(NewsNation Now) — Russia’s military is “poised to strike” Ukraine, U.S Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said Saturday, echoing President Joe Biden’s comments Friday that he is “convinced” of a Russian invasion.

Austin, who’s currently on an overseas trip to meet with senior military and government leaders in Lithuania, promised Washington would stand with its Baltic allies.

Russia has reportedly massed between 169,000 and 190,000 personnel in and near Ukraine, up from about 100,000 on Jan. 30,

The country still denies planning any attacks.

“I want everyone in Lithuania, Estonia, and Latvia to know — and I want President (Vladimir) Putin in the Kremlin to know — that the United States stands with our allies,” Austin said at a news conference.

Biden said Friday that any assertions from the Kremlin that Ukraine is preparing an attack of its own are false.

“It defies basic logic to believe the Ukrainians would choose this moment, with 150,000 troops on its border, to escalate a yearlong conflict,” he said.

A meeting between Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov is planned for Feb. 24. Any military action before then, however, will signal the end of diplomacy, Biden said.

“If Russia pursues its plans, it will be responsible for a needless and catastrophic war of choice,” Biden said Friday.

U.S. officials have warned of unprecedented sanctions against Russia should it invade Ukraine.