Russia says troops won't stay in Belarus as U.S. and allies engage in diplomatic blitz to avert all-out war in Ukraine

Washington and Kyiv — High-stakes diplomacy is underway in Washington and Europe this week as President Biden and other leaders race to find an agreement with Russia to prevent the military standoff on Ukraine's borders from escalating into all-out war. With more than 100,000 Russian forces positioned around Ukraine's borders and the U.S. warning that President Vladimir Putin could order an invasion any time, Mr. Biden and his German counterpart tried to show a united front on Monday amid concerns that Europe's biggest economy isn't confronting Moscow as forcefully as it could.

Mr. Biden hosted German Chancellor Olaf Scholz at the White House, while Putin met for five hours behind closed doors in Moscow with French President Emmanuel Macron.

With additional U.S. troops and weaponry deploying to Eastern Europe, close to Russia's border, President Biden warned Americans in Ukraine to get out, saying he would "hate to see them get caught in the crossfire."