Evelyn Farkas: Putin is testing Biden and US allies

Russia's President Vladimir Putin is putting US President Joe Biden and America's allies and partners to the test, Evelyn Farkas, a former US Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defence for Russia, Ukraine, and Eurasia has said.

She told BBC World News the Russian leader was sabre-rattling and carrying out "very dangerous" deployments.

"That, plus all the words about red lines, in part I think is a test of President Biden and all of our allies and partners.

"But I also think he is very nervous about his domestic situation and the support for Alexei Navalny he sees as a direct threat to his power inside of Russia," she said.

During his recent annual state of the nation address, Mr Putin warned the West not to cross a "red line" with Russia, explaining that such a move would trigger an "asymmetrical, rapid and harsh" response.

Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu ordered a number of military units, who were close to Ukraine's border, back to their bases on Thursday.