Moscow has concerned many after saying it saw "little ground for optimism" in resolving the crisis as the country continues to amass troops on the border with Ukraine. White House National Security Council spokesperson Emily Horne said yesterday: "President Biden said that there is a distinct possibility that the Russians could invade Ukraine in February. "He has said this publicly and we have been warning about this for months."

Eastern Europe has been the setting for tension between NATO and Russia for a long time, as Western countries try to prevent President Putin from taking more countries into his sphere of influence.

Fears surrounding a conflict were not eased in December when the Russian President threatened military action against NATO.


He said he will consider a military response if Russia feels threatened by the bloc of Western nations.

Mr Putin also railed against NATO enlargement since the fall of the Soviet Union and accused the west of turning Ukraine against Russia.

On the US' support for Ukraine, he said: “What the United States is doing in Ukraine is at our doorstep.

“And they should understand that we have nowhere further to retreat to. Under [US] protection, they are arming and urging on extremists from a neighbouring country at Russia.

"Against Crimea, for instance. Do they think we’ll just watch idly?

“If our Western counterparts continue a clearly aggressive line, we will undertake proportionate military-technical countermeasures and will respond firmly to unfriendly steps.

“I’d like to stress that we are fully entitled to do that.”