US secretary of state urged de-escalation and diplomacy in call with Russian counterpart

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken discussed "acute and shared concerns that Russia may be considering launching further military aggression against Ukraine in the coming days," and urged a diplomatic solution during his phone call with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on Saturday, State Department spokesperson Ned Price said. 

The call comes just hours before US President Joe Biden and Russia's President Vladimir Putin are expected to speak over the phone, and as the State Department has ordered the evacuation of most of its embassy staff in Ukraine, report CNN.

Russia has continued to build its presence along Ukraine's borders in recent days, and Blinken "reiterated that should Moscow pursue the path of aggression and further invade Ukraine, it would result in a resolute, massive, and united transatlantic response," Price said. 

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has accused Washington of waging a "propaganda campaign" about possible Russian aggression, according to the Russian foreign ministry, Al Jazeera reported.

In a readout of a phone call with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Lavrov also said that Washington and Brussels had ignored key Russian security demands.