Biden warns Putin in hourlong call Sat

WASHINGTON (AP) — The White House says President Joe Biden told Russia’s Vladimir Putin that invading Ukraine would cause “widespread human suffering” and that the West was committed to diplomacy to end the crisis but “equally prepared for other scenarios.” Biden also told Putin the United States and its allies would respond “decisively and impose swift and severe costs” if the Kremlin attacked its neighbor. There was no suggestion that the hourlong call diminished the threat of an imminent war in Europe. The two presidents spoke a day after Biden’s national security adviser warned that U.S. intelligence shows that a Russian invasion could begin within days and before the Winter Olympics in Beijing end on Feb. 20.

Earlier at 12:12pm – MOSCOW (AP) — The White House says President Joe Biden has called on President Vladimir Putin to pull back more than 100,000 Russian troops massed near Ukraine’s borders and warned that the U.S. and its allies would “respond decisively and impose swift and severe costs” if Russia invades. Biden and Putin spoke for more than an hour Saturday. A day earlier, Biden’s national security adviser, Jake Sullivan, warned that U.S. intelligence shows that a Russian invasion could begin within days and before the Winter Olympics in Beijing end on Feb. 20.  Russia denies that it intends to launch an offensive against Ukraine.

MOSCOW (AP) — Presidents Joe Biden and Vladimir Putin have concluded a call to discuss the crisis in Ukraine as the White House says intelligence shows Russia could invade on short notice. The White House says the call lasted 62-minutes. Biden planned once again to call on Putin to de-escalate and pull back the well over 100,000 Russia troops that have massed near Ukraine’s borders. The White House says publicly that the U.S. does not know with certainty whether Putin is committed to an invasion. Russia denies it intends to launch an offensive against Ukraine.