Vladimir Putin and Joe Biden will speak by phone on Saturday, RIA news agency reported late on Friday, citing Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov.

The announcement of the talks between the Russian and U.S. presidents came after Washington said that Russia had massed enough troops near Ukraine to launch a major invasion, which would likely to start with an air assault.

Peskov said the United States initiated the call, according to RIA.

Putin will speak with French President Emmanuel Macron on the same day, TASS quoted Peskov as saying on Friday.