A group of Brazilian footballers based in Ukraine appealed to their government to be rescued following Russia`s attack on their host country on Thursday.

"All our friends and family, the situation is serious and we are prisoners in Kyiv awaiting a solution to get out," Junior Moraes, a Shakhtar Donetsk player who is a naturalised Ukrainian, said on Instagram.

"We are in a hotel. Pray for us."

In a video recorded at a hotel where around a dozen players had gathered with wives and children, members of the group asked Brazilian authorities to come and rescue them.

"We really feel abandoned because we don`t know what to do," one of the women said. "We don`t know how to resolve this situation."

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Jogadores brasileiros do Shakhtar e do Dínamo estão reunidos com as famílias em um hotel de Kiev. Acabaram de gravar esse vídeo pedindo ajuda das autoridades brasileiras para deixar o país. <a href="https://t.co/7ah1RuKGo2">pic.twitter.com/7ah1RuKGo2</a>
— Arthur Quezada (@ArthurQuezada) <a href="https://twitter.com/ArthurQuezada/status/1496777721900572675?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 24, 2022</a></blockquote>
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The Brazilian foreign ministry later said the embassy in Kyiv was "open and dedicated ... to protecting the close to 500 Brazilian citizens in the Ukraine."

Without referring to any individuals or groups it urged Brazilians to remain in daily contact with the embassy and said those in the east of the country should move to the capital Kyiv if it is safe to do so.

Also Read:<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/people-should-stay-together-new-world-no1-daniil-medvedev-calls-for-peace-after-russia-attacks-ukraine-456367">&nbsp;'People should stay together': New world no.1 Daniil Medvedev calls for peace after Russia attacks Ukraine</a>

Group members said they had gathered at the hotel to meet and discuss how to get out of their predicament.

"There is a shortage of fuel in the city, the borders are closed, the air space is closed, we can`t get out," one of the men said.

Most of the players play with the Shakhtar Donetsk club, based in the east of the country.

Shakhtar has more than a dozen Brazilian players in their squad, while Dynamo Kyiv also has at last one Brazilian on their books. There was no immediate reply from Shakhtar to Reuters emailed request for comment. Dynamo Kyiv could not immediately be contacted for comment.

Russian forces invaded Ukraine on Thursday in a mass assault by land, sea and air, the biggest attack by one state against another in Europe since World War Two.

A group of Brazilian footballers based in Ukraine appealed to their government to be rescued following Russia`s attack on their host country on Thursday. "All our friends and family, the situation is serious and we are prisoners in Kyiv awaiting a solution to get out," Junior Moraes, a Shakhtar Donetsk player who is a naturalised Ukrainian, said on Instagram.

A group of Brazilian footballers based in Ukraine appealed to their government to be rescued following Russia`s attack on their host country on Thursday. "All our friends and family, the situation is serious and we are prisoners in Kyiv awaiting a solution to get out," Junior Moraes, a Shakhtar Donetsk player who is a naturalised Ukrainian, said on Instagram. "We are in a hotel. Pray for us." In a video recorded at a hotel where around a dozen players had gathered with wives and children, members of the group asked Brazilian authorities to come and rescue them. "We really feel abandoned because we don`t know what to do," one of the women said. "We don`t know how to resolve this situation." Jogadores brasileiros do Shakhtar e do Dínamo estão reunidos com as famílias em um hotel de Kiev. Acabaram de gravar esse vídeo pedindo ajuda das autoridades brasileiras para deixar o país. pic.twitter.com/7ah1RuKGo2 — Arthur Quezada (@ArthurQuezada) February 24, 2022 × The Brazilian foreign ministry later said the embassy in Kyiv was "open and dedicated ... to protecting the close to 500 Brazilian citizens in the Ukraine." Without referring to any individuals or groups it urged Brazilians to remain in daily contact with the embassy and said those in the east of the country should move to the capital Kyiv if it is safe to do so. Also Read: 'People should stay together': New world no.1 Daniil Medvedev calls for peace after Russia attacks Ukraine Group members said they had gathered at the hotel to meet and discuss how to get out of their predicament. "There is a shortage of fuel in the city, the borders are closed, the air space is closed, we can`t get out," one of the men said. Most of the players play with the Shakhtar Donetsk club, based in the east of the country. Shakhtar has more than a dozen Brazilian players in their squad, while Dynamo Kyiv also has at last one Brazilian on their books. There was no immediate reply from Shakhtar to Reuters emailed request for comment. Dynamo Kyiv could not immediately be contacted for comment. Russian forces invaded Ukraine on Thursday in a mass assault by land, sea and air, the biggest attack by one state against another in Europe since World War Two.

Brazilian footballers from Shakhtar Donetsk and Dynamo Kyiv appeal to be rescued from Ukraine

As Russia has invaded Ukraine, there's a high level of distress and chaos around. Here's a compilation of some visuals from Ukraine. #Ukraine #Russia #UkraineCrisis

Ukraine Under attack - The visuals of Distress and Chaos | Ukraine crisis

A look at the impact on commodities and markets amid the Russia-Ukraine crisis.

Ukraine-Russia conflict: Impact on commodities, markets

Russian tennis star Daniil Medvedev has called for peace after his country attacked Ukraine. Medvedev was confirmed as the new world number one in men's singles tennis on Thursday after defeating Japan's Yoshihito Nishioka in the quarter-final of the Mexican Open to set up a semi-final clash against current Australian Open champion Rafael Nadal.

With Novak Djokovic suffering a shock defeat at the Dubai Championships, the Russian's win over Nishioka at the Mexican Open saw him topple the Serbian to move to the top spot in the rankings. While Medvedev became the first man apart from Djokovic, Nadal, Roger Federer and Andy Murray to become the world no.1 in men's singles since 2004, he said it was not easy for him to focus on tennis amid the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine.

Medvedev said as a tennis player he is all for promoting peace across the world, having played in several different countries himself throughout his career. The Russian tennis star said it was not easy for him to watch the news. "By being a tennis player I want to promote peace all over the world," said the new world no.1 in men's singles tennis.

"We play in so many different countries. I`ve been in so many different countries as a junior and as a pro. It`s just not easy to hear all this news. I`m all for peace," he added.

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/novak-djokovic-to-lose-world-number-one-ranking-to-daniil-medvedev-after-shock-defeat-against-jiri-vesely-456339">Novak Djokovic to lose world number one ranking to Daniil Medvedev after shock defeat against Jiri Vesely</a>

Daniil Medvedev praises Russian compatriot Andrey Rublev for Ukranian pairing&nbsp;

Medvedev's Russian compatriot Andrey Rublev had paired up with Ukraine's Denys Molchanov to win the men's doubles title in Marseille last week. Lauding Rublev for his pairing with the Ukrainian, Medvedev said people need to stay together.

"This was amazing because I think people need to stay together and that's the most important," Medvedev said while talking about Rublev and Molchanov.

Though it is one of the biggest moments of his career to attain the top ranking in men's tennis, Medvedev is not worried about the sport and is hopeful of peace prevailing across the world. The Russian tennis star said it is in situations like these that sports take a backseat for more important issues around the globe.

"At this moment, you understand that tennis sometimes is not that important. It was definitely not easy to play and I am happy that I managed to win the match. That was a little bit of a roller-coaster day," said Medvedev.

"In these moments you realise that my match is not important. It's not about my match, how it affects me. What's happening is much more terrible.

You realise how important (it) is to have peace in the world and to respect each other no matter what, to be united. It's about that. We should take care of our earth and of each other. This is the most important thing," he added.

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Russian tennis star Daniil Medvedev has called for peace after his country attacked Ukraine. Medvedev was confirmed as the new world number one in men's singles tennis on Thursday after defeating Japan's Yoshihito Nishioka in the quarter-final of the Mexican Open to set up a semi-final clash against current Australian Open champion Rafael Nadal.

Russian tennis star Daniil Medvedev has called for peace after his country attacked Ukraine. Medvedev was confirmed as the new world number one in men's singles tennis on Thursday after defeating Japan's Yoshihito Nishioka in the quarter-final of the Mexican Open to set up a semi-final clash against current Australian Open champion Rafael Nadal. With Novak Djokovic suffering a shock defeat at the Dubai Championships, the Russian's win over Nishioka at the Mexican Open saw him topple the Serbian to move to the top spot in the rankings. While Medvedev became the first man apart from Djokovic, Nadal, Roger Federer and Andy Murray to become the world no.1 in men's singles since 2004, he said it was not easy for him to focus on tennis amid the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine. Medvedev said as a tennis player he is all for promoting peace across the world, having played in several different countries himself throughout his career. The Russian tennis star said it was not easy for him to watch the news. "By being a tennis player I want to promote peace all over the world," said the new world no.1 in men's singles tennis. "We play in so many different countries. I`ve been in so many different countries as a junior and as a pro. It`s just not easy to hear all this news. I`m all for peace," he added. Also Read: Novak Djokovic to lose world number one ranking to Daniil Medvedev after shock defeat against Jiri Vesely Daniil Medvedev praises Russian compatriot Andrey Rublev for Ukranian pairing Medvedev's Russian compatriot Andrey Rublev had paired up with Ukraine's Denys Molchanov to win the men's doubles title in Marseille last week. Lauding Rublev for his pairing with the Ukrainian, Medvedev said people need to stay together. "This was amazing because I think people need to stay together and that's the most important," Medvedev said while talking about Rublev and Molchanov. Though it is one of the biggest moments of his career to attain the top ranking in men's tennis, Medvedev is not worried about the sport and is hopeful of peace prevailing across the world. The Russian tennis star said it is in situations like these that sports take a backseat for more important issues around the globe. "At this moment, you understand that tennis sometimes is not that important. It was definitely not easy to play and I am happy that I managed to win the match. That was a little bit of a roller-coaster day," said Medvedev. "In these moments you realise that my match is not important. It's not about my match, how it affects me. What's happening is much more terrible. You realise how important (it) is to have peace in the world and to respect each other no matter what, to be united. It's about that. We should take care of our earth and of each other. This is the most important thing," he added. ×

'People should stay together': New world no.1 Daniil Medvedev calls for peace after Russia attacks Ukraine

UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin has called an extraordinary meeting of the Executive Committee for Friday, Europe`s soccer governing body said on Thursday following Russia`s invasion of Ukraine.

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/uefa-likely-to-move-champions-league-final-from-st-petersburg-due-to-russia-ukraine-crisis-reports-455923">UEFA likely to move Champions League final from St. Petersburg due to Russia-Ukraine crisis - Reports</a>

This season`s Champions League final is to be held in St Petersburg in May and the EU Parliament had asked UEFA to change the venue and to stop considering Russian cities for international football competitions.

UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin has called an extraordinary meeting of the Executive Committee for Friday, Europe`s soccer governing body said on Thursday following Russia`s invasion of Ukraine.

UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin has called an extraordinary meeting of the Executive Committee for Friday, Europe`s soccer governing body said on Thursday following Russia`s invasion of Ukraine. ALSO READ | UEFA likely to move Champions League final from St. Petersburg due to Russia-Ukraine crisis - Reports This season`s Champions League final is to be held in St Petersburg in May and the EU Parliament had asked UEFA to change the venue and to stop considering Russian cities for international football competitions.

UEFA calls extraordinary meeting to discuss situation in the wake of Russia-Ukraine crisis

Here is a quick summary of the responses of world leaders so far on Russia's move in Ukraine.

Russian President Vladimir Putin sends troops in eastern Ukraine, this is how the world reacted

Former US president Donald Trump hailed "genius" Russian leader Vladimir Putin for recognising two breakaway regions of Ukraine and sending in troops as "peacekeepers" to the areas.

While Putin was scorned by US President Joe Biden and other western leaders, Trump was full of praise for his "best friend."

During an interview on a right-wing radio programme, The Clay Travis &amp; Buck Sexton Show, Trump said it was "wonderful," "so smart," and even "genius" for Putin to "declare a large portion of Ukraine as independent."

"I went in yesterday and there was a television screen, and I said: ‘This is genius’," Trump said.

"Putin declares independence for a large portion of Ukraine. Oh, that’s wonderful. "

Also see |&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/watch-russian-president-vladimir-putins-tense-exchange-with-his-spy-chief-over-eastern-ukraine-455611">&nbsp;Vladimir Putin's tense exchange with his spy chief over eastern Ukraine</a>

The ex-president was quick to add that the crisis wouldn’t have escalated under his administration as it is happening now.

So, Putin is now saying, 'It's independent,' to a large section of Ukraine. I said, 'How smart is that?' And he's going to go in and be a peacekeeper. That's the strongest peace force, "Trump said.

"We could use that on our southern border. That's the strongest peace force I've ever seen... Here's a guy who's very savvy... I know him very well. very, very well. "

Also read&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/beginning-an-invasion-us-imposes-fresh-sanctions-against-russia-455521">'Beginning an invasion': US imposes fresh sanctions against Russia</a>

Meanwhile, Biden announced a new set of sanctions on Russia for "beginning" an invasion of Ukraine but said there was still time to avoid war.

Biden on Monday signed an Executive Order that will prohibit all new investment, trade, and financing by U.S. persons to, from, or in the "so-called Donetsk and Luhansk People's Republics".

(With contributions from agencies)

Former US president Donald Trump hailed "genius" Russian leader Vladimir Putin for recognising two breakaway regions of Ukraine and sending in troops as "peacekeepers" to the areas.

Former US president Donald Trump hailed "genius" Russian leader Vladimir Putin for recognising two breakaway regions of Ukraine and sending in troops as "peacekeepers" to the areas. While Putin was scorned by US President Joe Biden and other western leaders, Trump was full of praise for his "best friend." During an interview on a right-wing radio programme, The Clay Travis & Buck Sexton Show, Trump said it was "wonderful," "so smart," and even "genius" for Putin to "declare a large portion of Ukraine as independent." "I went in yesterday and there was a television screen, and I said: ‘This is genius’," Trump said. "Putin declares independence for a large portion of Ukraine. Oh, that’s wonderful. " Also see | Vladimir Putin's tense exchange with his spy chief over eastern Ukraine The ex-president was quick to add that the crisis wouldn’t have escalated under his administration as it is happening now. So, Putin is now saying, 'It's independent,' to a large section of Ukraine. I said, 'How smart is that?' And he's going to go in and be a peacekeeper. That's the strongest peace force, "Trump said. "We could use that on our southern border. That's the strongest peace force I've ever seen... Here's a guy who's very savvy... I know him very well. very, very well. " Also read | 'Beginning an invasion': US imposes fresh sanctions against Russia Meanwhile, Biden announced a new set of sanctions on Russia for "beginning" an invasion of Ukraine but said there was still time to avoid war. Biden on Monday signed an Executive Order that will prohibit all new investment, trade, and financing by U.S. persons to, from, or in the "so-called Donetsk and Luhansk People's Republics". (With contributions from agencies)

Donald Trump praises Putin’s strategy in Ukraine, calls him a ‘genius’   

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday (February 21) ordered the deployment of troops to two breakaway regions in eastern Ukraine. In a televised address, Putin ordered to despatch Russian peacekeepers to Ukraine's two breakaway regions - the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic and the Lugansk People's Republic. The Russia-Ukraine crisis impacted the prices of some of the commodities worldwide. The prices are expected to rise further. Read the detailed report here: https://www.wionews.com/world/these-commodities-could-become-super-expensive-amid-escalating-russia-ukraine-crisis-455247

Impact of Russia-Ukraine crisis on prices of commodities

The United States on Thursday informed the members of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) that Russia is finding ways to attack Ukraine, adding that over 150,000 Russian troops manning borders are preparing to attack its neighbour.

Addressing the diplomatic meeting on the Ukraine crisis, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said that Moscow is on the precipice of launching a war.

“As we meet today, the most immediate threat to peace and security is Russia's looming aggression against Ukraine,” Blinken said.

“Russia says it's drawing down those forces. We do not see that happening on the ground. Our information indicates clearly that these forces including ground troops, aircraft, ships are preparing to launch an attack against Ukraine in the coming days,” he added.

Blinken said Russia has already “identified and mapped out in detailed plans” targets that it plans to advance on if Moscow decides to launch a military invasion of Ukraine.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/node/454139" hreflang="en">Hope India sides with America if Russia invades Ukraine, says US</a>

“This crisis directly affects every member of this Council and every country in the world because the basic principles that sustain peace and security, principles that were enshrined in the wake of two world wars and a Cold War, are under threat,” he said.

He urged urges Russia to “abandon path of war” against Ukraine and to choose a different path “while there's still time.”

During his speech, Blinken invited Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov to meet in Europe 'next week' over Ukraine crisis.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/the-west-must-not-be-fooled-by-russias-claims-uk-foreign-secretary-liz-truss-454005">The West must not be fooled by Russia's claims: UK Foreign Secretary Liz Truss</a>

Russia hit back at US saying that West was responsible for the ongoing tensions between Russia and Ukraine, adding that it wants a "war” with Moscow.

"The only goal of the West is to organise a war. If this is not the case, then the puppet govt of Ukraine would have been compelled to implement the Minsk agreement a long time ago. Since this is not taking place, we can state that the West wants a war with Russia", it said at UNSC.

(With inputs from agencies)

The United States on Thursday informed the members of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) that Russia is finding ways to attack Ukraine, adding that over 150,000 Russian troops manning borders are preparing to attack its neighbour.

The United States on Thursday informed the members of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) that Russia is finding ways to attack Ukraine, adding that over 150,000 Russian troops manning borders are preparing to attack its neighbour. Addressing the diplomatic meeting on the Ukraine crisis, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said that Moscow is on the precipice of launching a war. “As we meet today, the most immediate threat to peace and security is Russia's looming aggression against Ukraine,” Blinken said. “Russia says it's drawing down those forces. We do not see that happening on the ground. Our information indicates clearly that these forces including ground troops, aircraft, ships are preparing to launch an attack against Ukraine in the coming days,” he added. Blinken said Russia has already “identified and mapped out in detailed plans” targets that it plans to advance on if Moscow decides to launch a military invasion of Ukraine. Also read | Hope India sides with America if Russia invades Ukraine, says US “This crisis directly affects every member of this Council and every country in the world because the basic principles that sustain peace and security, principles that were enshrined in the wake of two world wars and a Cold War, are under threat,” he said. He urged urges Russia to “abandon path of war” against Ukraine and to choose a different path “while there's still time.” During his speech, Blinken invited Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov to meet in Europe 'next week' over Ukraine crisis. Also read | The West must not be fooled by Russia's claims: UK Foreign Secretary Liz Truss Russia hit back at US saying that West was responsible for the ongoing tensions between Russia and Ukraine, adding that it wants a "war” with Moscow. "The only goal of the West is to organise a war. If this is not the case, then the puppet govt of Ukraine would have been compelled to implement the Minsk agreement a long time ago. Since this is not taking place, we can state that the West wants a war with Russia", it said at UNSC. (With inputs from agencies)

Ukraine crisis: At UNSC, US and Russia accuse each other of drumming up ‘war’ hysteria

Ulrike Franke is a self-confessed German millennial, a defense analyst who worries about her generation’s allergy to the military, especially as it moves into positions of power.

“After 30 years of peace,” she wrote last year in a well-read essay, “German millennials have a hard time adjusting to the world we are living in now. We struggle to think in terms of interests, we struggle with the concept of geopolitical power, and we struggle with military power being an element of geopolitical power.”

Russia’s massive and open military threat to Ukraine, she and others say, is now shaking a sense of complacency among young and old Europeans alike who have never known war, hot or cold. For some, at least, the moment is an awakening as the threat of war grows real.

But just how far Europe is prepared to go in shifting from a world where peace and security were taken for granted remains to be seen. For decades Europeans have paid relatively little in money, lives or resources for their defense — and paid even less attention, sheltering under a U.S. nuclear umbrella left over from the Cold War.

That debate had begun to shift in recent years, even before Russia’s menacing of Ukraine, with talk of a more robust and independent European strategic and defense posture. But the crisis has done as much to expose European weakness on security issues as it has to fortify its sense of unity.

Franke, 34, a senior fellow with the European Council on Foreign Relations, is not convinced that anything short of a major Russian invasion of Ukraine will very much alter public opinion.

“We’re having in Europe and Germany a status quo problem,” she said in an interview. “We’re very comfortable with this version of European security, and most people don’t realize that to defend this status quo, we need to act.”

The elite feel the cold wind from Russia, she said, but “on the level of public opinion, people want to be left alone and for nothing to touch them.”

Franke, who is an expert in drone warfare, may be too pessimistic, some believe.

Daniela Schwarzer, who ran the German Council on Foreign Relations and now manages Europe and Eurasia for the Open Society Foundations, thinks that “the image of Russia has changed a lot.”

“Even in Germany there is a sober realism that our relations with Russia and our energy policy have to be dealt with in a much more strategic way than generally acknowledged in the past,” she said.

But even after Russia annexed Crimea in 2014, Germany and Europe did very little to diminish their energy dependency on Russia or to prepare for Moscow weaponizing energy supplies.

With the new Ukraine crisis, that is quickly changing, she said.

Europeans bordering Russia have always warned about Moscow, but other Europeans farther away now see the point. “There is now the perception that conflict on our continent is possible,” Schwarzer said.

In 2008, when Russian troops went into Georgia, or annexed Crimea, or inserted themselves into the recent conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan, there was little lasting change in perception of Russia.

“But this conflict would have a different dimension, since it so directly opposes the West and Russia, and is seen as proof that the current European security order no longer provides security,” she said.

Peter Ricketts, a former British ambassador to France now in the House of Lords, agrees. This conflict has put “war back into focus again in the trans-Atlantic world,” he said.

For the younger generation, concerned, like the German Greens, with the environment and focused on human rights and gender and racial equality, “this is 19th-century policy erupting and crashing into their 21st-century concerns,” he said.

In the larger sense, Ricketts said, the conflict reminds Europeans of the importance of NATO and of U.S. leadership in the trans-Atlantic alliance. “Faith in talking to Russia rather than deterring will be severely damaged by this,” he said.

A major Russian military action would bring about more military spending, push NATO to increase troop deployments closer to Russia, “deepen the chasm between Russia and the West and push Russia more into the hands of China and the renminbi zone, with Russia a small partner,” Ricketts said.

Already, NATO countries, including Britain, France, Germany and the United States, have moved troops, aircraft and ships to shore up member states from Poland and the Baltics to Romania, with France offering a more permanent deployment in Romania. Those deployments may last for some time.

There are “some long-term consequences, some long-term deterioration of the security environment in Europe from this significant Russian military buildup, the threatening rhetoric,” Jens Stoltenberg, NATO’s secretary-general, said as defense ministers gathered in Brussels. “I regret to say that this is the new normal in Europe.”

There will also be new debate about the push by Emmanuel Macron, the French president, for European strategic autonomy and resilience. A European security crisis where the European Union has little to add beyond the threat of sanctions troubles many. But there is no easy or quick answer, suggested Robin Niblett, director of Chatham House.

“This really does bring the security element to the fore, and it’s not what the EU is best suited to manage,” he said. “It will mean treating NATO more seriously as the anchor of European security and not overplaying EU strategic autonomy.”

European security still comes only with U.S. leadership, he said, adding, “Maybe this crisis is telling that to Europeans, some of whom don’t like it.”

But undercutting any new faith in U.S. leadership is a wide European concern that President Joe Biden is likely to be a one-term president, weakened by November’s midterm elections, and that former President Donald Trump or another Republican in his disruptive nationalist mode will win in 2024.

“We don’t know what’s coming after Biden,” said Claudia Major of the German Institute for International and Security Affairs. “America is back for a moment, but it doesn’t change the overall course of the superpower competition, which is China. Is this the last time the Americans come to save us?”

An opinion poll in seven EU countries released last week by the European Council on Foreign Relations found evidence of shifting attitudes toward Russia.

Majorities in Europe now believe that Russia will invade Ukraine in 2022 and that it is important for the European Union and NATO to support Ukraine. Europeans are prepared to bear significant threats, including refugee pressure, higher energy costs and cyberattacks, and they see energy dependency on Russia as their greatest shared challenge.

“This has been a real wake-up call,” much more than in 2014, said Mark Leonard, the group’s director. The polling points to some fundamental views, he said, “that war in Europe is thinkable once again, that the EU should respond to Russian aggression.”

But even in France, during an election campaign, the crisis “reinforces the idea of NATO as the guarantor of territorial security for Europe rather than any illusion of European defense,” said Célia Belin of the Brookings Institution, even as it might “give an electric shock” to countries like Germany that have devalued security concerns for so long.

Nathalie Tocci, director of Italy’s International Affairs Institute, also doubts that even a major war in Ukraine “would translate into European defense, but it is already translating into a revival of NATO, since deterrence is what NATO does.” Putin, she said, “has done miracles by uniting us.”

Ulrike Franke is a self-confessed German millennial, a defense analyst who worries about her generation’s allergy to the military, especially as it moves into positions of power.

Ulrike Franke is a self-confessed German millennial, a defense analyst who worries about her generation’s allergy to the military, especially as it moves into positions of power. “After 30 years of peace,” she wrote last year in a well-read essay, “German millennials have a hard time adjusting to the world we are living in now. We struggle to think in terms of interests, we struggle with the concept of geopolitical power, and we struggle with military power being an element of geopolitical power.” Russia’s massive and open military threat to Ukraine, she and others say, is now shaking a sense of complacency among young and old Europeans alike who have never known war, hot or cold. For some, at least, the moment is an awakening as the threat of war grows real. But just how far Europe is prepared to go in shifting from a world where peace and security were taken for granted remains to be seen. For decades Europeans have paid relatively little in money, lives or resources for their defense — and paid even less attention, sheltering under a U.S. nuclear umbrella left over from the Cold War. That debate had begun to shift in recent years, even before Russia’s menacing of Ukraine, with talk of a more robust and independent European strategic and defense posture. But the crisis has done as much to expose European weakness on security issues as it has to fortify its sense of unity. Franke, 34, a senior fellow with the European Council on Foreign Relations, is not convinced that anything short of a major Russian invasion of Ukraine will very much alter public opinion. “We’re having in Europe and Germany a status quo problem,” she said in an interview. “We’re very comfortable with this version of European security, and most people don’t realize that to defend this status quo, we need to act.” The elite feel the cold wind from Russia, she said, but “on the level of public opinion, people want to be left alone and for nothing to touch them.” Franke, who is an expert in drone warfare, may be too pessimistic, some believe. Daniela Schwarzer, who ran the German Council on Foreign Relations and now manages Europe and Eurasia for the Open Society Foundations, thinks that “the image of Russia has changed a lot.” “Even in Germany there is a sober realism that our relations with Russia and our energy policy have to be dealt with in a much more strategic way than generally acknowledged in the past,” she said. But even after Russia annexed Crimea in 2014, Germany and Europe did very little to diminish their energy dependency on Russia or to prepare for Moscow weaponizing energy supplies. With the new Ukraine crisis, that is quickly changing, she said. Europeans bordering Russia have always warned about Moscow, but other Europeans farther away now see the point. “There is now the perception that conflict on our continent is possible,” Schwarzer said. In 2008, when Russian troops went into Georgia, or annexed Crimea, or inserted themselves into the recent conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan, there was little lasting change in perception of Russia. “But this conflict would have a different dimension, since it so directly opposes the West and Russia, and is seen as proof that the current European security order no longer provides security,” she said. Peter Ricketts, a former British ambassador to France now in the House of Lords, agrees. This conflict has put “war back into focus again in the trans-Atlantic world,” he said. For the younger generation, concerned, like the German Greens, with the environment and focused on human rights and gender and racial equality, “this is 19th-century policy erupting and crashing into their 21st-century concerns,” he said. In the larger sense, Ricketts said, the conflict reminds Europeans of the importance of NATO and of U.S. leadership in the trans-Atlantic alliance. “Faith in talking to Russia rather than deterring will be severely damaged by this,” he said. A major Russian military action would bring about more military spending, push NATO to increase troop deployments closer to Russia, “deepen the chasm between Russia and the West and push Russia more into the hands of China and the renminbi zone, with Russia a small partner,” Ricketts said. Already, NATO countries, including Britain, France, Germany and the United States, have moved troops, aircraft and ships to shore up member states from Poland and the Baltics to Romania, with France offering a more permanent deployment in Romania. Those deployments may last for some time. There are “some long-term consequences, some long-term deterioration of the security environment in Europe from this significant Russian military buildup, the threatening rhetoric,” Jens Stoltenberg, NATO’s secretary-general, said as defense ministers gathered in Brussels. “I regret to say that this is the new normal in Europe.” There will also be new debate about the push by Emmanuel Macron, the French president, for European strategic autonomy and resilience. A European security crisis where the European Union has little to add beyond the threat of sanctions troubles many. But there is no easy or quick answer, suggested Robin Niblett, director of Chatham House. “This really does bring the security element to the fore, and it’s not what the EU is best suited to manage,” he said. “It will mean treating NATO more seriously as the anchor of European security and not overplaying EU strategic autonomy.” European security still comes only with U.S. leadership, he said, adding, “Maybe this crisis is telling that to Europeans, some of whom don’t like it.” But undercutting any new faith in U.S. leadership is a wide European concern that President Joe Biden is likely to be a one-term president, weakened by November’s midterm elections, and that former President Donald Trump or another Republican in his disruptive nationalist mode will win in 2024. “We don’t know what’s coming after Biden,” said Claudia Major of the German Institute for International and Security Affairs. “America is back for a moment, but it doesn’t change the overall course of the superpower competition, which is China. Is this the last time the Americans come to save us?” An opinion poll in seven EU countries released last week by the European Council on Foreign Relations found evidence of shifting attitudes toward Russia. Majorities in Europe now believe that Russia will invade Ukraine in 2022 and that it is important for the European Union and NATO to support Ukraine. Europeans are prepared to bear significant threats, including refugee pressure, higher energy costs and cyberattacks, and they see energy dependency on Russia as their greatest shared challenge. “This has been a real wake-up call,” much more than in 2014, said Mark Leonard, the group’s director. The polling points to some fundamental views, he said, “that war in Europe is thinkable once again, that the EU should respond to Russian aggression.” But even in France, during an election campaign, the crisis “reinforces the idea of NATO as the guarantor of territorial security for Europe rather than any illusion of European defense,” said Célia Belin of the Brookings Institution, even as it might “give an electric shock” to countries like Germany that have devalued security concerns for so long. Nathalie Tocci, director of Italy’s International Affairs Institute, also doubts that even a major war in Ukraine “would translate into European defense, but it is already translating into a revival of NATO, since deterrence is what NATO does.” Putin, she said, “has done miracles by uniting us.”

After 30 years of peace, Ukraine crisis shakes Europeans

Global stock markets have been on a recovery part since the Russian defense ministry published footage to demonstrate that it was in returning some troops to base after exercises. Shares in Asia Pacific rose today morning on signs of easing tensions.

Global stock markets on a recovery path as Russia-Ukraine tensions

On January 31, India abstained from the United Nations Security Council vote on Ukraine.

Ten states, namely the US, UK, France, UAE, Ghana, Albania, Norway, Brazil, Mexico and Ireland, voted in favour of taking up the Ukraine issue.

On the other hand, only Russia and China voted against it. Whereas three member states —India, Gabon and Kenya skipped.

Giving reasons, India’s permanent representative to UNSC, TS Tirumurti said, “India's interest is in finding a solution that can provide for immediate de-escalation of tensions taking into account the legitimate security interests of all countries and aimed towards securing long term peace and stability in the region and beyond. We have also been in touch with all concerned parties. It is our considered view that the issue can only be resolved through diplomatic dialogue.”

The abstention is being viewed as a repeat of 2014, when in the aftermath of Russia’s annexation of Crimea from Ukraine, India abstained from a resolution backed by Ukraine, the US&nbsp;and the EU&nbsp;that sought to condemn Kremlin's actions in the General Assembly vote in March, 2014.

Many analysts, especially from the West, at that time and even now termed India as a “fence-sitter”, meaning India is not committed to the issue.

However, India’s move was rather well-calculated and thought-out. It was actually engaging “both sides of the fence”, trying to balance its ties with Moscow and Washington.

For India, the Ukraine crisis is one of the biggest&nbsp;foreign policy issues, potential to have massive ramifications politically and economically.

There are probably three reasons why.

Military equations

Moscow makes up about half of India’s total weapons import. India needs Russia to service its arms, and also for joint products, like the Brahmos missile.

Hence, abandoning Russia is not an option for New Delhi. And at the same time, siding with Russia could incur American sanctions, i.e., CAATSA (The Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act).

The Biden administration is in the process of making a decision on whether to sanction India for its purchase of the S-400 Russian missile systems or to process a waiver, considering the close India-US&nbsp;defence ties.

If New Delhi openly sides with Russia, then Biden may reconsider imposing sanctions.

China factor

In recent years, China has become the biggest threat for India—openly acknowledged by Indian Army chief MM Naravane.

Hence, India needs both Russia and US to counter China.

America is China’s rival while Russia is an ally. One brings deterrence, whereas the other brings leverage.

Russia could be effective in tempering China’s aggression and America, on the other hand, will undermine its designs.

So, it’s a win-win for India. But that advantage disappears if India picks a side.

Economic fallout

The India-Russia bilateral trade is worth $8 billion, while the India-Ukraine trade is worth around only $2.7 billion.

If a war breaks out, supply chains are going to be disruptive. And the one product that will worry India is oil, both as a fuel and cooking oil.

Last year, India bought 1.8 million tonnes of sunflower oil and 74 per cent of that came from Ukraine. So, if a war breaks out cooking oil may become more expensive.

India is already preparing for this eventuality and new markets are being explored, like Brazil and Argentina.

Then comes the petroleum. Brent crude has already breached the 90$-mark, which the possibility to reach even the $100-mark.

Russia makes up around 20 per cent of the global supply of natural gas. If Ukraine is attacked, the prices of natural gas is going to skyrocket

And this could disrupt India’s energy plans. So, India has a lot at stake in this conflict.

&nbsp;

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/gravitas-indias-stakes-in-the-ukraine-crisis-450582/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

(With inputs from agencies)

On January 31, India abstained from the United Nations Security Council vote on Ukraine. Ten states, namely the US, UK, France, UAE, Ghana, Albania, Norway, Brazil, Mexico and Ireland, voted in favour of taking up the Ukraine issue.

On January 31, India abstained from the United Nations Security Council vote on Ukraine. Ten states, namely the US, UK, France, UAE, Ghana, Albania, Norway, Brazil, Mexico and Ireland, voted in favour of taking up the Ukraine issue. On the other hand, only Russia and China voted against it. Whereas three member states —India, Gabon and Kenya skipped. Giving reasons, India’s permanent representative to UNSC, TS Tirumurti said, “India's interest is in finding a solution that can provide for immediate de-escalation of tensions taking into account the legitimate security interests of all countries and aimed towards securing long term peace and stability in the region and beyond. We have also been in touch with all concerned parties. It is our considered view that the issue can only be resolved through diplomatic dialogue.” The abstention is being viewed as a repeat of 2014, when in the aftermath of Russia’s annexation of Crimea from Ukraine, India abstained from a resolution backed by Ukraine, the US and the EU that sought to condemn Kremlin's actions in the General Assembly vote in March, 2014. Many analysts, especially from the West, at that time and even now termed India as a “fence-sitter”, meaning India is not committed to the issue. However, India’s move was rather well-calculated and thought-out. It was actually engaging “both sides of the fence”, trying to balance its ties with Moscow and Washington. For India, the Ukraine crisis is one of the biggest foreign policy issues, potential to have massive ramifications politically and economically. There are probably three reasons why. Military equations Moscow makes up about half of India’s total weapons import. India needs Russia to service its arms, and also for joint products, like the Brahmos missile. Hence, abandoning Russia is not an option for New Delhi. And at the same time, siding with Russia could incur American sanctions, i.e., CAATSA (The Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act). The Biden administration is in the process of making a decision on whether to sanction India for its purchase of the S-400 Russian missile systems or to process a waiver, considering the close India-US defence ties. If New Delhi openly sides with Russia, then Biden may reconsider imposing sanctions. China factor In recent years, China has become the biggest threat for India—openly acknowledged by Indian Army chief MM Naravane. Hence, India needs both Russia and US to counter China. America is China’s rival while Russia is an ally. One brings deterrence, whereas the other brings leverage. Russia could be effective in tempering China’s aggression and America, on the other hand, will undermine its designs. So, it’s a win-win for India. But that advantage disappears if India picks a side. Economic fallout The India-Russia bilateral trade is worth $8 billion, while the India-Ukraine trade is worth around only $2.7 billion. If a war breaks out, supply chains are going to be disruptive. And the one product that will worry India is oil, both as a fuel and cooking oil. Last year, India bought 1.8 million tonnes of sunflower oil and 74 per cent of that came from Ukraine. So, if a war breaks out cooking oil may become more expensive. India is already preparing for this eventuality and new markets are being explored, like Brazil and Argentina. Then comes the petroleum. Brent crude has already breached the 90$-mark, which the possibility to reach even the $100-mark. Russia makes up around 20 per cent of the global supply of natural gas. If Ukraine is attacked, the prices of natural gas is going to skyrocket And this could disrupt India’s energy plans. So, India has a lot at stake in this conflict. (With inputs from agencies)

Explained: What are India's stakes in Russia-Ukraine crisis

Russia's outspoken ambassador to Sweden Viktor Tatarintsev told a Swedish newspaper that Moscow "doesn't give a s***' about threat of Western sanctions over Ukraine crisis.

"Excuse my language, but we don't give a s*** about all their sanctions", Viktor Tatarintsev told the Aftonbladet newspaper in an interview posted on its website late Saturday.

"We have already had so many sanctions and in that sense they've had a positive effect on our economy and agriculture," said the veteran diplomat, who speaks fluent Swedish and has been posted to the Scandinavian country four times.

Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/west-will-respond-decisively-if-ukraine-invasion-occurs-biden-tells-putin-452818">West will respond decisively if Ukraine invasion occurs, Biden tells Putin</a>

"We are more self-sufficient and have been able to increase our exports. We have no Italian or Swiss cheeses, but we've learned to make just as good Russian cheeses using Italian and Swiss recipes", he said.

"New sanctions are nothing positive but not as bad as the West makes it sound", he added.

Tatarintsev accused the West of not understanding the Russian mentality.

"The more the West pushes Russia, the stronger the Russian response will be," he said.

Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/will-there-be-a-war-over-ukraine-from-feb-16-story-so-far-of-russia-west-stand-off-452844">Will there be a war over Ukraine from Feb 16? Story so far of Russia-West stand-off &nbsp;</a>

The diplomat's comments come as Western nations fear Moscow is preparing an invasion of Ukraine, having nearly surrounded its western neighbour with more than 100,000 troops.

Washington has warned that an all-out invasion could begin "any day".

Tatarintsev insisted Moscow was trying to avoid a war.

"That is our political leadership's most sincere wish. The last thing people in Russia want is war."

(With inputs from agencies)

Russia's outspoken ambassador to Sweden Viktor Tatarintsev told a Swedish newspaper that Moscow "doesn't give a s***' about threat of Western sanctions over Ukraine crisis.

Russia's outspoken ambassador to Sweden Viktor Tatarintsev told a Swedish newspaper that Moscow "doesn't give a s***' about threat of Western sanctions over Ukraine crisis. "Excuse my language, but we don't give a s*** about all their sanctions", Viktor Tatarintsev told the Aftonbladet newspaper in an interview posted on its website late Saturday. "We have already had so many sanctions and in that sense they've had a positive effect on our economy and agriculture," said the veteran diplomat, who speaks fluent Swedish and has been posted to the Scandinavian country four times. Also Read | West will respond decisively if Ukraine invasion occurs, Biden tells Putin "We are more self-sufficient and have been able to increase our exports. We have no Italian or Swiss cheeses, but we've learned to make just as good Russian cheeses using Italian and Swiss recipes", he said. "New sanctions are nothing positive but not as bad as the West makes it sound", he added. Tatarintsev accused the West of not understanding the Russian mentality. "The more the West pushes Russia, the stronger the Russian response will be," he said. Also Read | Will there be a war over Ukraine from Feb 16? Story so far of Russia-West stand-off The diplomat's comments come as Western nations fear Moscow is preparing an invasion of Ukraine, having nearly surrounded its western neighbour with more than 100,000 troops. Washington has warned that an all-out invasion could begin "any day". Tatarintsev insisted Moscow was trying to avoid a war. "That is our political leadership's most sincere wish. The last thing people in Russia want is war." (With inputs from agencies)

Russia does not give 's***' about Western sanctions, says its ambassador to Sweden

Ukraine’s military warned Friday that Russian-backed separatists in the country’s east are conducting military exercises, completing a near encirclement of Ukraine by hostile forces, even as diplomatic initiatives have failed to gain traction.

The drills tested the force’s preparation for live fire operations, practising “driving artillery, tank and armoured vehicles” in field exercises, the Ukrainian statement said. Some units of the force were put on their highest level of alert, it said, and senior Russian military officers were observing the activity.

The warning was the latest evidence of a shift by Kyiv to more alarming commentary about the military risk facing Ukraine. That follows weeks of efforts to minimize the threat of an invasion, seeking to calm the public and limit the economic fallout.

Ukraine this week began its own nationwide military exercises to coincide with joint Russian and Belarusian exercises to the north of Ukraine, in Belarus.

To the south, the Russian navy announced Thursday the closure of large swaths of the Black Sea for live-fire exercises by its fleet that will effectively blockade Ukrainian ports including the port of Odessa. The naval exercises were scheduled to begin Sunday and last six days.

Russia has massed armoured vehicles and soldiers near its borders to the northeast of Ukraine and in the south on the Crimean Peninsula, which Moscow annexed in 2014. It also has sent a large military contingent to Belarus for what it says are military exercises with the Belarusian military. The Ukrainian capital, Kyiv, is only 140 miles from the border with Belarus.

To the east, the army of Russian-backed separatists in two enclaves in eastern Ukraine, the Donetsk and Luhansk peoples’ republics, was put on partial alert and ordered to conduct field exercises, Ukraine’s military intelligence agency said Friday in a statement.

Ukraine and Western governments view the separatist army, believed to consist of about 30,000 troops, as controlled and armed by the Russian government, while Russian officials including President Vladimir Putin have consistently denied any Russian role in the conflict.

On Friday, President Joe Biden was expected to hold a phone call with 10 other trans-Atlantic leaders “to discuss our shared concerns about Russia’s continued buildup of military forces around Ukraine and continued coordination on both diplomacy and deterrence,” the White House said in a statement.

Among those joining Biden were President Ursula von der Leyen of the European Commission, European Council President Charles Michel, President Emmanuel Macron of France, Chancellor Olaf Scholz of Germany, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg and Prime Minister Boris Johnson of Britain.

A wide range of diplomatic efforts to defuse the crisis have borne little fruit to date.

In news conferences that extended after midnight in Berlin, both Russian and Ukrainian negotiators said a channel of talks supported by President Emmanuel Macron of France had brought no breakthroughs so far.

The negotiations focused on a settlement agreement for the eastern Ukraine war but were seen as a possible path to ease the wider tensions from the Russian buildup. They were the second this year by foreign policy advisers to the French, German, Russian and Ukrainian governments.

“It would be good if during the second meeting we could agree on something,” Andriy Yermak, Ukraine’s chief negotiator, said. After nine hours of talks the negotiators could not agree on a joint statement. “It went the way it did today,” Yermak said.

Russia’s negotiator, Dmitri Kozak, offered an even more dour assessment. He said the Ukrainian government had not altered its long-standing positions in the settlement talks for the eastern Ukraine conflict, which have been going on for seven years.

Separate talks in Moscow between British Foreign Secretary Liz Truss and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov also went nowhere, with Lavrov comparing them to “the conversation of a mute person with a deaf person.”

Truss had said one purpose of the visit was to convey to Russian officials warnings about the seriousness of Western economic sanctions and other repercussions if they use military force in Ukraine. Lavrov countered by reiterating Russia’s position that it has no plans to invade Ukraine and that its military is merely conducting exercises.

Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has offered to mediate, a proposal accepted by Ukraine but declined by Russia. Next week, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz is scheduled to visit Kyiv and Moscow. And Russian officials have said they will respond in writing to proposals for security talks offered by the United States and NATO.

Russia has made a series of demands of the West, including scaling back the NATO military presence in Eastern Europe to 1990s levels and guaranteeing that Ukraine could never join NATO. The United States has called those demands “nonstarters” and instead offered a series of proposals aimed at arms control.

Ukraine’s military warned Friday that Russian-backed separatists in the country’s east are conducting military exercises, completing a near encirclement of Ukraine by hostile forces, even as diplomatic initiatives have failed to gain traction.

Ukraine’s military warned Friday that Russian-backed separatists in the country’s east are conducting military exercises, completing a near encirclement of Ukraine by hostile forces, even as diplomatic initiatives have failed to gain traction. The drills tested the force’s preparation for live fire operations, practising “driving artillery, tank and armoured vehicles” in field exercises, the Ukrainian statement said. Some units of the force were put on their highest level of alert, it said, and senior Russian military officers were observing the activity. The warning was the latest evidence of a shift by Kyiv to more alarming commentary about the military risk facing Ukraine. That follows weeks of efforts to minimize the threat of an invasion, seeking to calm the public and limit the economic fallout. Ukraine this week began its own nationwide military exercises to coincide with joint Russian and Belarusian exercises to the north of Ukraine, in Belarus. To the south, the Russian navy announced Thursday the closure of large swaths of the Black Sea for live-fire exercises by its fleet that will effectively blockade Ukrainian ports including the port of Odessa. The naval exercises were scheduled to begin Sunday and last six days. Russia has massed armoured vehicles and soldiers near its borders to the northeast of Ukraine and in the south on the Crimean Peninsula, which Moscow annexed in 2014. It also has sent a large military contingent to Belarus for what it says are military exercises with the Belarusian military. The Ukrainian capital, Kyiv, is only 140 miles from the border with Belarus. To the east, the army of Russian-backed separatists in two enclaves in eastern Ukraine, the Donetsk and Luhansk peoples’ republics, was put on partial alert and ordered to conduct field exercises, Ukraine’s military intelligence agency said Friday in a statement. Ukraine and Western governments view the separatist army, believed to consist of about 30,000 troops, as controlled and armed by the Russian government, while Russian officials including President Vladimir Putin have consistently denied any Russian role in the conflict. On Friday, President Joe Biden was expected to hold a phone call with 10 other trans-Atlantic leaders “to discuss our shared concerns about Russia’s continued buildup of military forces around Ukraine and continued coordination on both diplomacy and deterrence,” the White House said in a statement. Among those joining Biden were President Ursula von der Leyen of the European Commission, European Council President Charles Michel, President Emmanuel Macron of France, Chancellor Olaf Scholz of Germany, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg and Prime Minister Boris Johnson of Britain. A wide range of diplomatic efforts to defuse the crisis have borne little fruit to date. In news conferences that extended after midnight in Berlin, both Russian and Ukrainian negotiators said a channel of talks supported by President Emmanuel Macron of France had brought no breakthroughs so far. The negotiations focused on a settlement agreement for the eastern Ukraine war but were seen as a possible path to ease the wider tensions from the Russian buildup. They were the second this year by foreign policy advisers to the French, German, Russian and Ukrainian governments. “It would be good if during the second meeting we could agree on something,” Andriy Yermak, Ukraine’s chief negotiator, said. After nine hours of talks the negotiators could not agree on a joint statement. “It went the way it did today,” Yermak said. Russia’s negotiator, Dmitri Kozak, offered an even more dour assessment. He said the Ukrainian government had not altered its long-standing positions in the settlement talks for the eastern Ukraine conflict, which have been going on for seven years. Separate talks in Moscow between British Foreign Secretary Liz Truss and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov also went nowhere, with Lavrov comparing them to “the conversation of a mute person with a deaf person.” Truss had said one purpose of the visit was to convey to Russian officials warnings about the seriousness of Western economic sanctions and other repercussions if they use military force in Ukraine. Lavrov countered by reiterating Russia’s position that it has no plans to invade Ukraine and that its military is merely conducting exercises. Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has offered to mediate, a proposal accepted by Ukraine but declined by Russia. Next week, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz is scheduled to visit Kyiv and Moscow. And Russian officials have said they will respond in writing to proposals for security talks offered by the United States and NATO. Russia has made a series of demands of the West, including scaling back the NATO military presence in Eastern Europe to 1990s levels and guaranteeing that Ukraine could never join NATO. The United States has called those demands “nonstarters” and instead offered a series of proposals aimed at arms control.

Ukraine, in a shift of tone, warns of Russia-backed military exercises

As tensions continue to mount over the Ukraine crisis, a new report has claimed that Kyiv is crowdfunding donations in Bitcoin to fund a possible war against Moscow.

According to a report by blockchain analytics company Elliptic, donations worth thousands of dollars have seeped into non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and volunteer groups— increasing by over 900 per cent in 2021.

The report states that NGOs and volunteer groups, who are peeved with government corruption, have taken upon themselves to fund weapons and medical supplies to Ukrainian soldiers, as well for the development of a facial recognition app that identifies if someone is a Russian mercenary or spy.

Elliptic says that donors are using Bitcoin to funnel money to such NGOs, bypassing any banks and financial institutions that might block payments.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
New Elliptic research shows how war in the Ukraine is being crowdfunded with <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/crypto?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#crypto</a>. Crypto funds are used to equip the Ukrainian army and fund cyberattacks against Russia. Crypto donations to these groups increased by over 900% in 2021. <a href="https://t.co/7clIA9hZYz">https://t.co/7clIA9hZYz</a> <a href="https://t.co/1PXcyqfDKG">pic.twitter.com/1PXcyqfDKG</a>
— elliptic (@elliptic) <a href="https://twitter.com/elliptic/status/1491034134160056321?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 8, 2022</a></blockquote>
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<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

“Elliptic has identified several cryptocurrency wallets used by these volunteer groups and NGOs, which have collectively received funds totalling just over $570,000 – much of it over the past year,” states the report.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/ultimatums-threats-from-west-on-ukraine-wont-work-against-russia-says-foreign-minister-452104">Ultimatums, threats from West on Ukraine won’t work against Russia, says foreign minister</a>

According to the report, groups receiving Bitcoin donations include Come Back Alive, which provides training, military, and medical equipment, and the Myrotvorets Center, which has ties to the Ukrainian government.

As Russia and US continue to exchange threats over the Ukraine crisis, several European leaders are trying to broker peace in order to stave off a war in the eastern European region.

France’s Emmanuel Macron, top ministers from Britain have arrived in Moscow to defuse the tense situation.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/ukraine-crisis-russia-continues-to-deploy-more-forces-adding-tactical-groups-says-us-451895">Ukraine crisis: Russia continues to deploy more forces, adding tactical groups, says US</a>

According to reports and claims made by the West, Russia has amassed over 100,000 troops near the Ukrainian border, stoking fears of invasion.

On Thursday Russia began the 10-day joint military drills in Belarus, Ukraine's northern neighbour and a close ally of Russia. Some 30,000 Russian troops are expected to take part.

A Kremlin spokesman said the joint drills were serious, but he pointed out the nature of threats was higher than before.

(With inputs from agencies)

As tensions continue to mount over the Ukraine crisis, a new report has claimed that Kyiv is crowdfunding donations in Bitcoin to fund a possible war against Moscow.

As tensions continue to mount over the Ukraine crisis, a new report has claimed that Kyiv is crowdfunding donations in Bitcoin to fund a possible war against Moscow. According to a report by blockchain analytics company Elliptic, donations worth thousands of dollars have seeped into non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and volunteer groups— increasing by over 900 per cent in 2021. The report states that NGOs and volunteer groups, who are peeved with government corruption, have taken upon themselves to fund weapons and medical supplies to Ukrainian soldiers, as well for the development of a facial recognition app that identifies if someone is a Russian mercenary or spy. Elliptic says that donors are using Bitcoin to funnel money to such NGOs, bypassing any banks and financial institutions that might block payments. New Elliptic research shows how war in the Ukraine is being crowdfunded with #crypto. Crypto funds are used to equip the Ukrainian army and fund cyberattacks against Russia. Crypto donations to these groups increased by over 900% in 2021. https://t.co/7clIA9hZYz pic.twitter.com/1PXcyqfDKG — elliptic (@elliptic) February 8, 2022 × “Elliptic has identified several cryptocurrency wallets used by these volunteer groups and NGOs, which have collectively received funds totalling just over $570,000 – much of it over the past year,” states the report. Also read | Ultimatums, threats from West on Ukraine won’t work against Russia, says foreign minister According to the report, groups receiving Bitcoin donations include Come Back Alive, which provides training, military, and medical equipment, and the Myrotvorets Center, which has ties to the Ukrainian government. As Russia and US continue to exchange threats over the Ukraine crisis, several European leaders are trying to broker peace in order to stave off a war in the eastern European region. France’s Emmanuel Macron, top ministers from Britain have arrived in Moscow to defuse the tense situation. Also read | Ukraine crisis: Russia continues to deploy more forces, adding tactical groups, says US According to reports and claims made by the West, Russia has amassed over 100,000 troops near the Ukrainian border, stoking fears of invasion. On Thursday Russia began the 10-day joint military drills in Belarus, Ukraine's northern neighbour and a close ally of Russia. Some 30,000 Russian troops are expected to take part. A Kremlin spokesman said the joint drills were serious, but he pointed out the nature of threats was higher than before. (With inputs from agencies)

Ukraine using Bitcoin to crowdfund possible war against Russia: Report

French President Emanuel Macron has embarked on his shuttle diplomacy in an attempt to broker a peace deal between Russia and Ukraine as a threat of war looms large in eastern Europe.

After holding a marathon talk with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow, Macron arrived in Kyiv to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

With more than 100,000 Russian troops amassed near the Ukraine borders, there have been claims of the Russian invasion.

After meeting Putin, Macron claimed that he received assurances from Kremlin that they would reduce escalations against Ukraine—which Moscow has denied.

Even though conflicting views were aired, Dr Vera Michlin-Shapir, a visiting research fellow at King’s College London, claims that there might be something to gain out of the talks.

Michlin-Shapir had previously worked at Israel’s National Security Council and in the Prime Minister’s Office. She is an expert on Russia-Israel-Ukraine relations.

Excerpts:

WION: As French President Macron conducts shuttle diplomacy, we’re seeing somewhat conflicting messages coming from Russia and Ukraine. What’s the latest on this?

<a name="_Hlk95338149">Michlin-Shapir</a>: We are still in the midst of the process, obviously there will be conflicting messages, as each actor (state) wants to position. At the end of the day what matters is what comes out of Kremlin.

It seems that they have something to gain out of the talks being pivoted by President Macron.

WION: The Ukrainian FM has indicated that there is a deep cooperation between Israel and Ukraine, and that Ukraine is interested in helping with air defences from Israel. Now Israel, like many countries, has relations with Ukraine and Russia...but it’s also in a tricky situation because of the large Jewish communities in both countries…Do you think Israel will share, perhaps its Iron Dome technology, to help Ukraine defend itself from any missile attack?

Michlin-Shapir: In this kind of relationship (i.e. Israel-Ukraine and Israel-Russia) one of the things not being mentioned is the relationship Israel has with the US. And in many ways, it decides Israel's direction. Now, Israel also has Russia at its Northern flank with Syria, with whom it has a very strategic relationship.

Now, Russia has bilateral relations with Syria and is also eager to help Israel with its security.&nbsp;Israel has communities in Russia and also in Ukraine.&nbsp;

In sensitive issues like sharing its advanced weapons systems, Israel works in coordination with the US.&nbsp;

WION: Israeli Foreign Minister, Yair Lapid, has reportedly been speaking with both Ukraine and Russia. Last week he said that he does not believe there will soon be a violent conflict between the two countries. What’s your assessment?

Michlin-Shapir: In both Russia and Ukraine, you can see a diminished sense of conflict. The imminence of conflict is actually coming from the US.

Their intelligence community is assessing the conflict to be imminent, which is different from what we are hearing from Ukraine and Russia.

The US intelligence is apparently basing its assessment on what's happening at the border. And what is being observed at the borders is amassing of troops.

WION: Are there any meeting grounds between Russia and Ukraine, with Moscow underlining the Minsk agreement &amp; Ukraine consenting as well? Or there are sticking points within still?

Michlin-Shapir: One of the biggest sticking points is that both sides may have something to gain.

The cost to Russia is lesser as it's richer, bigger and stronger. For Ukraine, it would be devastating, similar to the one they underwent eight years ago, when Crimea was annexed in 2014.

Now, Macron is trying to create a common ground,&nbsp;since&nbsp;there is nothing to gain out of the conflict.&nbsp; And this is what makes it so difficult to reach an agreement

So, maybe a lack of political will at this point can be blamed.

French President Emanuel Macron has embarked on his shuttle diplomacy in an attempt to broker a peace deal between Russia and Ukraine as a threat of war looms large in eastern Europe.

French President Emanuel Macron has embarked on his shuttle diplomacy in an attempt to broker a peace deal between Russia and Ukraine as a threat of war looms large in eastern Europe. After holding a marathon talk with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow, Macron arrived in Kyiv to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. With more than 100,000 Russian troops amassed near the Ukraine borders, there have been claims of the Russian invasion. After meeting Putin, Macron claimed that he received assurances from Kremlin that they would reduce escalations against Ukraine—which Moscow has denied. Even though conflicting views were aired, Dr Vera Michlin-Shapir, a visiting research fellow at King’s College London, claims that there might be something to gain out of the talks. Michlin-Shapir had previously worked at Israel’s National Security Council and in the Prime Minister’s Office. She is an expert on Russia-Israel-Ukraine relations. Excerpts: WION: As French President Macron conducts shuttle diplomacy, we’re seeing somewhat conflicting messages coming from Russia and Ukraine. What’s the latest on this? Michlin-Shapir: We are still in the midst of the process, obviously there will be conflicting messages, as each actor (state) wants to position. At the end of the day what matters is what comes out of Kremlin. It seems that they have something to gain out of the talks being pivoted by President Macron. WION: The Ukrainian FM has indicated that there is a deep cooperation between Israel and Ukraine, and that Ukraine is interested in helping with air defences from Israel. Now Israel, like many countries, has relations with Ukraine and Russia...but it’s also in a tricky situation because of the large Jewish communities in both countries…Do you think Israel will share, perhaps its Iron Dome technology, to help Ukraine defend itself from any missile attack? Michlin-Shapir: In this kind of relationship (i.e. Israel-Ukraine and Israel-Russia) one of the things not being mentioned is the relationship Israel has with the US. And in many ways, it decides Israel's direction. Now, Israel also has Russia at its Northern flank with Syria, with whom it has a very strategic relationship. Now, Russia has bilateral relations with Syria and is also eager to help Israel with its security. Israel has communities in Russia and also in Ukraine. In sensitive issues like sharing its advanced weapons systems, Israel works in coordination with the US. WION: Israeli Foreign Minister, Yair Lapid, has reportedly been speaking with both Ukraine and Russia. Last week he said that he does not believe there will soon be a violent conflict between the two countries. What’s your assessment? Michlin-Shapir: In both Russia and Ukraine, you can see a diminished sense of conflict. The imminence of conflict is actually coming from the US. Their intelligence community is assessing the conflict to be imminent, which is different from what we are hearing from Ukraine and Russia. The US intelligence is apparently basing its assessment on what's happening at the border. And what is being observed at the borders is amassing of troops. WION: Are there any meeting grounds between Russia and Ukraine, with Moscow underlining the Minsk agreement & Ukraine consenting as well? Or there are sticking points within still? Michlin-Shapir: One of the biggest sticking points is that both sides may have something to gain. The cost to Russia is lesser as it's richer, bigger and stronger. For Ukraine, it would be devastating, similar to the one they underwent eight years ago, when Crimea was annexed in 2014. Now, Macron is trying to create a common ground, since there is nothing to gain out of the conflict. And this is what makes it so difficult to reach an agreement So, maybe a lack of political will at this point can be blamed.

Something might be gained out of Macron’s meeting with Ukraine: Expert to WION

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov issued a stern warning on Thursday saying that western threats to Moscow would do little to de-escalate tensions over Ukraine.

His comments came during a meeting with British Foreign Minister Liz Truss in Moscow during the latest round of diplomatic meetings aimed at normalising the tense situation over Ukraine.

"Ideological approaches, ultimatums, threats — this is the road to nowhere," AFP quoted Lavrov as saying at the start of talks.

The Russian foreign minister lashed out at diplomats in the European capitals and Washington for using threats and ultimatums against Russia, saying that their approach was undiplomatic.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/ukraine-crisis-russia-continues-to-deploy-more-forces-adding-tactical-groups-says-us-451895">Ukraine crisis: Russia continues to deploy more forces, adding tactical groups, says US</a>

The European countries have been tense ever since reports emerged that Russia has amassed more than 100,000 troops near the Ukraine borders, triggering fears of an invasion.

In her opening remarks, Truss said Britain “cannot ignore” the build-up of troops on Ukraine's border or “attempts to undermine Ukrainian sovereignty.”

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/russias-dagger-on-ukraine-kinzhal-hypersonic-missiles-can-degrade-high-value-targets-447431">Also Read in Pics|&nbsp;Russia's 'Dagger' on Ukraine: Kinzhal hypersonic missiles can degrade high value targets</a>

“There is an alternative route, a diplomatic route that avoids conflict and bloodshed,” she said, adding, “I am here to urge Russia to take that path.”

The meeting in Moscow comes ahead of another between Britain's Defence Secretary Ben Wallace and his Russian counterpart Sergei Shoigu in Moscow on Friday. &nbsp;

There has been a flurry of diplomatic talks this week between the European leaders and Russia over fears that Ukraine escalation could lead to a war-like situation in eastern Europe.

On Tuesday, French President Emmanuel Macron met Vladimir Putin in Moscow and then visited Ukraine the next day in an attempt to defuse the ongoing tension.

(With inputs from agencies)

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov issued a stern warning on Thursday saying that western threats to Moscow would do little to de-escalate tensions over Ukraine.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov issued a stern warning on Thursday saying that western threats to Moscow would do little to de-escalate tensions over Ukraine. His comments came during a meeting with British Foreign Minister Liz Truss in Moscow during the latest round of diplomatic meetings aimed at normalising the tense situation over Ukraine. "Ideological approaches, ultimatums, threats — this is the road to nowhere," AFP quoted Lavrov as saying at the start of talks. The Russian foreign minister lashed out at diplomats in the European capitals and Washington for using threats and ultimatums against Russia, saying that their approach was undiplomatic. Also read | Ukraine crisis: Russia continues to deploy more forces, adding tactical groups, says US The European countries have been tense ever since reports emerged that Russia has amassed more than 100,000 troops near the Ukraine borders, triggering fears of an invasion. In her opening remarks, Truss said Britain “cannot ignore” the build-up of troops on Ukraine's border or “attempts to undermine Ukrainian sovereignty.” Also Read in Pics| Russia's 'Dagger' on Ukraine: Kinzhal hypersonic missiles can degrade high value targets “There is an alternative route, a diplomatic route that avoids conflict and bloodshed,” she said, adding, “I am here to urge Russia to take that path.” The meeting in Moscow comes ahead of another between Britain's Defence Secretary Ben Wallace and his Russian counterpart Sergei Shoigu in Moscow on Friday. There has been a flurry of diplomatic talks this week between the European leaders and Russia over fears that Ukraine escalation could lead to a war-like situation in eastern Europe. On Tuesday, French President Emmanuel Macron met Vladimir Putin in Moscow and then visited Ukraine the next day in an attempt to defuse the ongoing tension. (With inputs from agencies)

Ultimatums, threats from West on Ukraine won’t work against Russia, says foreign minister

As the threat of Russia invading Ukraine looms the United States has painted the most ominous picture till date. According to some senior officials in Washington DC, Russia has assembled about 70 percent of its military capabilities which is needed for a full-scale invasion

Ukraine Conflict: Support pours in from US, India Germany among others

Tensions are running deep in Ukraine, even though Russia says it's not planning a Ukrainian invasion its troops are carrying out aerial drills just 75Kms away from the Ukrainian capital Kyiv. Palki Sharma Upadhyay brings you more updates from ground zero.

NATO: Significant movement of Russian military forces

While the gridlock continues over Ukraine Russian ambassador to Washington Anatoly Antonov has reiterated that Russia is not planning to attack Ukraine the envoy added that war is not Moscow's interest

Russian Envoy to US - No truth behind illusory plans of Russian aggression

For several months now since November, the leaders of the west, Russia, and indeed the United States have been engaged in an escalating war of words. The political shadow boxing has been over a possible Russian incursion into Ukraine, in the aftermath of Russia having amassed almost over a hundred thousand troops along the borders with eastern Ukraine.

Ukraine Conflict: First US reinforcement troops for EU arrive in Germany

The United States has acquired intelligence about a Russian plan to fabricate a pretext for an invasion of Ukraine using a faked video that would build on recent disinformation campaigns, according to senior administration officials and others briefed on the material.

The plan — which the United States hopes to spoil by making public — involved staging and filming a fabricated attack by the Ukrainian military either on Russian territory or against Russian-speaking people in eastern Ukraine.

Russia, the officials said, intended to use the video to accuse Ukraine of “genocide” against Russian-speaking people. It would then use the report to justify an attack or have separatist leaders in the Donbas region of eastern Ukraine invite a Russian intervention.

Officials would not release any direct evidence of the Russian plan or how they learned of it, saying to do so would compromise their sources and methods. But both a recent Russian disinformation campaign focused on false accusations of genocide and the recent political actions being taken in the Russian parliament to recognize breakaway governments in Ukraine lent credence to the intelligence.

If carried out, the Russian operation would be an expansion of a propaganda theme that U.S. intelligence officials and outside experts have said Moscow has been pushing on social media, conspiracy sites and with state-controlled media since November.

The planned video was elaborate, officials said, with graphic images of the staged, corpse-strewn aftermath of an explosion, film of destroyed locations, faked Ukrainian military equipment, Turkish-made drones and actors playing Russian-speaking mourners.

American officials would not say who in Russia precisely was planning the operation, but a senior administration official said that “Russian intelligence is intimately involved in this effort.”

A British government official said that they had done their own analysis on the intelligence and had high confidence that Russia was planning to engineer a pretext to blame Ukraine for an attack. The specific reporting details, the official said, are “credible and extremely concerning.”

While it is not clear that senior Russian officials approved the operation, it was far along in the planning, and the United States had high confidence that it was under serious consideration, officials said. Russian officials had found corpses to use in the video, discussed actors to play mourners and plotted how to make military equipment in the video appear Ukrainian or NATO-supplied.

While the plan sounded far-fetched, American officials said they believed it could have worked to provide a spark for a Russian military operation — an outcome they said they hoped would be made less likely by exposing the effort publicly.

The highlights of the intelligence have been declassified in hopes of both derailing the plan and convincing allies and officials of the seriousness of the Russian planning. The officials interviewed for this article requested anonymity to discuss declassified but sensitive intelligence before it was released publicly.

Avril Haines, the director of national intelligence, and other top administration officials briefed members of Congress on the material Thursday. Details of the information have also been shared with allies as the United States and Britain push a kind of intelligence diplomacy.

In recent weeks both Washington and London have outlined elements of Moscow’s war planning, highlighting planned troop buildups, exposing false-flag sabotage plots and revealing Russian plans to install a friendly government in Kyiv, Ukraine.

The strategy aims to persuade allies and partners over that Russia is not posturing and has real war plans that it could put into effect. The releases also aim to force Russia to drop and redraft plans, further delaying any invasion plan.

The longer the international community can delay a decision by Russian President Vladimir Putin about whether to approve a military operation against Ukraine, the more of a chance there is that he will reconsider his plans, according to diplomats.

Some officials in the U.S. and Britain think Putin has underestimated how many casualties his military would suffer in any direct invasion of Ukraine.

The intelligence diplomacy push is modelled in part on Britain’s efforts to rally a strong response to the Russian nerve agent attack in England in 2018. The British government released information on Russian involvement publicly and shared other intelligence privately as it pushed allies to expel Russian diplomats in response.

The move to publicize the plan comes as the Duma, the Russian parliament, begins to consider legislation to recognize eastern Ukraine as an independent territory, much as they have recognized Russian-occupied areas of Georgia.

If the Russian parliament were to recognize the Donbas region of Ukraine as an independent state, a Moscow-appointed leader of that breakaway state could then request help from Putin. Putin has argued many times that in such a case, an intervention would be in keeping with international law and precedents set by the United States.

American officials believe the plans for the video included Turkish-made Bayraktar TB2 drones that have been used by the Ukrainian army.

In November, the Ukrainian army used one of the drones to launch a counterattack on a howitzer used by Russian-led separatist forces to kill a Ukrainian soldier. Russia scrambled jets, and the situation escalated.

Russian disinformation in recent weeks has accused NATO of planning an invasion or intervention into Ukraine, a false claim. Highlighting the presence of weapons made by Turkey, a NATO ally, would allow the Russians to accuse the alliance of helping raise tensions in the conflict and being culpable in the death of Russian speakers.

The draft law under consideration in Russia would recognize what Moscow calls the Donetsk and Luhansk People’s Republics. Russia considered recognizing governments in the separatists-controlled region in 2014 but ultimately backed down.

The proposal was revived by members of the Communist Party, the second-largest faction in the Russian Duma, in recent days. The Russian parliamentarians pushing the law have argued that Ukraine is planning an offensive to reassert control of the area. If that happens, the Russian lawmakers argue, Russian-speaking residents will be denied basic rights.

Ukrainian oppression of Russian speakers in Eastern Ukraine is a common theme of Russian state media and websites controlled by Russian intelligence services. But the reality is that language is not the hard dividing line in Ukraine that Moscow suggests.

The United States has acquired intelligence about a Russian plan to fabricate a pretext for an invasion of Ukraine using a faked video that would build on recent disinformation campaigns, according to senior administration officials and others briefed on the material.

The United States has acquired intelligence about a Russian plan to fabricate a pretext for an invasion of Ukraine using a faked video that would build on recent disinformation campaigns, according to senior administration officials and others briefed on the material. The plan — which the United States hopes to spoil by making public — involved staging and filming a fabricated attack by the Ukrainian military either on Russian territory or against Russian-speaking people in eastern Ukraine. Russia, the officials said, intended to use the video to accuse Ukraine of “genocide” against Russian-speaking people. It would then use the report to justify an attack or have separatist leaders in the Donbas region of eastern Ukraine invite a Russian intervention. Officials would not release any direct evidence of the Russian plan or how they learned of it, saying to do so would compromise their sources and methods. But both a recent Russian disinformation campaign focused on false accusations of genocide and the recent political actions being taken in the Russian parliament to recognize breakaway governments in Ukraine lent credence to the intelligence. If carried out, the Russian operation would be an expansion of a propaganda theme that U.S. intelligence officials and outside experts have said Moscow has been pushing on social media, conspiracy sites and with state-controlled media since November. The planned video was elaborate, officials said, with graphic images of the staged, corpse-strewn aftermath of an explosion, film of destroyed locations, faked Ukrainian military equipment, Turkish-made drones and actors playing Russian-speaking mourners. American officials would not say who in Russia precisely was planning the operation, but a senior administration official said that “Russian intelligence is intimately involved in this effort.” A British government official said that they had done their own analysis on the intelligence and had high confidence that Russia was planning to engineer a pretext to blame Ukraine for an attack. The specific reporting details, the official said, are “credible and extremely concerning.” While it is not clear that senior Russian officials approved the operation, it was far along in the planning, and the United States had high confidence that it was under serious consideration, officials said. Russian officials had found corpses to use in the video, discussed actors to play mourners and plotted how to make military equipment in the video appear Ukrainian or NATO-supplied. While the plan sounded far-fetched, American officials said they believed it could have worked to provide a spark for a Russian military operation — an outcome they said they hoped would be made less likely by exposing the effort publicly. The highlights of the intelligence have been declassified in hopes of both derailing the plan and convincing allies and officials of the seriousness of the Russian planning. The officials interviewed for this article requested anonymity to discuss declassified but sensitive intelligence before it was released publicly. Avril Haines, the director of national intelligence, and other top administration officials briefed members of Congress on the material Thursday. Details of the information have also been shared with allies as the United States and Britain push a kind of intelligence diplomacy. In recent weeks both Washington and London have outlined elements of Moscow’s war planning, highlighting planned troop buildups, exposing false-flag sabotage plots and revealing Russian plans to install a friendly government in Kyiv, Ukraine. The strategy aims to persuade allies and partners over that Russia is not posturing and has real war plans that it could put into effect. The releases also aim to force Russia to drop and redraft plans, further delaying any invasion plan. The longer the international community can delay a decision by Russian President Vladimir Putin about whether to approve a military operation against Ukraine, the more of a chance there is that he will reconsider his plans, according to diplomats. Some officials in the U.S. and Britain think Putin has underestimated how many casualties his military would suffer in any direct invasion of Ukraine. The intelligence diplomacy push is modelled in part on Britain’s efforts to rally a strong response to the Russian nerve agent attack in England in 2018. The British government released information on Russian involvement publicly and shared other intelligence privately as it pushed allies to expel Russian diplomats in response. The move to publicize the plan comes as the Duma, the Russian parliament, begins to consider legislation to recognize eastern Ukraine as an independent territory, much as they have recognized Russian-occupied areas of Georgia. If the Russian parliament were to recognize the Donbas region of Ukraine as an independent state, a Moscow-appointed leader of that breakaway state could then request help from Putin. Putin has argued many times that in such a case, an intervention would be in keeping with international law and precedents set by the United States. American officials believe the plans for the video included Turkish-made Bayraktar TB2 drones that have been used by the Ukrainian army. In November, the Ukrainian army used one of the drones to launch a counterattack on a howitzer used by Russian-led separatist forces to kill a Ukrainian soldier. Russia scrambled jets, and the situation escalated. Russian disinformation in recent weeks has accused NATO of planning an invasion or intervention into Ukraine, a false claim. Highlighting the presence of weapons made by Turkey, a NATO ally, would allow the Russians to accuse the alliance of helping raise tensions in the conflict and being culpable in the death of Russian speakers. The draft law under consideration in Russia would recognize what Moscow calls the Donetsk and Luhansk People’s Republics. Russia considered recognizing governments in the separatists-controlled region in 2014 but ultimately backed down. The proposal was revived by members of the Communist Party, the second-largest faction in the Russian Duma, in recent days. The Russian parliamentarians pushing the law have argued that Ukraine is planning an offensive to reassert control of the area. If that happens, the Russian lawmakers argue, Russian-speaking residents will be denied basic rights. Ukrainian oppression of Russian speakers in Eastern Ukraine is a common theme of Russian state media and websites controlled by Russian intelligence services. But the reality is that language is not the hard dividing line in Ukraine that Moscow suggests.

US exposes what it says is Russian effort to fabricate pretext for invasion

In Ukraine, civilians train with wooden guns to prepare against possible Russian invasion

Amid escalating tensions over the Ukraine conflict, top officials from Washington and Moscow will hold fresh talks today. The US secretary of state Antony Blinken will speak to his Russian counterpart, Sergei Lavrov.

United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken to speak to Sergei Lavrov

US President Joe Biden and Russian counterpart will be holding talks via video call on Tuesday, according to media reports, as tensions escalate between the two nuclear-powered countries over reports of Russia troops build-up near the Ukrainian border.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov confirmed plans on Saturday to Russia's state news agency RIA Novosti and said it will take place in the evening. Peskov added that “the presidents will decide themselves” how long the conversation will last.

The leaders will reportedly discuss the implementation of agreements reached during their previous meeting in Geneva, Switzerland, the situations in Afghanistan, Iran, Libya and Syria, as well as the Ukrainian crisis.

Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/biden-prepares-plan-to-protect-ukraine-putin-slams-drone-deployment-at-border-433950">Biden prepares plan to protect Ukraine; Putin slams drone deployment at border</a>

Putin and Biden are also expected to cover strategic stability issues, and the Russian side will ask for guarantees against the North Atlantic Treaty Organization's eastward expansion, Ushakov said.

The Russian official said that the oil market, climate change, and the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic could also be on the agenda.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/what-will-happen-if-russian-troops-invade-ukraine-431684">Also Read in Pics:&nbsp;What will happen if Russian troops invade Ukraine?&nbsp;</a>

The United States, its NATO allies and Ukraine are accusing Moscow of amassing troops near the Ukrainian border, and Kyiv says it fears Russia is planning an attack.

However, Moscow denies plans to invade Ukraine, and accuses Kyiv of building up its own forces to attack territory held by pro-Russian separatists.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/why-russia-tested-s-400-missiles-in-crimea-amid-operation-sea-breeze-in-ukraine-395351">Also Read:&nbsp;Why Russia tested S-400 missiles in Crimea amid operation Sea Breeze in Ukraine</a>

Russia has been pushing for top-level talks with the US for weeks and has floated the idea of seeking legally-binding security guarantees from the West.

Earlier, Ukraine's defence minister declared that Russia was ready for escalation in January raising fears of an invasion while informing that the Putin regime had launched exercises along the border and had started "winter training".

The Biden administration had declared earlier that it had evidence that Russia was set to attack Ukraine despite Kremlin's denial.

(With inputs from agencies)

US President Joe Biden and Russian counterpart will be holding talks via video call on Tuesday, according to media reports, as tensions escalate between the two nuclear-powered countries over reports of Russia troops build-up near the Ukrainian border.

US President Joe Biden and Russian counterpart will be holding talks via video call on Tuesday, according to media reports, as tensions escalate between the two nuclear-powered countries over reports of Russia troops build-up near the Ukrainian border. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov confirmed plans on Saturday to Russia's state news agency RIA Novosti and said it will take place in the evening. Peskov added that “the presidents will decide themselves” how long the conversation will last. The leaders will reportedly discuss the implementation of agreements reached during their previous meeting in Geneva, Switzerland, the situations in Afghanistan, Iran, Libya and Syria, as well as the Ukrainian crisis. Also read | Biden prepares plan to protect Ukraine; Putin slams drone deployment at border Putin and Biden are also expected to cover strategic stability issues, and the Russian side will ask for guarantees against the North Atlantic Treaty Organization's eastward expansion, Ushakov said. The Russian official said that the oil market, climate change, and the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic could also be on the agenda. Also Read in Pics: What will happen if Russian troops invade Ukraine? The United States, its NATO allies and Ukraine are accusing Moscow of amassing troops near the Ukrainian border, and Kyiv says it fears Russia is planning an attack. However, Moscow denies plans to invade Ukraine, and accuses Kyiv of building up its own forces to attack territory held by pro-Russian separatists. Also Read: Why Russia tested S-400 missiles in Crimea amid operation Sea Breeze in Ukraine Russia has been pushing for top-level talks with the US for weeks and has floated the idea of seeking legally-binding security guarantees from the West. Earlier, Ukraine's defence minister declared that Russia was ready for escalation in January raising fears of an invasion while informing that the Putin regime had launched exercises along the border and had started "winter training". The Biden administration had declared earlier that it had evidence that Russia was set to attack Ukraine despite Kremlin's denial. (With inputs from agencies)

Biden, Putin all set for video meet on Tuesday amid Ukraine crisis

As fresh tensions build up between the US and Russia over reported military build-up near Ukraine border, Moscow on Saturday clarified that President Vladimir Putin has no plans to launch an offensive against the neighbouring country,&nbsp;news agency ANI reported.

Speaking to Greek TV channel ANT1, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that purported military build-up near its borders was in response to US military’s presence in Ukraine.

When asked whether Putin was planning to carry out an attack on Ukraine Peskov was quoted as saying, "No, the problem is very simple".

He added, "Russia is moving its forces within its territory, and we can move our forces in any direction we want and closer to the areas that could pose a threat [and currently] we see US warplanes landing in Ukraine and US military equipment approaching our borders.”&nbsp;

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/uk-warns-russia-on-strategic-mistake-over-military-action-in-ukraine-436071">UK warns Russia on 'strategic mistake' over military action in Ukraine</a>

Peskov’s response came a week after US intelligence officials claimed that Russia was planning for a possible military offensive against Ukraine “that could begin as soon as early 2022 and would include an estimated 1,75,000 personnel”.

The new intelligence finding estimates that half of the Russian personnel are already deployed along various points near Ukraine's border, news agency AP quoted a Biden administration official who spoke on the condition of anonymity.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/what-will-happen-if-russian-troops-invade-ukraine-431684">Read in Pics:&nbsp;What will happen if Russian troops invade Ukraine?</a>

Earlier on Friday, US President Joe Biden said that he would make it “very, very difficult” for Russia to launch any invasion of Ukraine, which warned that a large-scale attack could be planned for next month.

The US president told reporters he was putting together “the most comprehensive and meaningful set of initiatives to make it very, very difficult for Mr Putin to go ahead and do what people are worried he may do”.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/nato-chief-jens-stoltenberg-turns-down-russias-demand-to-deny-ukraine-entry-436007">Also Read:&nbsp;NATO chief&nbsp;turns down Russia's demand to deny Ukraine entry</a>

Moscow seized Crimea from Ukraine in 2014 and has since backed separatists fighting Kyiv in the east of the country. The conflict has left more than 13,000 dead.

(With inputs from agencies)

As fresh tensions build up between the US and Russia over reported military build-up near Ukraine border, Moscow on Saturday clarified that President Vladimir Putin has no plans to launch an offensive against the neighbouring country, news agency ANI reported.

As fresh tensions build up between the US and Russia over reported military build-up near Ukraine border, Moscow on Saturday clarified that President Vladimir Putin has no plans to launch an offensive against the neighbouring country, news agency ANI reported. Speaking to Greek TV channel ANT1, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that purported military build-up near its borders was in response to US military’s presence in Ukraine. When asked whether Putin was planning to carry out an attack on Ukraine Peskov was quoted as saying, "No, the problem is very simple". He added, "Russia is moving its forces within its territory, and we can move our forces in any direction we want and closer to the areas that could pose a threat [and currently] we see US warplanes landing in Ukraine and US military equipment approaching our borders.” Also read | UK warns Russia on 'strategic mistake' over military action in Ukraine Peskov’s response came a week after US intelligence officials claimed that Russia was planning for a possible military offensive against Ukraine “that could begin as soon as early 2022 and would include an estimated 1,75,000 personnel”. The new intelligence finding estimates that half of the Russian personnel are already deployed along various points near Ukraine's border, news agency AP quoted a Biden administration official who spoke on the condition of anonymity. Read in Pics: What will happen if Russian troops invade Ukraine? Earlier on Friday, US President Joe Biden said that he would make it “very, very difficult” for Russia to launch any invasion of Ukraine, which warned that a large-scale attack could be planned for next month. The US president told reporters he was putting together “the most comprehensive and meaningful set of initiatives to make it very, very difficult for Mr Putin to go ahead and do what people are worried he may do”. Also Read: NATO chief turns down Russia's demand to deny Ukraine entry Moscow seized Crimea from Ukraine in 2014 and has since backed separatists fighting Kyiv in the east of the country. The conflict has left more than 13,000 dead. (With inputs from agencies)

Ukraine row: US military equipment approaching our borders, says Russia while admitting own troop buildup

US President Joe Biden assured Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelenskyy that Washington and its allies would act “decisively” if the easter European country is invaded by Russia.

Biden made the stern warning while talking to Zelenskyy over a phone call on Sunday, White House press secretary Jen Psaki said, as Russia reportedly continues to spruce up its troops on the Ukrainian borders.

In his call with Zelensky, Biden also stressed Washington's commitment “to the principle of 'nothing about you without you”, in an apparent reference to the need to include Ukraine in negotiations about its own future.

Zelensky later tweeted that he appreciated the United States' “unwavering support” and that the call “proves the special nature” of the two countries’ relationship.

Also read |<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/ukraine-closes-ports-to-russian-ships-says-russian-media-441661">&nbsp;Ukraine closes ports to Russian ships, says Russian media</a>

The comments from Biden comes a week after he and Russian President Vladimir Putin exchanged warnings over Ukraine.

Discussing the call with Putin on Friday, Biden said, “I'm not going to negotiate here in public, but we made it clear he cannot —I'll emphasize, cannot —invade Ukraine."

The US leader added that he had “made it clear to President Putin that we will have severe sanctions, we will increase our presence in Europe, with NATO allies” if Russia invades Ukraine.

Also read |<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/ukraine-closes-ports-to-russian-ships-says-russian-media-441661">&nbsp;</a><a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/if-russia-invades-ukraine-us-to-send-more-troops-to-eastern-europe-434750">If Russia invades Ukraine, US to send more troops to Eastern Europe</a>

It is being reported that around 100,000 Russian troops are massed near the border of the country, where Putin already seized the Crimea region in 2014 and is accused of fomenting a pro-Russian separatist war which erupted that same year in the east.

Putin has repeatedly said NATO should not extend its border further east bordering Russia and demanded Ukraine should not join the European military alliance, however, NATO officials haven't given any assurances to Russia so far.

(With inputs from agencies)

US President Joe Biden assured Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelenskyy that Washington and its allies would act “decisively” if the easter European country is invaded by Russia.

US President Joe Biden assured Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelenskyy that Washington and its allies would act “decisively” if the easter European country is invaded by Russia. Biden made the stern warning while talking to Zelenskyy over a phone call on Sunday, White House press secretary Jen Psaki said, as Russia reportedly continues to spruce up its troops on the Ukrainian borders. In his call with Zelensky, Biden also stressed Washington's commitment “to the principle of 'nothing about you without you”, in an apparent reference to the need to include Ukraine in negotiations about its own future. Zelensky later tweeted that he appreciated the United States' “unwavering support” and that the call “proves the special nature” of the two countries’ relationship. Also read | Ukraine closes ports to Russian ships, says Russian media The comments from Biden comes a week after he and Russian President Vladimir Putin exchanged warnings over Ukraine. Discussing the call with Putin on Friday, Biden said, “I'm not going to negotiate here in public, but we made it clear he cannot —I'll emphasize, cannot —invade Ukraine." The US leader added that he had “made it clear to President Putin that we will have severe sanctions, we will increase our presence in Europe, with NATO allies” if Russia invades Ukraine. Also read | If Russia invades Ukraine, US to send more troops to Eastern Europe It is being reported that around 100,000 Russian troops are massed near the border of the country, where Putin already seized the Crimea region in 2014 and is accused of fomenting a pro-Russian separatist war which erupted that same year in the east. Putin has repeatedly said NATO should not extend its border further east bordering Russia and demanded Ukraine should not join the European military alliance, however, NATO officials haven't given any assurances to Russia so far. (With inputs from agencies)

US will act ‘decisively’ if Russia invades, says Biden in phone call with Ukraine President

The United States has ordered the family members of its embassy staff in Ukraine to leave the country. The decision comes due to the ongoing threat of Russia's military action.

United States orders kin of embassy staff in Ukraine to leave the country

US and Russian diplomats have wrapped up their first round of high-stakes talks in Geneva with both sides showing no signs of narrowing the differences on Ukraine.

US-Russia wraps up first round of high-stakes talks in Geneva

US: Large parts of Russian proposals are non-starters

After weeks of warning and political shadow boxing, officials of the United States and Russia will sit across tables for open talks to discuss Moscow's demands for western security guarantees. All this amid Russian troop buildup near Ukraine.

High- stakes talks between Russia and the United States amid rising tensions

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