The French president made separate calls to Russian and Ukrainian leaders

 Ukraine latest: Macron urges Putin to 'avoid a major conflict'

The French president made separate calls to Russian and Ukrainian leaders to try and prevent an invasion. Meanwhile, US Vice President Kamala Harris warned of the "real possibility for war in Europe." DW has the latest.

French President Emmanuel Macron

Macron continued his diplomatic push to try and persuade Putin not to invade Ukraine

French President Emmanuel Macron and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin on Sunday agreed to intensify the search for solutions to the Ukraine standoff during a nearly two-hour phone call.

The pair agreed on "the need to favor a diplomatic solution to the ongoing crisis and to do everything to achieve one," Macron's office said, adding that both countries' foreign ministers would meet "in the coming days."

According to the Kremlin's version of the call, Putin blamed Kyiv for a military escalation in eastern Ukraine and agreed on the need to "intensify efforts to find solutions through diplomatic means."

Moscow said the talks would take place in the Normandy format, meaning with representatives of Russia and Ukraine under Franco-German moderation. 

Macron then called Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, just a day after Kyiv said it would not respond to what it called Russia's "provocations," according to the Elysee, and remained open to "dialogue" with Moscow.

The two leaders discussed the "need and possible ways of immediate de-escalation," Zelenskyy wrote on Twitter.

Earlier, Zelenskyy called on Putin to meet him and seek a diplomatic resolution to the crisis.

Russia: Western countries should 'come to reason' 

Putin's spokesperson, Dmitry Peskov, said there was "no point of Russia attacking someone." He urged Western partners to "come to reason."

"But let's remind that throughout its history, Russia has never attacked anyone. And Russia, which has survived so many wars, is the last country in Europe that wants to talk at all, even to say the word war," Peskov told the state-run Russia 1 broadcaster.

Watch video08:37

Ukraine crisis: 'This is really not about NATO'

European Council President Charles Michel said, "The big question remains: does the Kremlin want dialogue?"

"We cannot forever offer an olive branch while Russia conducts missile tests and continues to amass troops," Michel said at the Munich Security Conference.

He said, "One thing is certain: if there is further military aggression, we will react with massive sanctions."

French President Macron is expected to discuss the crisis with US President Joe Biden and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz later on Sunday. 

The Organization for Security and Co-operation (OSCE) is expected to hold Ukraine talks on Monday. 

Blinken: All signs suggest Russia on the brink of invading Ukraine

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken told CNN on Sunday that "everything we're seeing suggests that this is dead serious, that we are on the brink of an invasion [of Ukraine]."

"But until the tanks are actually rolling and the planes are flying, we will use every opportunity and every minute we have to see if diplomacy can still dissuade President Putin from carrying this forward."

Blinken insisted that the deterrent impact of sanctions would be lost if they are triggered before an invasion despite Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's passionate plea on Saturday to unleash them.

Blinken told ABC's "This Week" that US President Joe Biden has made "very clear that he's prepared to meet President Putin at any time, in any format, if that can help prevent a war."

US National Security Council meeting on Ukraine

US President Joe Biden was set to meet his National Security Council on Sunday to discuss the threat of war in Ukraine.

Biden earlier said the US believed Putin had decided to invade Ukraine.

Speaking to media after attending the Munich Security Conference, Vice President Kamala Harris on Sunday said she hopes an invasion of Ukraine could still be prevented.

"We would all not just prefer, we desire, we believe that it is in the best interest for all that there is a diplomatic end to this moment," she said.

US Vice President Kamala Harris speaks to members of the media after attending the Munich Security Conference

Harris warned there is a "real possibility of war in Europe"

Harris said it was important not to underestimate the significance: "We are talking about the real possibility for war in Europe."

She was returning to the US on Sunday to participate in the National Security Council meeting.

Ukraine says it's time to implement some sanctions against Russia

Ukraine's Foreign Minister Dmytro said that it was time for the West to implement at least part of its sanctions against Russia.

"Russia has to be stopped right now. We see how events are unfolding," Kuleba said.

His statement at the Munich Security Conference came soon after Russia and Belarus announced an extension of military drills near Ukrainian borders.

"It's time to act. I'm officially saying that there are all the grounds to implement at least a part of sanctions prepared against Russia, now," Kuleba said.

Watch video02:26

"Ukraine has been serving as a shield for eight years now"

Earlier, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson told the BBC that Putin might not be thinking logically, so the threat of sanctions may not be enough to deter a Russian invasion.

"We have to accept at the moment that Vladimir Putin is possibly thinking illogically about this and doesn't see the disaster ahead," Johnson said.

The US and Britain would stop Russian companies from "trading in pounds and dollars," a move that Johnson said would "hit very, very hard."

Latvia and Lithuania also call for sanctions

Latvia and Lithuania have also urged Western allies to impose sanctions on Russia with immediate effect.

The decision to keep Russian troops in Belarus for joint military exercises that had been scheduled to end on Sunday is a "game-changer for security of NATO countries bordering Belarus," Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis tweeted on Sunday.

"NATO reinforcements and EU sanctions are in order," he added.

"It is clear that the trans-Atlantic community needs to begin implementing sanctions against Russia and NATO should deploy more forces in the region," his Latvian counterpart Edgars Rinkevics on Twitter.

Donbas sees the worst shelling in years

Russian-backed separatists in the Donbas have claimed that Ukrainian forces have killed two civilians.

The incident occurred in Pionorskoye in the self-proclaimed Luhansk People's Republic, a spokesperson told Russian news agency Interfax on Sunday.

Ukrainian government forces and pro-Russian rebels have reported increased shelling in the east over the last few days.

Watch video02:15

DW visits shelled kindergarten in volatile eastern Ukraine

Kyiv said two Ukrainian servicemen died from injuries sustained from the shelling, while another four servicemen were injured and receiving treatment.

Leaders of Luhansk and Donestk ordered a full military mobilization on Saturday.

Washington and other Western allies say the apparent flare-up could form part of a Russian pretext to invade Ukraine.

UEFA Champions League final in Russia 

European football governing body UEFA said there are "currently no plans" to move the Champions League final from Russia.

The final is scheduled for May 28 in the St Petersburg Arena.

UEFA told the German dpa press agency it would continue to monitor the crisis between Russia and Ukraine.

jsi, lo/wd (AFP, AP, dpa, Interfax, Reuters)