West will respond decisively if Ukraine invasion occurs, Biden tells Putin
Russia pulls back troops
In a call meant to defuse tensions in Ukraine, US President Joe Biden has told Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin on Saturday that the West would respond decisively if invasion occurs.
The US leader warned that such a step would produce great suffering and isolate Russia.
The hour-long phone call was the latest effort to manage growing hostility in the region. It seems to have not provided any breakthroughs.
The call was professional and substantive, but there was no fundamental change, a senior Biden administration official said.
Putin told Biden that Washington has failed to take Russia's main concerns into account, the Kremlin said.
This comes as Portugal, Israel and Belgium urged their citizens to leave Ukraine immediately.
Israel has also begun evacuating the family members of diplomats and Israeli staff at its embassy in Kiev.
On Sunday, Australia said that it is evacuating its embassy in Kyiv. Prime Minister Scott Morrison called on China to speak up for Ukraine and not remain "chillingly silent".
"The coalition of autocracies that we are seeing, seeking to bully other countries, is not something that Australia ever takes a light position on," Morrison said.
(With inputs from agencies)