Biden meets with European allies on Ukraine ahead of meeting with Putin

US President Joe Biden discussed with European allies the Russian military buildup near Ukraine and underscored the collective support for the country's sovereignty

US President Joe Biden discussed with European allies the Russian military buildup near Ukrain and underscored the collective support for the country's sovereignty, the White House said in a readout of the call.

"The leaders discussed their shared concern about the Russian military build-up on Ukraine's borders and Russia's increasingly harsh rhetoric. They called on Russia to de-escalate tensions and agreed that diplomacy, especially through the Normandy Format, is the only way forward to resolve the conflict in Donbas through the implementation of the Minsk Agreements," the White House said in the readout on Monday.

Participants in the call included French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi and UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson, the White House said.

The parties called on Russia to de-escalate tensions and agreed that diplomacy is the only way to resolve conflict in Donbas through the Minsk Agreements, the White House added. Russia has said it reserves the right to move troops on its territory as it sees fit.