Biden warns Putin of a decisive response if Russia invades Ukraine ...

Biden told Putin the U.S. and its allies would "respond decisively and impose swift and severe costs" if Russia invaded, the White House said.President Biden on Saturday warned Russian President Vladimir Putin that if Russia invaded Ukraine, the U.S. and its allies would "respond decisively and impose swift and severe costs on Russia," the White House said.The two leaders spoke by phone for roughly an hour."President Biden reiterated that a further Russian invasion of Ukraine would produce widespread human suffering and diminish Russia's standing," the White House said in a statement.While the U.S. has remained prepared to engage with Russia diplomatically, the White House said, "We are equally prepared for other scenarios."A senior administration official described the call as "professional and substantive.""There was no fundamental change in the dynamic that has been unfolding now for several weeks," the official said. Ammunition from the U.S. is still arriving there, the official said.The official said Ukrainian officials have remained "very professional" about the steps the U.S. is taking to decrease its presence, "even if all of them don't necessarily agree."Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin has also ordered a temporary repositioning of U.S. troops that had been deployed to Ukraine since late November — another indication that the U.S. believes Russia's attack could come very soon.Pentagon press secretary John Kirby said Saturday that 160 members of the Florida National Guard who had been training Ukrainian forces will move elsewhere in Europe."The Secretary made this decision out of an abundance of caution — with the safety and security of our personnel foremost in mind — and informed by the State Department's guidance on U.S. personnel in Ukraine," Kirby said in a statement."This repositioning does not signify a change in our determination to support Ukraine's Armed Forces, but will provide flexibility in assuring allies and deterring aggression," Kirby said.To aid Americans who do decide to flee Ukraine, the U.S. is sending an additional 3,000 troops from the 82nd Airborne to Poland.Biden's call with Putin was among several held between U.S. officials and their Russian counterparts.Secretary of State Antony Blinken also spoke by phone with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on Saturday.State Department spokesperson Ned Price said in a statement that Blinken made it clear that a "diplomatic path to resolving the crisis remained open, but it would require Moscow to deescalate and engage in good-faith discussions.""[Blinken] reiterated that should Moscow pursue the path of aggression and further invade Ukraine, it would result in a resolute, massive, and united Transatlantic response," Price said.Austin has also spoken with Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu on Saturday, according to the Pentagon.NPR's Franco Ordoñez and Frank Langfitt contributed to this report.NPR thanks our sponsorsBecome an NPR sponsor