Russia attack on Ukraine ‘still very much a possibility’: US President Biden

US President Joe Biden said Tuesday that it was “still very much a possibility” that Russia would attack Ukraine, but he left the door open for diplomacy.

“We are ready to respond decisively to a Russian attack on Ukraine, which remains very much a possibility,” Biden said in a speech from the White House.

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“And the fact remains right now Russia has more than 150,000 troops… and invasion remains distinctly possible. That’s why I’ve asked several times that all Americans in Ukraine leave now before it’s too late to leave safely,” he said.

Responding to Moscow’s claims that they withdrew some troops and forces from the border with Ukraine, Biden said: “We have not yet verified that... Our analysts indicate that they remain very much in a threatening position.”

The US president said that sanctions on Russia were “ready to go” if it decided to invade Ukraine, while he warned that this would also have a negative impact on the US and its economy. But he said he would work with Congress and had steps planned to ensure that any energy shortage would not reflect on US consumers.

However, Biden did extend an invite for more talks and for a diplomatic solution. “Diplomacy... should be given every chance to succeed,” he said.

Tensions have been boiling over the US belief that Russia’s President Vladimir Putin is preparing to invade neighboring Ukraine.

Despite his claims to the contrary, intelligence reports suggest Putin could order military action at any time.

Biden ordered the deployment of thousands of US troops to Eastern Europe earlier this month as tensions ramped up. The US has also closed its embassy in the Ukrainian capital Kyiv and relocated operations to Lviv due to the “dramatic acceleration in the buildup of Russian forces,” the State Department said on Monday.

Read more: Biden orders thousands of US troops to Eastern Europe over Russia threats