The Russian news agency reported that Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov announced on Friday that Russian President Vladimir Putin and his U.S. counterpart Joe Biden will have a phone conversation on Saturday. The announcement of the call comes after Washington stated that Russia has amassed enough troops near Ukraine for a large-scale invasion, likely to begin with an airstrike. According to the agency, Peskov mentioned that it was the United States that requested the call. Peskov also noted that Putin will speak with French President Emmanuel Macron on the same day.
Meanwhile, the Russian Foreign Ministry stated late Friday that Western countries, with the help of the media, are spreading false information suggesting that Moscow may be planning to invade Ukraine. The ministry added in a statement on its website that the West is trying to distract attention from its aggressive actions.
On Friday, the White House stated that the U.S. president had a phone call with allied leaders, during which they expressed concern over Russia's troop buildup around Ukraine and their desire for a diplomatic solution to the crisis. Following the call, the White House indicated that the leaders "reaffirmed their support for Ukraine's sovereignty." The call included Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, European Council President Charles Michel, French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, and others.
