Russia's embassy in Washington said Tuesday that Moscow will not back down in the face of US sanctions threats over Ukraine, ahead of a phone call between the top US and Russian diplomats. "We are not going to back away and stand at attention, listening to the threats of US sanctions," the embassy said on Facebook, adding that it is "Washington, not Moscow, that generates tensions." The embassy said the troops do "not threaten anyone" and that it is Russia's "sovereign right" to move its armed forces on its territory. (https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2022/02/01/russia-ukraine-news-boris-johnson-putin-invasion-nato-latest/) Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken will hold fresh telephone talks on Ukraine Tuesday. The White House said Monday that it is ready to impose sanctions on President Vladimir Putin's "inner circle" if an attack on Ukraine goes ahead. US President Joe Biden has repeatedly warned Mr Putin of a massive coordinated Western sanctions response should he invade Ukraine.