By Yasin Ebrahim
Investing.com -- U.S. President Joe Biden said he was “convinced” that Russian President Vladimir Putin has decided to invade Ukraine, but added the diplomatic route would remain open up until an attack was launched.
“I'm convinced he [Putin] has made the decision,” Biden said. But “diplomacy is always a possibility until he does [attack Ukraine],” he added.
An attack could be launched in the coming week, or days, the president said, with Ukraine’s capital Kyiv expected to be targeted.
“[W]e have reason to believe that Russian forces are planning to, intend to attack Ukraine in the coming week, the coming days,” Biden said. "We believe that they will target Ukraine's capital Kyiv, a city of 2.8 million innocent people."
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov is expected to meet U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken next week to discuss the Ukraine crisis.
If Russia takes military action before the meeting, however, it will be "clear that they have slammed the door shut on diplomacy," Biden said, warning that Russia "will pay a steep price for doing so."
Biden's remarks come as Russian-backed separatists are believed to have evacuated its citizens from Donetsk in Eastern Ukraine, deepening fears that Moscow was creating false provocation to invade Ukraine.
Putin has demanded guarantees that Ukraine won’t be allowed to join the NATO military alliance, which he has flagged as a threat to Russia. The U.S. has rejected this request, but has offered to discuss limits for missile deployments in Europe, and restrictions on military drills.