Ukraine could drop its bid to join NATO to avoid war with Russia, the BBC quoted the country's ambassador to Britain as saying, in what would amount to a major concession to Moscow in response to the build-up of Russian troops on its borders.
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Ambassador Vadym Prystaiko said Ukraine was willing to be "flexible" over its goal to join the Atlantic military alliance, a move Russian President Vladimir Putin has said would be a trigger for war.
"We might – being threatened like that, blackmailed by that, and pushed to it," Prystaiko was quoted as saying when asked if Kyiv could change its position on NATO membership.
Ukraine is not a NATO member but has a promise dating from 2008 that it will eventually be given the opportunity to join, a step that would bring the US-led alliance to Russia's border.
Putin says Ukraine's growing ties with the alliance could make it a launchpad for NATO missiles targeted at Russia. He says Russia needs to lay down "red lines" to prevent that.
Russia has moved more than 100,000 troops and heavy weapons to within striking distance of Ukraine in recent weeks, prompting the United States and its NATO allies to warn that an invasion could be imminent.
Moscow denies it is planning an attack, calling the military maneuvers exercises, but is has issued written demands that NATO forgoes any further expansion eastwards including Ukraine. NATO members have rejected the demand.
US President Joe Biden spoke to his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelenskiy on Sunday and agreed to continue diplomatic efforts to try to resolve the crisis, the White House said.
In Washington, US President Joe Biden's National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said an invasion could begin "any day now."
"We cannot perfectly predict the day, but we have now been saying for some time that we are in the window," Sullivan told CNN.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, on the eve of a trip that takes him to Kyiv on Monday and Moscow for talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday, called for Russia to de-escalate and warned of sanctions if Moscow did invade.
Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov said on Twitter that Kyiv had so far received almost 1,500 tons of ammunition from allies delivered on 17 flights, including about 180 tons from the United States.
Biden told Putin in a phone call on Saturday that the West would respond decisively to any invasion and such an attack would harm and isolate Moscow.
Prime Minister Naftali Bennett on Sunday urged all Israelis in Ukraine to leave immediately.
Foreign Minister Yair Lapid reiterated the call and warned that Israel may not be able to provide aid to those stranded in Ukraine should hostilities break out this week, as many expect.
Defense Minister Benny Gantz said Saturday that he has instructed the Israel Defense Forces to prepare for the possibility of helping evacuate Israelis from Ukraine.
Israeli airlines El Al and Arkia have increased their flights to Ukraine to assist Israelis seeking to leave the country. Channel 13 News reported on Monday that between the two carriers, 32 flights have been added between Kyiv and Odessa, and Tel Aviv.
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