Russia’s foreign ministry has dismissed American talk of war as propaganda and “hysteria”, and depicted it as cover for an attack being prepared by Ukrainian forces against Russian-backed separatists in the country’s east.

Although Ukraine denies having any such plans, Russia said on Saturday that it was pulling some of its diplomatic personnel out of Ukraine, characterising it as a response to similar moves by western countries.

Russia’s foreign ministry said it had decided to reduce the staffing of its missions in Ukraine, which include an embassy in Kiev and consulates in Lviv, Odessa and Kharkiv.

“We are drawing the conclusion that our American and British colleagues seem to know about certain military actions being prepared in Ukraine,” Maria V. Zakharova, the foreign ministry’s spokeswoman, said in a statement. “Our embassy and consulates will continue to exercise their main functions.”

Russia’s moves are part of an ongoing information war between Moscow and the West, with each side accusing the other of inciting tensions.

“A coordinated information attack is being conducted against Moscow,” Russia’s foreign ministry said on Friday in a statement that included a list of previous western warnings of a possible imminent Russian invasion of Ukraine.

It said that messaging was “aimed at undermining and discrediting Russia’s fair demands for security guarantees, as well as at justifying western geopolitical aspirations and military absorption of Ukraine’s territory.”

Jake Sullivan, President Biden’s national security adviser, told reporters at the White House on Friday that “Russia could choose in very short order to commence a major military action against Ukraine,” but added that officials could not be sure exactly when, or whether, Putin might decide to invade.

As he spoke, Biden was preparing to depart for Camp David for the weekend. The whir of Marine One’s blades could be heard in the White House briefing room.

New York Times News Service