Due to rising fears about Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, some airlines have cancelled or diverted flights. This is despite extensive weekend talks between Russia and West.

One hour long Saturday conversation with Russian President Vladimir PutinPresident Joe BidenAccording to the White House, the White House claimed that Ukraine invading would result in “widespread human pain” and that diplomatic efforts to stop the crisis were underway. However, the West is prepared to deal with other possible scenarios. There was no indication that it diminished the risk of war within Europe.

Biden’s national defense adviser Jake Sullivan warned that U.S. intelligence showed no signs of slowing down. a Russian invasion could begin within days.

Russia claims it does not intend to invade Ukraine, but Russia has gathered well over 100,000 soldiers near its border with Ukraine and sent troops to exercise in Belarus. Officials from the United States claim that Russia has built up enough firepower to be able to invade at short notice.

KLM, a Dutch airline, has cancelled flights to Ukraine for now.

After the shooting down of a Malaysian aircraft over eastern Ukraine, where Russia-backed rebels held it in 2014, Dutch sensibility to possible danger in Ukrainian airspace has been high. All 298 people aboard died, including 198 Dutch citizens.

SkyUp Ukraine, the charter airline for Ukrainians, said that Sunday’s flight from Madeira in Portugal to Kyiv was diverted into Chisinau by its Irish lessor. The plane had claimed that it would not fly through Ukrainian airspace.

After a conversation between Putin and French President Emmanuel Macron, the Putin-Biden phone call came at a crucial moment in what is now the most serious security crisis between Russia’s and the West since World War II. Officials in the United States believe that they only have a few days left to stop an invasion of Ukraine and massive bloodshed.

The U.S., NATO and allies do not plan to send any troops to Ukraine in order to defeat Russia. However, an invasion of Ukraine and the resulting sanctions could have a devastating impact on energy supply and power balance in Europe.

According to the White House, President Biden made clear to Putin, “President Biden assured him that, while the U.S. will continue to engage diplomatically in full coordination, with our Allies and Partners, we remain equally ready for other scenarios.”

Putin’s chief foreign policy advisor, Yuri Ushakov said that tensions had been increasing for several months but “the situation was simply brought to absurdity” in the last few days.

Biden had mentioned possible sanctions against Russia. However, he stated that “this was not the topic during our lengthy conversation.”

As if to show that American officials have prepared for the worst, the United States declared plans to expel most of its staff members from the Ukrainian embassy and asked all Americans living in Ukraine to immediately leave. Britain joined the other European countries in urging its citizens to flee Ukraine.

Canada closed its Kyiv embassy and moved its diplomat staff to Lviv in western Ukraine, said Foreign Affairs Minister Melanie Joly Saturday. Lviv houses a Ukrainian military base, which has been the central hub for Canada’s 200-soldier mission to the ex Soviet Union.

It remains to be determined when any Russian military actions will occur.

According to an American official, intelligence indicating that Russia was looking at Wednesday for a target date has been gathered by the U.S. Official who wasn’t authorized to talk publicly, spoke only under condition of anonymity and would not reveal how conclusive the intelligence was.

The Defense Ministry summoned US Embassy’s Military Attache on Saturday to discuss U.S.-Russian tensions. It was reported that the Navy detected a submarine from the United States in Russian waters close to the Kuril Islands. According to the ministry, the submarine refused orders to depart but left after being told by the navy that it used “appropriate methods”.

The Pentagon also ordered 3,000 more U.S. military personnel to Poland as a reassurance to allies.

Officials from the United States claim that Russia has deployed more than 100,000 troops along Ukraine’s southern and eastern borders. They also have missile, air and naval forces and the supplies needed to continue a war. Russia has moved six amphibious assault vessels into the Black Sea this week to increase its ability to land sea-going marines.

As a reassurance for allies along NATO’s Eastern flank, Biden has increased the U.S. military presence. These additional 3,700 soldiers are joining 1,700 already on the way to Poland. A U.S. Army unit is also moving 1,000 troops from Germany into Romania. Romania has a border similar to Poland and Ukraine.

Russia wants the West to keep out former Soviet states from NATO. It also wants NATO to refrain from deploying weapons near its border and to roll back alliance forces from Eastern Europe — demands flatly rejected by the West.

Russia and Ukraine have been in conflict ever since Ukraine’s Kremlin-friendly leader was ousted by the popular uprising of 2014. Moscow responded to the uprising by annexeding Crimea and supporting a separatist movement in Ukraine. The conflict has claimed over 14,000 lives.

France and Germany brokered a 2015 peace agreement that helped to end large-scale fighting. However, regular skirmishes continue and attempts to settle the political issues have been thwarted.