Biden says threat of Russian invasion is 'very high'

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -U.S. President Joe Biden said on Thursday the threat of a Russian invasion of Ukraine is "very high" but the door to a diplomatic solution remained open.

Speaking to reporters as he departed the White House, Biden said there was “every indication we have is that they are prepared to go into Ukraine” and there was no plan for him to hold a call with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Asked how high the threat of Russian invasion was at the moment, Biden said, "It's very high."

He said Russia had not moved back its forces from the Ukrainian border and the United States had reason to believe Russia was engaged in a false flag operation that Moscow would use to justify an invasion.

But he said a diplomatic solution remained possible, which is why he had asked Secretary of State Antony Blinken to go to the United Nations to make a statement on Thursday.

"He'll lay out what that path is," he said.

(Reporting by Andrea Shalal; Writing by Katharine Jackson; editing by Susan Heavey)