JAKARTA - President Joe Biden expressed confidence on Friday that Russian President Vladimir Putin has decided to attack Ukraine, continuing to spread false information to try to build a pretext for a military strike that could occur within days.
"Until now I believe he has made the decision (to attack)," Biden told reporters in Washington.
"We have reason to believe that," he added, citing a US intelligence assessment.
His comments came after phone calls with the leaders of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Romania, Britain, the European Union and NATO, the White House said.
The leaders pledged to continue pursuing diplomacy, while preparing to impose a swift and coordinated economic cost on Russia, should the country choose further conflict, according to a White House telephone reading.
They also discussed efforts to ensure the defense and security of NATO's eastern wing, the White House added.
President Biden's administration says a diplomatic solution remains possible if Russia chooses, but Washington and its European allies are prepared to impose harsh penalties if Moscow chooses to strike.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov plan to meet February 24 in Europe, Biden said, but he warned any Russian military action before that would show Russia had "slammed the door on diplomacy."
Meanwhile, US Vice President Kamala Harris met NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg at the Munich Security Conference on Friday, expressing concern amid the upgrade and pledging to remain in close contact with NATO and US allies.
"We feel very strongly and will always be committed to the principles of territorial integrity and sovereignty," Vice President Harris told reporters.
"Of course we continue to support diplomacy related to the dialogue and discussions we have with Russia, but we are also committed to taking corrective action," he added.
Separately, Foreign Minister Antony Blinken also spoke at the conference on Friday, saying Washington remained 'deeply concerned' that Russia was planning to attack Ukraine within days.
US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin also urged de-escalation, in a phone call with his Russian counterpart on Friday, the Pentagon said.
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