With the Pentagon warning of a continued Russian troop build-up and possible imminent invasion of Ukraine, the leader of that country cautioned on Friday against talk of war, even as a diplomatic scramble to ease the standoff continued with no signs of a breakthrough.

President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine said that the security situation surrounding his country — where intelligence officials estimate that 130,000 Russian troops have amassed near the borders, including north of the capital, Kiev — was not much different than at this time last year, and, while dangerous, did not necessarily mean that war was imminent or unavoidable.

A day after speaking by phone with President Biden, who reaffirmed the US’s commitment to respond forcefully to a Russian attack, Zelensky emphasised at a news conference that he and the American president did not disagree on seriousness the Russian threat, but differed on the tone of their public comments on it.

He noted that in the past, Russia has used military build-ups as a scare tactic.

“We don’t have any misunderstanding with the President, but I just deeply understand what is going on in my country, just as he understands what is going on in his country,” Zelensky said of Biden. The drumbeats of war, he added, could contribute to domestic instability that would heighten the risk posed by Russia.

Zelensky took issue with decisions by the US and Britain to withdraw non-essential diplomatic staff from Ukraine, which he suggested set an unduly alarming tone. “I think it was a mistake,” he said, adding that “under these circumstances, everyone is essential.”

“I don’t think we have the Titanic here,” he said.

The US has been more outspoken than many European nations about the threat of a Russian attack. Although US officials do not believe that President Putin has decided to launch an invasion, President Biden still believes there is “a distinct possibility” that Russia could do so in February.

New York Times News Service