The snub was an eye-popping dismissal of hopeful talk by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.

Good rainfall in April and a positive start to the spring sowing campaign have prompted Ukraine’s Economy Ministry to forecast a bumper grain crop of 75 million tonnes in 2021.

The buildup had spawned widespread speculation that the Kremlin was preparing a wide scale invasion. It already controls large parts of eastern Ukraine – the Donbass region – via proxies it supports militarily and financially.

President Vladimir Putin blasted sanctions, warned the West against crossing “red lines” in their relations with Russia and said Moscow would respond in “rapid and harsh” fashion to  hostile actions.