A show of force as Russia conducts military drills near the Ukrainian border Tuesday.

The exercise comes as U.S. Vice President Joe Biden is in Kiev where he called on Moscow to pull back troops and to "stop talking and start acting" on getting Russian separatists in Ukraine to disarm.

Moscow is also flexing muscles on other fronts with Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev telling parliament Russia can minimize the impact of western-backed sanctions.

(SOUNDBITE) (Russian) RUSSIAN PRIME MINISTER DMITRY MEDVEDEV, SAYING:

"We will show our teeth if it is necessary and within the law. We will appeal to courts and other institutions, including the WTO dispute settlement body. I also consider it right to prepare an offer to adopt laws that will protect Russian business interests that are infringed upon by sanctions applied to them."

International negotiators in Geneva reached a deal last week to defuse the crisis in Ukraine, but tensions have not abated, and U.S. offi