Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy's scheduled appearance at the Munich Security Conference on February 19 remains uncertain as his country faces rising tensions with Moscow amid a massive buildup of Russian troops on its border.
The White House said on February 18 that it was up to Zelenskiy to decide whether to leave Ukraine to attend the security conference in Germany.
"Regardless of what decision he makes, he will have the support of the United States," White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki told reporters.
President Joe Biden echoed those comments when asked about a possible Zelenskiy trip to Munich at a White House news conference, saying it was the Ukrainian leader's decision whether to go or not.
But when asked if it was "wise" for Zelenskiy to go, Biden said that "in the pursuit of a diplomatic solution, it may not be.... But it's his decision."
CNN reported that U.S. officials were privately urging Zelenskiy not to leave his country at this time and to skip the conference amid the crisis.
Separately, the French presidency said in a statement late on February 18 that President Emmanuel Macron would speak with Zelenskiy by phone on February 19 and with Putin the following day.
The Munich security gathering opened on February 18 with world leaders, top officials, policymakers, and security experts set to focus on the escalating crisis prompted by fears that Russia is preparing to invade Ukraine.
SEE ALSO: Biden Says U.S. 'Convinced' Putin Has Made Decision To Invade UkraineUN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres told the opening ceremony that it would be "catastrophic" if the Russia-Ukraine crisis escalated into a war.
U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, and other leaders and senior officials are taking part in the security forum, where a number of meetings on the sidelines are also scheduled.
The gathering takes place as tensions soar along the Russia-Ukraine border following the Kremlin's buildup of forces in the region, sparking fears of a new Russian invasion of its neighbor.
Blinken told the conference that shelling over the past two days in eastern Ukraine was part of Russian efforts to create "false provocations" to justify further "aggression" against Ukraine.
He said it was part of "a scenario that is already in place of creating false provocations, of then having to respond to those provocations and then ultimately committing new aggression against Ukraine."
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Harris is scheduled to meet Zelenskiy on the sidelines of the event on February 19 if he attends.
Before a meeting with the leaders of the three Baltic countries -- Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia -- Harris reiterated Washington's support for its NATO allies amid Russian actions in the regions.
"I recognize the threats...we stand with you on this and many other issues...and we stand together as NATO allies," she said.
"The United States stands committed to Article 5...it is ironclad," she added, referring to NATO's mutual-defense clause, which requires all members to come to the aid of any other member under attack.
Stoltenberg said that he welcomed "the fact that European allies are stepping up, also increasing their presence in the eastern border of the alliance and also investing more in defense."
For the first time in years, Russia is not sending any official representative to the gathering.
More than 30 heads of state and government are attending.
On February 19, the foreign ministers of the G7 group of industrialized nations, including Blinken, will meet on the sidelines of the conference.
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson is also set to attend the February 19 session, joined by Foreign Secretary Liz Truss and Defense Secretary Ben Wallace.
Discussions about Ukraine, Russia, and NATO are set to dominate the conference on February 19, while February 20 will be dedicated to the future of the European Union.
Last year, the conference took place virtually due to the pandemic.