MOSCOW (Reuters) – The Kremlin said on Monday that Russian President Vladimir Putin and his U.S. counterpart Joe Biden could set up a call or meeting any time but there were no concrete plans yet for a summit.
Tensions were growing over Ukraine, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told reporters, but diplomatic contacts were active. He said Putin would imminently address a special session of Russia’s security council.
Peskov was speaking after French President Emmanuel Macron said Putin and Biden had agreed in principle to a summit over the Ukraine crisis.
The United States and its allies have been warning for days that Russia could invade Ukraine at any time, which Moscow denies.
Peskov said U.S. media reports that Russia had drawn up a list of Ukrainians to capture or kill after an invasion were an “absolute lie”.
He described as “highly unusual” a U.S. embassy warning to Americans in Russia that they should prepare plans to leave the country if necessary.
The security alert on Sunday cited media sources as saying there had been threats of attacks against shopping centres, railway and metro stations and other public places, including in Moscow, St Petersburg and areas near the Russia-Ukraine border.
(Reporting by Dmitry Antonov; Writing by Alexander Marrow and Mark Trevelyan)
