Western leaders to discuss Ukraine crisis from 1600 GMT

BERLIN AFP Feb11, 2022  - Western leaders including US President Joe Biden, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and France’s President Emmanuel Macron are due to hold a telephone conference on the Ukraine crisis, German government sources told AFP on Friday.   

The Prime Ministers of Italy, Britain and Canada, Poland’s president, as well as EU and NATO chiefs are also expected to join the talks which the French presidency said will begin from 1600 GMT, as fears mount that Russia could invade Ukraine.   

Tensions between the West and Russia have reached levels not seen since the Cold War over Russia’s deployment of over 100,000 soldiers on the borders with Ukraine.   

In a bid to avert war from breaking out in Europe, Western leaders have ramped up diplomatic efforts to defuse the crisis.   

But with the talks making little headway, Biden has issued a stark warning to Americans to leave Ukraine, while his top diplomat said a Russian invasion could come “any time”.