Olaf Scholz did not elaborate on specifics during his meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Monday but he did pledge a new round of financial assistance to Kyiv.
The two leaders spoke by phone for roughly an hour after the State Department ordered most of its embassy staff in Kyiv to leave. U.S. officials are concerned a Russian invasion is imminent.
As much as 40% of Europe's natural gas supply comes from Russia, a reliance that puts U.S. allies like Germany in a jam when it comes to finding a sanctions solution to the crisis.
As Russian troops threaten to Ukraine, the U.S. is publicizing what it says are Russian attempts to sow disinformation. The goal is to undermine Russian claims that might be used to provoke a war.
Officials warn that an attack could result in the deaths of tens of thousands of soldiers and civilians, while millions of Ukrainian refugees would be left to flee, likely to nearby Poland.
Josef Stalin caused a famine when he tried to remake Ukraine's farms. Vladimir Putin is threatening to invade Ukraine — again. For a century, Ukraine has been trying to escape Moscow's grip.
As experts and officials in Ukraine's capital consider a range of possible actions by Russia — including invasion, cyberattacks and disinformation campaigns — they say Ukraine lacks critical defenses.
With more than 100,000 Russian troops on his borders, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Friday that the reaction of world leaders had created a "panic" in his country.
Biden said should Russian President Putin move in using the more than 100,000 Russian troops surrounding Ukraine, "it would be the largest invasion since World War II. It would change the world."
The Pentagon said no final decision has been made, but Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin wanted U.S. forces to be ready "just in case" of a Russian invasion of Ukraine.
The British government named Murayev as one of Russia's top picks to lead Ukraine were it to invade the country. Murayev, a critic of Ukraine's pro-Western government, has dismissed the claim.
The aid, which includes ammunition, is part of a $200 million package that President Biden approved in December and is meant for Ukraine's front-line defenders should Russia choose to invade.
"You have to find ways to live a normal life," says a mother of four in Kyiv. She and her family keep their car full of fuel and plan to take refuge in a village outside the capital if Russia attacks.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken and his Russian counterpart, Sergey Lavrov, ended talks in Geneva with no major breakthroughs but an agreement to keep talking.
