia make the devastating and destructive decision to invade Ukraine,” the spokesperson said.

White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki and National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan arrive to the the daily White House press briefing on Friday.

The fastest way to de-escalate tensions between Russia and Ukraine is for Russia to pull back its buildup of troops at the countries’ border, White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan said.

“Only one country has?amassed more than 100,000 troops?on the border of another country?with all of the capabilities and?capacities to conduct an invasion. That country is Russia.?That country is not the United?States,” Sullivan said?during a briefing at the White House.

Sullivan said that he speaks “nearly every day” with aides to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, while President Biden has spoken with Zelensky.

US President?Biden is expected to engage his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin over the phone amid new, urgent warnings about the potential of a conflict in Ukraine.

Biden last spoke with Putin at the end of December. Since then, Russian forces have amassed in larger numbers along the Ukraine border, and Sullivan said Friday there was a “very distinct possibility” an invasion could proceed.

Other leaders, including from France and Germany, have engaged with Putin in Moscow.

The US does not believe Russian President Vladimir Putin has made a decision on whether to invade Ukraine, President?Biden’s national security adviser said today in a news briefing.

Even as he sought to convey an urgent message that an invasion could occur at any time, Sullivan said he could not get inside Putin’s head.

“I want to be crystal clear though. We are not saying that a?decision has been taken — that a final decision has been?taken by President Putin. What we are saying, is that we but we?have a sufficient level of?concern based on what we’re seeing?on the ground and what our?intelligence analysts have?picked up, that we are sending?this clear message, and it?remains a message that we have?now been sending for some time, ” Sullivan said at a White House press briefing.

“And it is, yes, it is an urgent message?because we’re in an urgent?situation,” the adviser continued.

Sullivan expanded on his statement that Russia could launch an invasion of Ukraine “at any time.” He said there was a “very distinct possibility” that Russia would act militarily, but couldn’t pinpoint when or how.

White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan encouraged all Americans who remain in Ukraine “to depart immediately”?as he detailed how the choreography of a possible Russian invasion of Ukraine could unfold.?

“We obviously cannot predict the?future.?We don’t know exactly what is?going to happen, but the risk is now high enough?and the threat is now immediate?enough,” he added.

Sullivan said that if Americans stay they “are assuming?risk with no guarantee that?there will be any other?opportunity to leave and no?prospect of a US military?evacuation in the event of a?Russian invasion.”

The national security adviser said that if Russia invades, then it would likely begin with an aerial bombing ahead of a ground invasion.?

“If a Russian attack on Ukraine proceeds, it is likely to begin with aerial bombing and missile attacks that could obviously kill civilians without regard to their nationality. A subsequent ground invasion would involve the onslaught of a massive force. With virtually no notice, communications to arrange a departure could be severed and commercial transit halted,” he added.

Sullivan also said: “I am not standing here and saying what is going to happen and not happen; I’m only standing here to say that the risk is now high enough and the threat is immediate enough that prudence demands that it is the time to leave now.”

White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan said a potential invasion of Ukraine by Russia “could begin at any time” as the buildup of Russian troops continues.

“As we’ve said before, we are?ready either way.?We’re ready to continue results?oriented diplomacy that?addressed the security?concerns United States and?Russia and Europe consistent?with our values and the?reciprocity, and we’ve made that?clear to Russia with our allies?and partners.?We’re also ready to respond?alongside those allies and?partners should Russia choose to?take military action,” he continued.

His remarks echo Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s statement today that an invasion could start at any point.

“As we’ve said before, we’re in a window when an invasion could begin at any time — and to be clear that includes during the Olympics,” Blinken said today.

National security adviser Jake Sullivan is joining today’s White House press briefing amid the ongoing situation in Ukraine.

President Biden earlier held a call that lasted more than an hour with global leaders about Russia’s buildup of troops near the border between the two countries.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken, meanwhile, said today that a?Russian invasion of Ukraine?“could begin at any time,” including during the Beijing Winter Olympics, and the United States continues “to see very troubling signs of Russian escalation, including new forces arriving at the Ukrainian border.”

The top US diplomat made the comments alongside his counterparts from the Quad — Australia, India and Japan — following a day of meetings in Melbourne and after the State Department and Biden?warned?US citizens to depart Ukraine immediately.

CNN’s Jennifer Hansler and Kylie Atwood contributed reporting to this post.

The UK government has advised nationals in Ukraine to leave now while commercial means are still available, the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office said Friday.

The latest UK travel advice for Ukraine says:

Multiple countries, including Japan, Israel, Norway, South Korea and Latvia, have advised its citizens today to leave Ukraine.

US President Biden has also urged all Americans to leave Ukraine.

The US is planning to pull its?impartial?observers from the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe mission in Ukraine as the security environment deteriorates, two sources familiar with the discussions said.

The Biden administration is also discussing the possibility of further reducing the number of staff at the US Embassy in Kyiv and pulling other US government employees out of Ukraine amid new US intelligence suggesting that Russia could move to attack Ukraine prior to the end of the Beijing Olympics and as soon as next week.

OSCE observers’ “main tasks are to observe and report in an impartial and objective way on the situation in Ukraine; and to facilitate dialogue among all parties to the crisis,” according to their website.

The US last month ordered the departure of diplomats’ family members from the US Embassy in Kyiv and allowed nonessential personnel to leave on a voluntary basis.?

CNN has reached out to OSCE and the State Department for comment.

President Biden’s secure video call with transatlantic leaders began at 11:02 a.m. ET and concluded at 12:21 p.m. ET, according to the White House.

CNN reported earlier today that Biden would hold a call with other world leaders?this morning?on the situation in Ukraine, according to a White House official.

The leaders of Canada, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Romania, NATO, the European Commission, and the European Council were expected to be on the call, according to the official.

CNN’s Betsy Klein contributed reporting to this post. ?

The US and its allies have new intelligence that suggests Russia could launch an attack on Ukraine even before the end of the Olympics, multiple sources familiar with the matter tell CNN.?

Previous assessments had suggested that Russia was unlikely to move into Ukraine until after the Olympics end on Feb. 20, US officials had told CNN in the past. The revelation of the new intelligence comes as administration officials have dramatically ramped up the urgency of their public warnings related to Ukraine in the past 24 hours.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Friday that a?Russian invasion of Ukraine?“could begin at any time,” including during the Beijing Winter Olympics, and the United States continues “to see very troubling signs of Russian escalation, including new forces arriving at the Ukrainian border.”

Kyiv is among the targets identified in the Russian planning, three sources familiar with the new intelligence tell CNN.?

There are ongoing conversations within the administration about declassifying some of that new intelligence, which two US officials said may come later on Friday.

President Biden on Friday morning was set to hold a call with NATO and European allies to discuss the latest intelligence, a White House official told CNN. A European defense official said the North Atlantic Council will be discussing the situation and the new intelligence?in a meeting later Friday.??

Biden also joined a meeting of his top national security advisers Thursday evening in the White House Situation Room to discuss the crisis, a person familiar with the meeting said.

When asked about new intelligence, a spokesperson for the Ukrainian defense minister said that such warnings have been heard already.

“Again? These statements have already been heard,” Iryna Zolotar, press secretary for Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksiy Reznikov, told CNN.

CNN’s Alex Marquardt and Mick Krever contributed reporting to this post.

Israel’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs will remove the families of Israeli diplomats and employees from its embassy in Kyiv amid growing tensions between Ukraine and Russia.

A ministry statement also urged Israeli citizens in Ukraine to consider leaving the country and recommended those planning to travel to Ukraine to cancel their trip.

The move comes after similar actions today from Japan and South Korea.

US President Biden has also urged all Americans to leave Ukraine.

UK Secretary of State for Defence Ben Wallace (L) and Russia's Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu shake hands during talks at the Russian Defence Ministry headquarters in Moscow, Russia, on February 11.

United Kingdom Defense Secretary Ben Wallace said Friday that he heard “clearly” from the Russian government that they had no intention of invading Ukraine.

Speaking at a news conference in Moscow after talks with Russia’s Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu amid Russia-West tensions over Ukraine, Wallace said:?“I heard clearly from the Russian government that they had no intention of invading Ukraine.”

The UK will look at the actions that back up Russia’s assurances that Moscow will not invade Ukraine, Wallace said.

“When they say to me they are not going to invade Ukraine, we will take that seriously, but as I also said we will look at the actions that accompany it,” he said.

Wallace also said that “the disposition of the Russian forces that we see over 100,000 in both Belarus and Ukraine, obviously gives that size of force the ability to do a whole range of actions including an invasion of neighboring country at any time.”

Wallace said that he had “constructive and frank discussions” with Shoigu, and that they both agreed on the importance of the implementation of the Minsk agreement as “a clear way forward.”

“We urged dialogue as a way through to address any concerns that Russia the Russian government may have,” Wallace said.

Wallace?said he would put the level of UK-Russia relations “above zero” following his meeting with Shoigu Friday, after Russian state news agency RIA-Novosti earlier reported that Shoigu had told Wallace that the level is “close to zero.”

“Of course Britain has some ongoing issues with the Russian government, not least, the poisoning and deployment of nerve agent, by agents of the Russian state in Salisbury, and the requests we have, obviously, out for the people suspected of committing that crime. And that is ongoing and needs to be resolved,” Wallace said.

However, “this is the first meeting of a UK defense minister with Minister Shoigu since 2013,” he said. “So that is nine years, and I think the beginning of this process, which is to understand each other’s concerns, also to be able to have a line of communication is a lot better than 0%.”

Wallace went on to say that he looks forward to having an ongoing relationship with his Russian counterpart.

Ukraine's Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba gives a press conference following his meeting with OSCE Chairman-in-Office in Kyiv, Ukraine, on February 10.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister?Dmytro Kuleba said?Friday that?Ukraine?has triggered part of an international agreement to demand?Russia?“provide detailed explanations on military activities in the areas adjacent to the territory of?Ukraine?and in the temporarily occupied Crimea.”

Kuleba said?Ukraine?was triggering?the risk reduction mechanism in what’s called the Vienna Document, a 2011 agreement signed by members of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe.

It says that a participating state will be entitled to a reply within 48 hours.

Ukraine?triggered the mechanism as Russia’s buildup of forces continues near the border.

Ukraine?has already protested a Russian declaration that seeks to seal off large areas of the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov for naval drills.

Kuleba?reaffirmed his commitment to using diplomatic channels to quell the tensions between Russia and?Ukraine.?

He tweeted: “In case of absence of reply or [Russia’s] insufficiency/irrelevance,?Ukraine?will address Russia, as well as other participating states of the Vienna Document, in order to convene an extraordinary meeting where Russia will have to provide explanations.”

US President Biden?on Thursday urged Americans in Ukraine to leave the country immediately,?warning that?“things could go crazy quickly” in the region.

“American citizens should leave now,”?Biden said in an upcoming interview?that was taped Thursday with NBC News’ Lester Holt.

Biden said during his NBC interview that “there’s not” a situation that could prompt him to send US troops to rescue Americans attempting to exit Ukraine, adding, “That’s a world war when Americans and Russia start shooting at one another.”

If Russian President Vladimir Putin is “foolish enough to go in, he’s smart enough not to … do anything that would negatively impact on American citizens,” Biden added.

The White House has?approved a plan?for the nearly 2,000 US troops in Poland to help Americans who may try to evacuate Ukraine if Russia invades, according to two US officials familiar with the matter.

The US forces are not currently authorized to enter Ukraine itself if a war breaks out, and there are no plans for them to conduct a noncombatant evacuation operation akin to the US operation in Afghanistan last summer. Instead, the plan as it now stands is that the troops, who are from the 82nd Airborne Division, will begin setting up processing areas and temporary shelters inside Poland near Ukraine’s border where Americans fleeing the country could go for help while in transit. The facilities have not yet been stood up, one defense official said, but will start to be as more US troops arrive in Poland.

The advisory told American citizens in Ukraine to “be aware that the US government will not be able to evacuate US citizens in the event of Russian military action anywhere in Ukraine.”

In late January, the State Department authorized the departure of non-emergency personnel from the US Embassy in Kyiv and ordered family members to depart the country.

The US has estimated that Russia has more than 100,000 troops near the Ukraine border,?with thousands added just this week, according to an administration official.

Read the full story here.

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg speaks during a visit at Mihail Kogalniceanu Military Base on February 11, in Mihail Kogalniceanu, Romania.

The North Atlantic Treaty Organization is looking into a longer-term presence in eastern Europe as it continues to reinforce its flank in the region, Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said Friday.

“We are also assessing whether we should just have a more longer-term presence in eastern border lines,” he said in a joint press conference with Romanian President Klaus Iohannis.

“That includes a battle group in Romania but also perhaps battleships in all the parts of the southeast of the Alliance,” he added.

NATO’s eastward expansion is a core concern of Russia, which has reaffirmed this during recent diplomatic efforts from the West to prevent an invasion of?Ukraine.

A longer-term presence “will be discussed and addressed at the upcoming NATO defense ministerial meeting next week,” Stoltenberg?said.?

“I expect that ministers will agree to further start the planning and to address the scale and the scope and the details about how to deploy a battlegroup, what kind of battlegroup and then I expect that the final decision will be taken during the spring,” he said.

The pair spoke at Romanian military air base Mihail Kog?lniceanu, where another 1,000 US troops were set to arrive Friday, bringing the total number of US service members to almost 2,000 at the base, Stoltenberg?said.?

Iohannis affirmed the importance of defending NATO’s eastern flank under threat from Russia which?continues to amass troops along its border with?Ukraine, which he described as “one of the worst crises after the fall of the Iron Curtain.”

NATO is ready to deploy more troops and equipment on short notice if needed, Stoltenberg?said, while reaffirming the alliance is solely defensive.

Talks held in Berlin on Thursday between advisers from France, Germany, Russia and?Ukraine?regarding tensions around?Ukraine were “long and difficult,” an élysée spokesperson told journalists Friday.?

The German chancellor’s spokesperson Steffen Hebestreit also said the talks were “difficult,” adding they are seen as “an intermediate step.”

“Russia agreed to the negotiation in principle, but ultimately insisted that it be written that?Ukraine?is to negotiate directly with the separatists, which is?Ukraine’s only red line,” the French spokesperson said.?

Hebestreit said that “it is good that talks are continuing — that what is the basis of the Minsk agreement continues to be accepted by all parties.”?

Hebestreit said at a press briefing that the so-called Normandy talks will resume in March.?

Image grab of footage released by the Russian defense ministry on February 11 showed tanks, helicopters, and fighter jets deployed in the drills in an unidentified location in Belarus.

Both Japan and South Korea told their citizens to evacuate Ukraine immediately amid the Russian buildup of troops on the border.

Japan’s Foreign Ministry told residents that “the situation continues to be unpredictable.”

“While there have been diplomatic efforts by the countries involved, there is a growing possibility that the situation could deteriorate rapidly. For this reason, the entire country of?Ukraine?has been raised to Level 4,” the ministry said.

The South Korean government raised its travel alert level for?Ukraine?to 4, the highest level, banning travel to?Ukraine?and ordering its nationals in the country to evacuate, according to a news release from the South Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs Friday.

The ministry said the level 4 alert comes into effect on Saturday 5 p.m.?Ukraine?time.

The ministry said this is a preventive measure in case the local situation rapidly worsens in?Ukraine.

As of Friday, there are a total of 341 South Korean nationals in?Ukraine, the release said.

South Korea previously advised its nationals residing in Kyiv and 14 other Ukrainian oblasts to leave amid heightened tensions between?Ukraine?and Russia on Jan. 25.

US President Biden is holding a call with other world leaders?on the situation in?Ukraine this morning, a White House official told CNN.

The leaders of Canada, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Romania, NATO, the European Commission, and the European Council will be on the call, according to the official.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken speaks at a joint press conference of the Quad Foreign Ministers meeting at the Park Hyatt on February 11 in Melbourne, Australia.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Friday that a?Russian invasion of Ukraine?“could begin at any time,” including during the Beijing Winter Olympics, and the United States continues “to see very troubling signs of Russian escalation, including new forces arriving at the Ukrainian border.”

The top US diplomat made the comments alongside his counterparts from the Quad — Australia, India and Japan — following a day of meetings in Melbourne and after the State Department and US President Biden?warned?US citizens to depart Ukraine immediately.

Prior to the start of the Olympics earlier this month, Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman suggested that the Winter Games, which are hosted by China, could impact Russian President Vladimir Putin’s thinking about the timing of a potential invasion. Putin traveled to Beijing for the beginning of the Olympics and met with Chinese President Xi Jinping. The two released a lengthy pact pledging no limits to their cooperation.

Blinken told reporters at the joint news conference Friday that the US was “continuing to draw down our embassy” in the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv and “will continue that process.”

In Washington, the White House convened a meeting with several Cabinet members and senior national security officials in the Situation Room on Thursday night to discuss Russia’s ongoing military buildup near Ukraine, two officials familiar with the matter told CNN. There have been several Situation Room meetings in recent weeks and months to discuss the brewing crisis, one of the sources said, but the meetings have grown more urgent in recent days as Russia has continued to move forces, weapons and logistical equipment into the area and increased troop readiness.

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