A Russian attack on Ukraine is “still very much a possibility”, US President Joe Biden has said.
Mr Biden, speaking in a televised address on Tuesday, said the human cost of a war in Ukraine would be “immense” and the US was prepared to respond to any move by Russia.
Russia, who has stationed an estimated 150,000 troops along its border with Ukraine, said on Tuesday some of its military have withdrawn. Mr Biden said this claim was “not yet verified”.
“We have not yet verified the Russian military units are returning to their home bases,” he said.
“Indeed, our analysts indicate that they remain very much in a threatening position.”
Boris Johnson had earlier said there were “mixed signals” coming from Russia, because UK intelligence showed Russian field hospitals were being built near the border which could “only be construed as a preparation for an invasion”.
Defence secretary Ben Wallace repeated that the UK had not seen any evidence of a Russian withdrawal ahead of a meeting with Nato defence ministers on Wednesday.
He said the UK will “take Russia at it’s word, but judge them on their actions” when it comes to de-escalating tension at the Ukraine border.
He added that the Russian force on the border “would overwhelm Ukraine” should it be deployed.
Mr Wallace is meeting NATO secretary-general Jens Stoltenberg and his US counterpart Lloyd Austin to discuss the ongoing tensions in the region.
Tensions have been escalating along the Ukraine-Russia border since November.
Mr Putin wants assurances that Ukraine will be blocked from joining Nato, a Western security alliance he sees its expansion as a threat to Russia - something which Nato has not agreed to.
Mr Biden said he agreed with a proposal by the Russian government to continue diplomacy.
In a bid to reduce tensions, the US president directly appealed to the Russian public, saying: “To the citizens of Russia: you are not our enemy, and I don’t believe you want a bloody, destructive war against Ukraine.”
