• Ukrainian envoy says concessions available, but not on NATO bid.
• Major share markets rattled, oil surges to nine-year high.
• Germany’s Scholz in Kyiv, then Moscow on Tuesday.
• G7 says invasion will trigger ‘massive’ economic reprisals.

MOSCOW/KYIV: Russia suggested on Monday that it was ready to keep talking to the West to try to defuse a security crisis in which it has massed a huge force within striking distance of Ukraine, while a Ukrainian official said Kyiv was prepared to make concessions to Moscow.

In a televised exchange, President Vladimir Putin was shown asking his foreign minister, Sergei Lavrov, whether there was a chance of an agreement to address Russia’s security concerns, or whether it was just being dragged into tortuous negotiations.

Lavrov replied: “We have already warned more than once that we will not allow endless negotiations on questions that demand a solution today.”

But he added: “It seems to me that our possibilities are far from exhausted … At this stage, I would suggest continuing and building them up.”

Washington has Russia could invade Ukraine “any day now”, and British Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Monday called the situation “very, very dangerous”.

Russia has positioned more than 100,000 troops near to Ukraine’s borders but denies planning to invade, accusing the West of hysteria.

Earlier in the day, the Group of Seven large Western economies (G7) had warned Russia of “massive” economic consequences if it did invade, and promised Kyiv swift support