Biden warns Putin US and allies will 'impose severe costs' if Russia invades Ukraine | ITV News

Joe Biden has warned Vladimir Putin that invading Ukraine would cause "widespread human suffering" and that Russia should expect "swift and severe costs" should he decide to do so.

The US president and his Russian counterpart held a high-stakes hour-long phone call on Saturday in a desperate effort to de-escalate mounting tensions - but it produced "no fundamental change" to the threat of an imminent war in Europe.

Mr Biden told Mr Putin the US and allies were committed to diplomacy to avoid the biggest security crisis between Russia and the West since the Cold War, but was “equally prepared for other scenarios,” the White House said on Saturday.