U.S. President Joe Biden and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz called on Russia to defuse tension near the border with Ukraine.

This was reported by DW.

Biden and Scholz say the situation around Ukraine is "extremely serious" because there is still a risk of Russian military aggression, German government spokesman Steffen Gebeestreit said Wednesday after a telephone conversation between the two leaders.

Biden and Scholz said there has been no significant withdrawal of Russian troops from the Ukrainian border.

The White House said the U.S. and German leaders also discussed "relevant conversations with President Putin and President Zelensky regarding Russia's continued military buildup on Ukraine's borders."

"They reaffirmed their commitment to Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity and noted the importance of continued transatlantic coordination of diplomacy and deterrence measures, as well as a strengthening of NATO's eastern flank in the event of further Russian invasion of Ukraine," the report said.

As reported, the U.S. said that in recent days Russia had pulled about 7,000 more troops to the borders with Ukraine, despite claims that it had begun withdrawing its forces.