German leader in Ukraine as fears of Russian attack rise

Kyiv: More NATO troops headed to Eastern Europe and some nations worked to move their citizens and diplomats out of Ukraine on Monday, as Germany's chancellor made a last-ditch attempt to head off a feared Russian invasion that some warn could be just days away.

With the world already on high alert, UK Armed Forces Minister James Heappey said a Russian attack could "effectively now happen with no notice." That follows a warning from US officials that an invasion could come this week — leading to a flurry of diplomacy but also deterrence measures.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz visited Ukraine on Monday and plans to continue on to Moscow, where he will try to persuade Russian President Vladimir Putin to stand down. Moscow denies it has any plans to invade but has massed well over 130,000 troops near Ukraine and, in the US view, has built up enough firepower to launch an attack on short notice. "We are experiencing a very, very serious threat to peace in Europe," Scholz wrote on Twitter as he arrived in Kyiv. "From Moscow, we urgently expect signals of de-escalation." With concerns rising that war could be imminent, German's military said the first of some 350 extra troops it is sending to bolster NATO forces in Lithuania were en route Monday. Six howitzer guns were also being loaded onto trucks for transport to the alliance's eastern flank.