Joe Biden and Vladimir Putin have agreed in principle to meet for diplomatic talks over Ukraine, offering hope of avoiding an invasion that the US has warned could begin any moment.
The potential summit – brokered on Sunday in calls by French president Emmanuel Macron – has been welcomed by western leaders who fear the Russian president has been manufacturing a reason to invade through attacks in Ukraine’s Donbas region.
The US said the meeting of leaders was conditional and would not go ahead if Mr Putin ordered an invasion. A date and format for the meeting was not set and the Kremlin said it was “premature” to make arrangements.
On Monday, the Kremlin said that tension was growing over Ukraine but but diplomatic contacts remained active.
Dmitry Peskov, Kremlin spokesman, said that a meeting between Mr Putin and Mr Biden was possible but emphasised that “it’s premature to talk about specific plans for a summit”.
“The meeting is possible if the leaders consider it feasible,” he said.
He said Mr Putin would address a special session of Russia’s security council later today.
War remained a real possibility as Moscow apparently rescinded earlier pledges to pull tens of thousands of its troops back from Ukraine’s northern border and ordered an extension of military exercises in Belarus, originally set to end on Sunday.
Belarus said on Monday that the withdrawal of around 30,000 Russian troops from its territory would depend to a large extent on Nato pulling back its forces from near Belarus and Russia, meaning they could remain there indefinitely.
The US, UK and EU have all warned that Moscow could use escalating violence in parts of eastern Ukraine held by Russian-backed separatists as a pretext for launching an attack.
Separatist leaders in the Donetsk and Luhansk areas of the Donbas accused Ukraine of killing two civilians in shelling attacks — a claim denied by Ukrainian officials.
Russia’s FSB security service said on Monday a shell from Ukrainian territory had destroyed a border guard post on Russian land, the Interfax news agency reported.
France said that Mr Putin agreed with Mr Macron on Sunday to work towards a ceasefire in the Donbas.
France said US secretary of state Antony Blinken and Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov would prepare the ground for the summit when they meet in Europe on Thursday.
Mr Lavrov was set to meet French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian on Monday.
Ukraine's defence minister Oleksii Reznikov said he hopes the leaders’ summit goes ahead and wants Kiev to take part. He said: “I have hopes that this initiative, thanks to President Macron and supported by President Biden... will be implemented.”
Ukraine has grown more anxious to take measures against Russia since violence flared up in the Donbas last week. Foreign minister Dmytro Kuleba said it was time for the West to implement at least part of the sanctions it has prepared.
The US and EU have so far refused to do so, with the White House saying their deterrent effect would be lost if they were used too soon.
