U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin and his Russian counterpart Sergey Shoygu on Saturday discussed Russia's troop buildup in Crimea and around Ukraine, the Pentagon said. 

U.S. President Joe Biden and Russian President Vladimir Putin plan to speak by phone later on Saturday after the United States and its allies warned Russia could invade Ukraine at any moment.

About 150 U.S. troops from the Florida National Guard who are in Ukraine to help train Ukrainian forces are leaving the country as the threat of a Russian invasion increases, two U.S. officials told Reuters.

The U.S. State Department has ordered non-emergency U.S. Embassy staff to leave Ukraine amid rising tensions with Russia,

Australia, New Zealand, Germany, Italy, Turkey and the Netherlands on Saturday joined countries urging their citizens to leave Ukraine. Washington said on Friday that a Russian invasion, likely beginning with an air assault, could occur at any time. 

Moscow has repeatedly disputed Washington's version of events, saying it has massed more than 100,000 troops near the Ukrainian border to maintain its own security against aggression by NATO allies.

(With input from Reuters)

(Cover: Ukrainian law enforcement officers take part in special tactical training exercises held by police, the National Guard and security services at the Kalanchak training ground in the Kherson region, Ukraine, February 12, 2022. /Reuters)