Ukraine
Biden appeals directly to Putin to step back from war
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox
US President Joe Biden has appealed to his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin to step back from a war with Ukraine, saying the United States estimates that 150,000 Russian troops now encircle the Eastern European nation.
Mr Biden said that while reports that some Russian forces had withdrawn were welcome, these were unverified and an invasion remained very much a possibility.
"The United States and Nato are not a threat to Russia. Ukraine is not threatening Russia. Neither the US nor Nato has missiles in Ukraine," Mr Biden said in a nationally televised speech on Tuesday.
