US President Joe Biden expressed skepticism about Russia's statements about de-escalation in Kiev and Chernigov.

"We'll see if they follow through with what they're suggesting" as Moscow-Kyiv negotiations continue, he told reporters at the White House.

He said the topic came up during a phone conversation with the leaders of France, Germany, Italy and Britain. “There seems to be consensus that let’s just see what they have to offer. We’ll find out what they do,” Biden said. 

In the meantime, Biden said, the US is going to "continue to keep strong the sanctions. We're gonna continue to provide the Ukrainian military with their capacity to defend themselves and we're gonna continue to keep a close eye on what's going on."