Kyiv (AFP) - German Chancellor Olaf Scholz landed in Kyiv on Monday for crisis talks ahead of a dramatic visit to Moscow to head off what Berlin sees as the "very critical" threat of a Russian invasion.
On arrival in Ukraine, the German leader headed directly to see President Volodomyr Zelensky, whose government has demanded an urgent meeting with Russia to explain why it has deployed more than 100,000 soldiers to Ukraine's borders.
European leaders warn that the crisis is the worst threat to the continent's security since the Cold War, with Russian President Vladimir Putin demanding a rollback of Western influence in eastern Europe and a ban on Ukraine joining NATO.
The United States has warned that Russia's forces are poised to attack Ukraine, and the western allies have prepared what they warn would be a crippling package of economic sanctions in response.
As Scholz made his way to the presidential palace, however, the streets of Kyiv were calm under blue skies and bright sunshine.
Ukrainians went about their business despite fears that commercial flights in and out of the country would be halted.
Earlier, a German government source had said: "We assess the situation as very critical, very dangerous."
US intelligence officials worry that weeks of crisis talks have given Russia the time to prepare a major offensive -- should Putin make the ultimate decision to attack Ukraine.
"We are digging trenches that Ukrainian soldiers could quickly jump into and defend in case the Russians attack," 15-year-old Mykhailo Anopa told AFP.
He was speaking near the frontline separating Kyiv-held territory from that under the control of Moscow-backed insurgents in the separatist east.
Ukraine demands answers
Washington reaffirmed its warning on Sunday that Russia was now ready to strike at "any moment".It said the assault was likely to start with "a significant barrage of missiles and bomb attacks".
Ukraine requested a formal meeting with Moscow and other members of the pan-European security body, the OSCE, that might explain "the reinforcement and movement of Russian forces along our border".
On Sunday, the Ukrainian presidency said Zelensky had also urged Biden to visit Kyiv "in the coming days" to show moral support.
The White House made no mention of the invitation in its readout of the 50-minute call.The United States on Saturday ordered all non-emergency staff to leave its embassy in Kyiv.
Tough trip
Germany plays a central role in efforts to mediate in eastern Ukraine where a gruelling conflict with Russian-backed separatists has claimed more than 14,000 lives.
But Germany's close business relations with Moscow and heavy reliance on Russian natural gas imports have been a source of lingering concern for Kyiv's pro-Western leaders and Biden's team.
Scholz has warned Russia it should "not underestimate our unity and determination" but also hedged against unequivocally backing Biden's pledge to "bring an end" to Russia's new Nord Stream 2 gas link to Germany.
Kyiv is also upset with Berlin for not having joined some of its NATO allies in starting to supply weapons to Ukraine.
Ukraine's ambassador to Berlin, Andriy Melnik, fumed at "German hypocrisy" in a tweet on Sunday, saying Germany was exporting "dual-use goods to Russia" but offering "no weapons for Ukraine's self-defence".
Scholz's visit to Moscow on Tuesday follows tit-for-tat closures of the German-language service of Russia's RT network and the Moscow bureau of Germany's Deutsche Welle.
Putin's choice
Despite the diplomatic push, a growing number of Western countries are withdrawing staff from their Kyiv embassies and urging their citizens to leave Ukraine immediately.
But departures may be complicated by the looming threat of the skies over Ukraine closing due to rising risks for airlines.
Dutch carrier KLM became the first major airline over the weekend to suspend flights to Kyiv indefinitely.
On Monday morning, ahead of the potential shutdown, Kiev's international airport was busy but there were no signs of panic despite long queues to depart.
Yuriy Fedynskiy, a 46-year-old musician, was heading to the United States with his pregnant wife and four children, leaving behind his village in eastern Ukraine.
"Yes, war is very, very possible.And that's not good for having babies," he laughed, explaining he wanted his children to learn English and escape whatever fate Putin might inflict on their homeland.
"It could happen any second.Will it happen?Only Putin knows.But we are not going to let Putin decide the fate of our family," he told AFP.
Ukraine's budget airline SkyUp said European leasing companies were demanding that Ukrainian carriers return their planes to EU airspace within 48 hours.
Industry analysts believe other international airlines may soon also ban flights into Ukraine because of the growing cost to insurers.
