Joe Biden has made a significant diplomatic concession to Moscow designed to prevent an invasion of Ukraine, signalling he wants to convene meetings between Nato allies and Russia to discuss Vladimir Putinxe2x80x99s grievances with the transatlantic security pact.

Speaking on Wednesday, a day after he held a bilateral call with Russiaxe2x80x99s leader, the US president said he hoped to announce high-level talks by Friday xe2x80x9cto discuss the future of Russiaxe2x80x99s concerns relative to Nato writ largexe2x80x9d.

The talks would explore xe2x80x9cwhether or not we can work out any accommodation as it relates to bringing down the temperature along the eastern frontxe2x80x9d, Biden added.

The US president said he hoped the participants would include not just Washington and Moscow but also xe2x80x9cat least four of our major Nato alliesxe2x80x9d, although he declined to name the specific countries.

Moscow wants Nato to commit to halting any eastward expansion and to refrain from deploying troops and equipment that could be used to attack Russia from neighbouring countries.

But Bidenxe2x80x99s reference to finding a potential xe2x80x9caccommodationxe2x80x9d with Moscow in eastern Europe will startle many eastern Nato members and US allies, who fear Putin is using the threat of military force to win concessions on the US security presence in Europe.

Putin on Wednesday reiterated his fear that Ukraine will join Nato, which he said would xe2x80x9cundoubtedly be followed by the placement of relevant military contingents, bases, and weapons threatening usxe2x80x9d.

xe2x80x9cWe are working on the assumption that our concerns will be heard at least this time,xe2x80x9d he added.

Though Putin has periodically demanded similar talks for more than a decade, Moscowxe2x80x99s xe2x80x9cred linesxe2x80x9d have come to the fore in the past month after the US warned allies Russia was massing up to 175,000 troops at its borders in preparation for a possible invasion of Ukraine early next year.

Putin said talk of an invasion was xe2x80x9cprovocativexe2x80x9d but did not explicitly rule out any military activity, saying that Russia xe2x80x9chas the right to ensure its securityxe2x80x89.xe2x80x89.xe2x80x89. in the medium and long termxe2x80x9d.

One senior official from an eastern Nato state told the Financial Times that xe2x80x9cunder no circumstances should the debate on guarantees in the context of European security be allowed to unfoldxe2x80x9d.

Any talk of compromise with Moscow xe2x80x9cmust be immediately cut at the rootxe2x80x9d, they said, adding that this view was held by at least half a dozen EU members.

Putin said Russia would send a draft security agreement xe2x80x9cin the next few daysxe2x80x9d to the US after agreeing to have xe2x80x9csubstantivexe2x80x9d discussions with Biden during the call. The two leaders agreed to xe2x80x9cform a structure that would deal with it in a detailed and thorough wayxe2x80x9d, Putin added.

Although a senior Biden administration official earlier in the week dismissed talk of red lines as unhelpful, the White House is keen to pursue a diplomatic route to dissuade Putin from invading Ukraine.

Biden ruled out the unilateral use of force to confront Russia on Wednesday, instead focusing on spelling out what he said would be xe2x80x9csevere consequencesxe2x80x9d were Putin to escalate the conflict in Ukraine.

These included boosting military support to Ukraine, bolstering the US presence in Nato countries to reassure those on the eastern flank and assembling a punishing economic sanctions package.

The sanctions would target debt and banking transactions and attempt to scupper the Nord Stream 2 pipeline that links Russia and Germany, which has been built but is not yet pumping gas, according to officials briefed on the plans.

xe2x80x9cI made it very clear [in the call with Putin] if in fact, he invades Ukraine, there will be severe consequencesxe2x80x89.xe2x80x89.xe2x80x89.xe2x80x89economic consequences like none hexe2x80x99s ever seen,xe2x80x9d Biden told reporters on Wednesday.

xe2x80x9cI am absolutely confident he got the message.xe2x80x9d

Additional reporting by Lauren Fedor in Washington