Joe Biden, Vladimir Putin talk about Ukraine amid Russian attack fears

US President Joe Biden and Russian President Vladimir Putin held virtual talks on Ukraine and other subjects on Tuesday, Russian state television reported, amid Western fears that Moscow plans to attack its southern neighbour.

Biden, according to reports, was likely to warn Putin that Russia and its banks could be hit with the toughest economic sanctions yet if it invades Ukraine, US officials said before the video conference. The meeting between the two was on until the time of going to press.

The sanctions, which one source said could target Russia's biggest banks and Moscow's ability to convert roubles into dollars and other currencies, were designed to dissuade Putin from using tens of thousands of troops massed near the Ukrainian border to attack its southern neighbour.