As the US warned of an imminent Russian invasion of neighbouring Ukraine, President Biden agreed in principle to meet his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, provided that Russia pulls back from a potential attack of its smaller neighbour.

President Biden’s decision came during a discussion with French President Emmanuel Macron, who made a flurry of calls seeking a diplomatic solution to the crisis. In the call with his American counterpart, Macron proposed a summit between Presidents Biden and Putin and then a meeting with other governments on security and strategic stability in Europe, the French president’s office said in a statement. Biden and Putin have accepted the principle of such a summit, Macron’s office said.