A video of journalist Philip Crowther reporting about the Ukraine crisis flawlessly in six languages is going viral.

“There has been a war with Russian forces in east Donbas region for eight years now. But despite that the capital city of Kyiv is relatively calm,” Crowther is heard reporting in English.

Other than this, the international affiliate correspondent for the Associated Press can be heard speaking Luxembourgish, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and German.

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Six-language coverage from <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Kyiv?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Kyiv</a> with <a href="https://twitter.com/AP_GMS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@AP_GMS</a>. In this order: English, Luxembourgish, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and German. <a href="https://t.co/kyEg0aCCoT">pic.twitter.com/kyEg0aCCoT</a>
— Philip Crowther (@PhilipinDC) <a href="https://twitter.com/PhilipinDC/status/1495730338315841539?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 21, 2022</a></blockquote>
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The video has amassed more than 7.1 million views and has been shared over 43,000 times on Twitter.

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Leave some languages for the rest of us.
— Molly Quell (@MollyQuell) <a href="https://twitter.com/MollyQuell/status/1496030156741357574?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 22, 2022</a></blockquote>
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Really impressive, Philip. I wonder, have you come across your comedian alter-ego, <a href="https://twitter.com/YGVassilakis?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@YGVassilakis</a>? One of his specialities is dubbing lines from famous shows in numerous languages. Together, you must have all of Europe covered... 😂👏<a href="https://t.co/iQW8s3WKYW">https://t.co/iQW8s3WKYW</a>
— Felix Lowe (@saddleblaze) <a href="https://twitter.com/saddleblaze/status/1495731643214184449?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 21, 2022</a></blockquote>
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The United States has accused Putin of massing more than 150,000 troops near Ukraine's borders in preparation for what it fears could be a full-scale invasion.&nbsp;

Russia has repeatedly denied plans for such an attack but says it has a duty to protect people living in Donetsk and Lugansk in eastern Ukraine. It has backed breakaway regions as independent entities.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/ukraine-calls-up-military-reservists-urges-citizens-to-leave-russia-immediately-455628" hreflang="en">Ukraine calls up military reservists, urges citizens to leave Russia 'immediately'</a>

"Our country is always open to a direct and honest dialogue and ready to search for diplomatic solutions to the most complicated issues," said President Vladimir Putin.

"But I want to repeat that Russia's interests and the security of our people are unconditional. So, we will continue to strengthen and modernise our army and navy."

Speaking at the White House, US President Joe said the Kremlin had flagrantly violated international law in what he called the “beginning of a Russian invasion of Ukraine.” He warned of more sanctions if Putin went further.

“We are united in our support of Ukraine,” Biden said. “We are united in our opposition to Russian aggression.” When it comes to Russian claims of a justification or pretext for an invasion, Biden said, “None of us should be fooled. None of us will be fooled. There is no justification.”

(With inputs from agencies)

A video of journalist Philip Crowther reporting about the Ukraine crisis flawlessly in six languages is going viral. “There has been a war with Russian forces in east Donbas region for eight years now.

A video of journalist Philip Crowther reporting about the Ukraine crisis flawlessly in six languages is going viral. “There has been a war with Russian forces in east Donbas region for eight years now. But despite that the capital city of Kyiv is relatively calm,” Crowther is heard reporting in English. Other than this, the international affiliate correspondent for the Associated Press can be heard speaking Luxembourgish, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and German. Six-language coverage from #Kyiv with @AP_GMS. In this order: English, Luxembourgish, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and German. pic.twitter.com/kyEg0aCCoT — Philip Crowther (@PhilipinDC) February 21, 2022 × The video has amassed more than 7.1 million views and has been shared over 43,000 times on Twitter. Leave some languages for the rest of us. — Molly Quell (@MollyQuell) February 22, 2022 × Really impressive, Philip. I wonder, have you come across your comedian alter-ego, @YGVassilakis? One of his specialities is dubbing lines from famous shows in numerous languages. Together, you must have all of Europe covered... 😂👏https://t.co/iQW8s3WKYW — Felix Lowe (@saddleblaze) February 21, 2022 × The United States has accused Putin of massing more than 150,000 troops near Ukraine's borders in preparation for what it fears could be a full-scale invasion. Russia has repeatedly denied plans for such an attack but says it has a duty to protect people living in Donetsk and Lugansk in eastern Ukraine. It has backed breakaway regions as independent entities. Also read | Ukraine calls up military reservists, urges citizens to leave Russia 'immediately' "Our country is always open to a direct and honest dialogue and ready to search for diplomatic solutions to the most complicated issues," said President Vladimir Putin. "But I want to repeat that Russia's interests and the security of our people are unconditional. So, we will continue to strengthen and modernise our army and navy." Speaking at the White House, US President Joe said the Kremlin had flagrantly violated international law in what he called the “beginning of a Russian invasion of Ukraine.” He warned of more sanctions if Putin went further. “We are united in our support of Ukraine,” Biden said. “We are united in our opposition to Russian aggression.” When it comes to Russian claims of a justification or pretext for an invasion, Biden said, “None of us should be fooled. None of us will be fooled. There is no justification.” (With inputs from agencies)

Watch | Video of journalist reporting about Ukraine crisis in six languages is going viral

Slumped in a chair, red tie askew, his staccato delivery emphasizing every grievance, President Vladimir Putin delivered a speech Monday that sounded like a call to war.

It was also the culmination of a propaganda barrage orchestrated by Russian state media in recent days — a stark demonstration of how the Kremlin can use its dominance of the airwaves to lay the groundwork for a political decision that could cause widespread pain.

By Tuesday afternoon, Russia’s stock market had fallen again, leaving it some 20% down in less than a week as businesses braced for damaging new Western sanctions. And the potential, far more tragic, costs if Putin were to go ahead with an invasion of Ukraine still appeared incalculable.

But to the millions of Russians watching television, the narrative of the last days has been completely different: Booms and flashes of artillery fire. Blurred-out footage of human remains. Women and children, crying and fleeing. A separatist appeal to the president. An emergency meeting of Putin’s Security Council. A dramatic address to the nation.

And what happens next is a mystery.

For months, as Washington warned of a looming Russian invasion of Ukraine, Russia’s powerful propaganda machine dismissed and parodied talk of war.

Then, last weekend, everything changed. From the occupied territory of Ukraine to the halls of the Kremlin, the rationale for a possible invasion was put into place, piece by piece, and presented to the Russian public in an unrelenting push on state television.

By Tuesday morning, the breakfast news on state-run Channel 1 was announcing a “historic moment.”

“Eight years of fear have ended,” the announcer declared, a reference to the residents of separatist-occupied eastern Ukraine who, in the Kremlin’s unfounded claims, are being subjected to “genocide” by Ukrainian forces.

It was too soon to tell how Russians would react to Putin’s moves, but there was none of the widespread jubilation that accompanied his annexation of Crimea in 2014. On Tuesday, as Russian state media claimed that Ukraine was firing at the Russian-backed separatist regions whose independence Putin recognized Monday, it remained unclear how far the Kremlin would go in escalating the conflict.

“Hundreds and soon, tens of thousands of Ukrainians and Russian citizens may die because of Putin,” Alexei Navalny, the imprisoned opposition leader, posted on social media. “Sure, he won’t let Ukraine develop and will drag it into a swamp, but Russia will pay the same price.”

On Tuesday, lawmakers in the lower house of Parliament, the State Duma, hinted that the Kremlin’s campaign against the pro-Western government of President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of Ukraine would not end with Putin’s recognition of the separatist territories in eastern Ukraine’s Donbas region.

One nationalist deputy, Andrei Lugovoi, said he hoped that the recognition marked “the beginning of the return of all Ukraine to its historical bosom.” Another, Sergei Mironov, ripped into Zelenskyy as a “coward, liar and scoundrel.”

The angry, righteous tone was a continuation of the flurry of weekend news reports that aimed to paint a U.S.-backed Ukraine as the aggressor — even though it insists it has no plans to mount an offensive against the separatist-held territories. State media seized upon Western warnings of a possible Russian invasion to paint the United States and its allies as warmongers.

On the marquee weekly news show on Russian state television, the host, Dmitri Kiselyov, on Sunday reeled off the international leaders he insisted could profit from war: Prime Minister Boris Johnson of Britain, President Emmanuel Macron of France and President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey.

“Everything is very serious,” Kiselyov warned. “Ukraine is literally being dragged into war with Russia.”

Later Sunday night, on a weekly show called “Moscow. Kremlin. Putin,” the president’s spokesperson, Dmitri Peskov, reinforced the notion that while war may be coming, it would not be Russia’s choice.

“Let me remind you that Russia throughout all its history never attacked anyone,” Peskov said.

On Monday, Russian media broadcast separatist claims of an escalating assault by Ukrainian forces and broadcast an array of unsubstantiated claims — that Ukraine was shelling communications, bridges, a water filtration station and other infrastructure targets. Russian state television reported from the separatist-held city of Donetsk that Ukraine had sent saboteurs behind separatist lines.

On a YouTube channel run by another state television host, Vladimir Solovyov, a reporter on the ground in the separatist territory described the death of a local resident from Ukrainian shelling.

“He was torn to pieces,” he said. “There’s a genocide going on. People are being killed.”

Ukrainian officials insisted their military was not preparing an assault against Donetsk and said the separatists were shelling their own territory.

Oleksiy Danilov, a senior Ukrainian security official, warned Monday that Russia was waging a furious disinformation war.

“A great, powerful information provocation is being waged against our state,” Danilov said. “But it is necessary to trust only official information.”

But any Ukrainian protestations were ignored in Russia. The Russian military said it had destroyed two infantry fighting vehicles of the Ukrainian Armed Forces that had crossed into Russian territory in order to try to evacuate Ukrainian saboteurs. As a result, the Russian military said, five people were killed on the Ukrainian side — the first time during the crisis that the Russian military has claimed involvement in a deadly, direct clash with Ukrainian forces. Ukraine denied such an incursion had ever happened.

Footage of women and children fleeing the separatist territories tugged at heartstrings. On state television Monday, a reporter described government psychologists mobilizing to support the traumatized refugees who had left husbands and fathers behind.

“I would like to say hello to my dad,” a young boy was shown saying.

Soon, state television showed video of the Russian-backed leaders of the separatist territories making appeals directly to Putin to recognize their independence, neatly leading into a special meeting of the Kremlin’s Security Council later that day.

The extraordinary televised spectacle appeared designed to legitimize Putin’s fateful decision, casting his decision-making as deliberative and determined — a seeming rebuttal to critics who saw the president as more isolated than ever during the pandemic.

On Monday afternoon, Putin gathered his senior-most officials in the Kremlin’s cavernous Yekaterininsky Hall, presiding over the unscheduled televised meeting of his Security Council. Because of COVID, he was seated at his own white table with gold trim, while the officials sat in chairs arrayed in front of him.

“I would like to underline that I did not discuss anything in advance with any of you,” Putin said in the middle of the meeting, building the suspense as in a reality show. “What’s happening now is happening on a blank page because I wanted to learn your view without any advance preparation.”

Some officials appeared visibly nervous, while others made thinly veiled calls for a large-scale military offensive against Ukraine.

Putin repeatedly interrupted his foreign intelligence chief, Sergei Naryshkin, as he seemed to equivocate on whether or not to recognize the independence of the Russian-backed separatist republics in Ukraine’s east, prompting Naryshkin to stutter and then say he was in favor of annexing the territories.

“That’s not what we’re talking about,” Putin shot back.

Until recently, it appeared that many Russians had tuned out talk of an impending war. Pollsters say that while the possibility of war is one of Russians’ greatest fears, no anti-war movement has emerged in recent weeks because many simply cannot imagine it or see how they can influence any decisions.

Russians “feel they can’t influence the process at all,” said Alexandra Arkhipova, a Moscow social anthropologist, who found that there had been relatively little discussion of a possible war with Ukraine online before the propaganda barrage of recent days. “So they try to avoid it.”

On Sunday, a handful of activists unfurled anti-war posters in central Moscow’s Pushkin Square and were promptly arrested. One of the protesters, Lev Ponomarev, a Soviet-era human rights activist, insisted that while for the moment many still could not imagine a war, most Russians would oppose it if it actually happened.

“There will be no support for this war,” Ponomarev said in an interview Monday. “It will be the collapse of this regime.”

Slumped in a chair, red tie askew, his staccato delivery emphasizing every grievance, President Vladimir Putin delivered a speech Monday that sounded like a call to war.

Slumped in a chair, red tie askew, his staccato delivery emphasizing every grievance, President Vladimir Putin delivered a speech Monday that sounded like a call to war. It was also the culmination of a propaganda barrage orchestrated by Russian state media in recent days — a stark demonstration of how the Kremlin can use its dominance of the airwaves to lay the groundwork for a political decision that could cause widespread pain. By Tuesday afternoon, Russia’s stock market had fallen again, leaving it some 20% down in less than a week as businesses braced for damaging new Western sanctions. And the potential, far more tragic, costs if Putin were to go ahead with an invasion of Ukraine still appeared incalculable. But to the millions of Russians watching television, the narrative of the last days has been completely different: Booms and flashes of artillery fire. Blurred-out footage of human remains. Women and children, crying and fleeing. A separatist appeal to the president. An emergency meeting of Putin’s Security Council. A dramatic address to the nation. And what happens next is a mystery. For months, as Washington warned of a looming Russian invasion of Ukraine, Russia’s powerful propaganda machine dismissed and parodied talk of war. Then, last weekend, everything changed. From the occupied territory of Ukraine to the halls of the Kremlin, the rationale for a possible invasion was put into place, piece by piece, and presented to the Russian public in an unrelenting push on state television. By Tuesday morning, the breakfast news on state-run Channel 1 was announcing a “historic moment.” “Eight years of fear have ended,” the announcer declared, a reference to the residents of separatist-occupied eastern Ukraine who, in the Kremlin’s unfounded claims, are being subjected to “genocide” by Ukrainian forces. It was too soon to tell how Russians would react to Putin’s moves, but there was none of the widespread jubilation that accompanied his annexation of Crimea in 2014. On Tuesday, as Russian state media claimed that Ukraine was firing at the Russian-backed separatist regions whose independence Putin recognized Monday, it remained unclear how far the Kremlin would go in escalating the conflict. “Hundreds and soon, tens of thousands of Ukrainians and Russian citizens may die because of Putin,” Alexei Navalny, the imprisoned opposition leader, posted on social media. “Sure, he won’t let Ukraine develop and will drag it into a swamp, but Russia will pay the same price.” On Tuesday, lawmakers in the lower house of Parliament, the State Duma, hinted that the Kremlin’s campaign against the pro-Western government of President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of Ukraine would not end with Putin’s recognition of the separatist territories in eastern Ukraine’s Donbas region. One nationalist deputy, Andrei Lugovoi, said he hoped that the recognition marked “the beginning of the return of all Ukraine to its historical bosom.” Another, Sergei Mironov, ripped into Zelenskyy as a “coward, liar and scoundrel.” The angry, righteous tone was a continuation of the flurry of weekend news reports that aimed to paint a U.S.-backed Ukraine as the aggressor — even though it insists it has no plans to mount an offensive against the separatist-held territories. State media seized upon Western warnings of a possible Russian invasion to paint the United States and its allies as warmongers. On the marquee weekly news show on Russian state television, the host, Dmitri Kiselyov, on Sunday reeled off the international leaders he insisted could profit from war: Prime Minister Boris Johnson of Britain, President Emmanuel Macron of France and President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey. “Everything is very serious,” Kiselyov warned. “Ukraine is literally being dragged into war with Russia.” Later Sunday night, on a weekly show called “Moscow. Kremlin. Putin,” the president’s spokesperson, Dmitri Peskov, reinforced the notion that while war may be coming, it would not be Russia’s choice. “Let me remind you that Russia throughout all its history never attacked anyone,” Peskov said. On Monday, Russian media broadcast separatist claims of an escalating assault by Ukrainian forces and broadcast an array of unsubstantiated claims — that Ukraine was shelling communications, bridges, a water filtration station and other infrastructure targets. Russian state television reported from the separatist-held city of Donetsk that Ukraine had sent saboteurs behind separatist lines. On a YouTube channel run by another state television host, Vladimir Solovyov, a reporter on the ground in the separatist territory described the death of a local resident from Ukrainian shelling. “He was torn to pieces,” he said. “There’s a genocide going on. People are being killed.” Ukrainian officials insisted their military was not preparing an assault against Donetsk and said the separatists were shelling their own territory. Oleksiy Danilov, a senior Ukrainian security official, warned Monday that Russia was waging a furious disinformation war. “A great, powerful information provocation is being waged against our state,” Danilov said. “But it is necessary to trust only official information.” But any Ukrainian protestations were ignored in Russia. The Russian military said it had destroyed two infantry fighting vehicles of the Ukrainian Armed Forces that had crossed into Russian territory in order to try to evacuate Ukrainian saboteurs. As a result, the Russian military said, five people were killed on the Ukrainian side — the first time during the crisis that the Russian military has claimed involvement in a deadly, direct clash with Ukrainian forces. Ukraine denied such an incursion had ever happened. Footage of women and children fleeing the separatist territories tugged at heartstrings. On state television Monday, a reporter described government psychologists mobilizing to support the traumatized refugees who had left husbands and fathers behind. “I would like to say hello to my dad,” a young boy was shown saying. Soon, state television showed video of the Russian-backed leaders of the separatist territories making appeals directly to Putin to recognize their independence, neatly leading into a special meeting of the Kremlin’s Security Council later that day. The extraordinary televised spectacle appeared designed to legitimize Putin’s fateful decision, casting his decision-making as deliberative and determined — a seeming rebuttal to critics who saw the president as more isolated than ever during the pandemic. On Monday afternoon, Putin gathered his senior-most officials in the Kremlin’s cavernous Yekaterininsky Hall, presiding over the unscheduled televised meeting of his Security Council. Because of COVID, he was seated at his own white table with gold trim, while the officials sat in chairs arrayed in front of him. “I would like to underline that I did not discuss anything in advance with any of you,” Putin said in the middle of the meeting, building the suspense as in a reality show. “What’s happening now is happening on a blank page because I wanted to learn your view without any advance preparation.” Some officials appeared visibly nervous, while others made thinly veiled calls for a large-scale military offensive against Ukraine. Putin repeatedly interrupted his foreign intelligence chief, Sergei Naryshkin, as he seemed to equivocate on whether or not to recognize the independence of the Russian-backed separatist republics in Ukraine’s east, prompting Naryshkin to stutter and then say he was in favor of annexing the territories. “That’s not what we’re talking about,” Putin shot back. Until recently, it appeared that many Russians had tuned out talk of an impending war. Pollsters say that while the possibility of war is one of Russians’ greatest fears, no anti-war movement has emerged in recent weeks because many simply cannot imagine it or see how they can influence any decisions. Russians “feel they can’t influence the process at all,” said Alexandra Arkhipova, a Moscow social anthropologist, who found that there had been relatively little discussion of a possible war with Ukraine online before the propaganda barrage of recent days. “So they try to avoid it.” On Sunday, a handful of activists unfurled anti-war posters in central Moscow’s Pushkin Square and were promptly arrested. One of the protesters, Lev Ponomarev, a Soviet-era human rights activist, insisted that while for the moment many still could not imagine a war, most Russians would oppose it if it actually happened. “There will be no support for this war,” Ponomarev said in an interview Monday. “It will be the collapse of this regime.”

Piece by piece, Russia's rationale for a Ukraine invasion is put in place

As the West’s movers and shakers shuttle between European capitals and Moscow, Kyiv, and Washington to prevent war after Russia’s recognition of and troop deployment in east Ukraine’s breakaway territories of Donetsk and Luhansk,&nbsp;Europe is impaled on the horns of a dilemma.&nbsp;

Of necessity, the European Union leadership has to condemn Russia’s military mission, speak up for Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, and stand with US President Joe Biden in spite of little clarity on the course ahead. Sanctions against the separatist territories and Russia, and Germany’s decision to hold off on the certification of the Nord Stream 2 pipeline does not in any way address the fallout of the US-Russia conflict on Europe. The soaring price of petroleum amidst Europe’s crying need for oil, which can be met only at a higher cost in the absence of supplies from Russia, is only one of many challenges that Europe would be facing. Doubtless, the much higher price Europe pays for oil would add to its financial burden at a time when it was recovering from the economic woes caused by the pandemic.&nbsp;

However, there may be hope of easing the economic burden with the de-escalation of the Russia-Ukraine conflict, which process may well depend, among a host of imponderables, on a summit meeting between Biden and Russian President Vladimir Putin. &nbsp;

A greater long-term challenge Europe as a union is facing in this fraught situation is a leadership vacuum. There is no Angela Merkel, who took Germany to its unipolar moment in world affairs. Nor is there anyone else anywhere near the stature she attained during her long years of steering Germany and Europe firmly on an independent trajectory based on a vision informed by the Continent’s interests as well as values.&nbsp;

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz had barely time to settle in when the US-Russia crisis erupted and, as Europe’s economic powerhouse and leading nation, it is Merkel’s Germany that had set the terms of its engagement with both the US and Russia. With Chancellor Scholz yet to get into stride, French President Emmanuel Macron lost no time, early on in the crisis, in setting forth on a peace-making mission to meet President Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.&nbsp;

Macron appears to have emerged as Europe’s spearhead, ready to take all the necessary measures to prevent a war in Ukraine. The French President’s office, after his initial meetings with Putin and Zelenskyy, underscored the “very high” likelihood of a major escalation in Ukraine and said that Macron “will take all the risks to preserve stability and peace in Europe.” &nbsp;

There is much speculation over why Macron plunged in to take on this role of a peace-maker striving for a diplomatic solution to the conflict. One interpretation is that he is seeking to boost his image in view of the upcoming presidential election in France although he has yet to throw his hat in the ring. Even if the image build-up, including as Europe’s new leader after Merkel's exit, be his intent, there is still more to Macron’s involvement than meets the eye.&nbsp;Post-Merkel Europe is yet to acquire a leader of comparable heft and influence as the voice of the liberal democratic West. She remained a firm ally of the US including in NATO but was unafraid to differ and dared to pursue a defence, economic affairs and foreign policies that could not be dictated by the US, EU or the NATO brass. This was particularly evident in her dealings with Russia and China, much to the discomfiture of Washington.&nbsp;

Her comfort level with Putin was, and perhaps still is, unrivalled in the West, for a number of reasons. Apart from personal chemistry, both Putin and Merkel were at home speaking in both Russian and German. Merkel had studied in Russia and Putin had served as a KGB officer in Berlin. He knew Germany and Europe as only an exceptional agent could have known, and this was matched by Merkel's deep grasp of Russian affairs. Both have helmed their respective governments for long years during which time heads of many governments have changed.&nbsp;&nbsp;

It's not easy for Scholz to fit into her shoes as he is yet untested in international waters. To carry on Merkel's legacy is a tall order especially if that calls for standing up to Washington—it will take Scholz a while, if that, to transition to a stage and stature where he can do that. Equally, he needs that stature for dealing with Putin from a position of strength. So far he has stood his ground against both Biden and Putin, but Scholz still needs to earn his spurs to wield the kind of clout that Merkel did in these two capitals. &nbsp;

Until then, Putin cannot rely on Scholz to do what Merkel did, which leaves Putin without a familiar and seasoned leader to deal with in Europe. Macron, perhaps, sized up this scenario and seized the moment to play mediator in the US-Russia conflict over Ukraine. In dealing with Putin, Macron commands a level of trust that, perhaps, few European leaders enjoy at present. Besides, France has a score to settle with the US (and the UK and Australia) for being done out of the settled submarine deal—which he may see as a pact between the Five Eyes (English-speaking nations) against France. And, France, as one of the P-5, can tilt the balance when Russia with China is ranged against the US with a lame-duck UK in tow. &nbsp;

In the absence of Merkel, Macron as a experienced European leader who has been dealing with Russia, is all too aware of Moscow's geopolitical and security concerns in the Middle East, where France too has some chestnuts in the fire. Moreover, Putin is also said to know French although how much of it he uses in interactions with Macron is not known.&nbsp;

So, this is that breach which Macron has stepped into, perhaps with an eye on a new leadership profile in the EU, another term as president and scoring a point against the Anglo-American axis.&nbsp;

The author is Editorial Consultant,&nbsp;WION TV.&nbsp;

(Disclaimer: The views of the writer do not represent the views of WION or ZMCL. Nor does WION or ZMCL endorse the views of the writer.)

As the West’s movers and shakers shuttle between European capitals and Moscow, Kyiv, and Washington to prevent war after Russia’s recognition of and troop deployment in east Ukraine’s breakaway territories of Donetsk and Luhansk, Europe is impaled on the horns of a dilemma.

As the West’s movers and shakers shuttle between European capitals and Moscow, Kyiv, and Washington to prevent war after Russia’s recognition of and troop deployment in east Ukraine’s breakaway territories of Donetsk and Luhansk, Europe is impaled on the horns of a dilemma. Of necessity, the European Union leadership has to condemn Russia’s military mission, speak up for Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, and stand with US President Joe Biden in spite of little clarity on the course ahead. Sanctions against the separatist territories and Russia, and Germany’s decision to hold off on the certification of the Nord Stream 2 pipeline does not in any way address the fallout of the US-Russia conflict on Europe. The soaring price of petroleum amidst Europe’s crying need for oil, which can be met only at a higher cost in the absence of supplies from Russia, is only one of many challenges that Europe would be facing. Doubtless, the much higher price Europe pays for oil would add to its financial burden at a time when it was recovering from the economic woes caused by the pandemic. However, there may be hope of easing the economic burden with the de-escalation of the Russia-Ukraine conflict, which process may well depend, among a host of imponderables, on a summit meeting between Biden and Russian President Vladimir Putin. A greater long-term challenge Europe as a union is facing in this fraught situation is a leadership vacuum. There is no Angela Merkel, who took Germany to its unipolar moment in world affairs. Nor is there anyone else anywhere near the stature she attained during her long years of steering Germany and Europe firmly on an independent trajectory based on a vision informed by the Continent’s interests as well as values. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz had barely time to settle in when the US-Russia crisis erupted and, as Europe’s economic powerhouse and leading nation, it is Merkel’s Germany that had set the terms of its engagement with both the US and Russia. With Chancellor Scholz yet to get into stride, French President Emmanuel Macron lost no time, early on in the crisis, in setting forth on a peace-making mission to meet President Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Macron appears to have emerged as Europe’s spearhead, ready to take all the necessary measures to prevent a war in Ukraine. The French President’s office, after his initial meetings with Putin and Zelenskyy, underscored the “very high” likelihood of a major escalation in Ukraine and said that Macron “will take all the risks to preserve stability and peace in Europe.” There is much speculation over why Macron plunged in to take on this role of a peace-maker striving for a diplomatic solution to the conflict. One interpretation is that he is seeking to boost his image in view of the upcoming presidential election in France although he has yet to throw his hat in the ring. Even if the image build-up, including as Europe’s new leader after Merkel's exit, be his intent, there is still more to Macron’s involvement than meets the eye. Post-Merkel Europe is yet to acquire a leader of comparable heft and influence as the voice of the liberal democratic West. She remained a firm ally of the US including in NATO but was unafraid to differ and dared to pursue a defence, economic affairs and foreign policies that could not be dictated by the US, EU or the NATO brass. This was particularly evident in her dealings with Russia and China, much to the discomfiture of Washington. Her comfort level with Putin was, and perhaps still is, unrivalled in the West, for a number of reasons. Apart from personal chemistry, both Putin and Merkel were at home speaking in both Russian and German. Merkel had studied in Russia and Putin had served as a KGB officer in Berlin. He knew Germany and Europe as only an exceptional agent could have known, and this was matched by Merkel's deep grasp of Russian affairs. Both have helmed their respective governments for long years during which time heads of many governments have changed. It's not easy for Scholz to fit into her shoes as he is yet untested in international waters. To carry on Merkel's legacy is a tall order especially if that calls for standing up to Washington—it will take Scholz a while, if that, to transition to a stage and stature where he can do that. Equally, he needs that stature for dealing with Putin from a position of strength. So far he has stood his ground against both Biden and Putin, but Scholz still needs to earn his spurs to wield the kind of clout that Merkel did in these two capitals. Until then, Putin cannot rely on Scholz to do what Merkel did, which leaves Putin without a familiar and seasoned leader to deal with in Europe. Macron, perhaps, sized up this scenario and seized the moment to play mediator in the US-Russia conflict over Ukraine. In dealing with Putin, Macron commands a level of trust that, perhaps, few European leaders enjoy at present. Besides, France has a score to settle with the US (and the UK and Australia) for being done out of the settled submarine deal—which he may see as a pact between the Five Eyes (English-speaking nations) against France. And, France, as one of the P-5, can tilt the balance when Russia with China is ranged against the US with a lame-duck UK in tow. In the absence of Merkel, Macron as a experienced European leader who has been dealing with Russia, is all too aware of Moscow's geopolitical and security concerns in the Middle East, where France too has some chestnuts in the fire. Moreover, Putin is also said to know French although how much of it he uses in interactions with Macron is not known. So, this is that breach which Macron has stepped into, perhaps with an eye on a new leadership profile in the EU, another term as president and scoring a point against the Anglo-American axis. The author is Editorial Consultant, WION TV. (Disclaimer: The views of the writer do not represent the views of WION or ZMCL. Nor does WION or ZMCL endorse the views of the writer.)

On the margin | Ukraine crisis will test Europe’s mettle

Russia has decided not to send troops to eastern Ukraine “for now”, but added that it will do so in case of a "threat", the deputy foreign minister said on Tuesday.

The announcement comes after Moscow's parliament ratified cooperation deals with Ukraine's separatist republics.

Deputy Foreign Minister Andrei Rudenko said the treaties include the provision of "military aid" but added that "speculation" on troop deployments should be avoided.

"For now, no one is planning to send anything anywhere. If there is a threat, then we will provide assistance in accordance with the ratified treaties,” he said.

Russia had deployed a few Russian troops to eastern Ukraine as “peacekeepers” after Vladimir Putin recognised Donetsk and Luhansk regions as independent from Ukraine.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/russia-has-hit-list-of-ukrainians-to-be-killed-after-invasion-claims-us-455387">Russia has ‘hit list’ of Ukrainians to be killed after invasion, claims US</a>

The deployment of troops&nbsp;invited ire from the West leaders, with the United Kingdom imposing sanctions on three Russian banks and three men who are close to Putin.

Britain has threatened to cut off Russian companies' access to US dollars and British pounds, blocking them from raising capital in London and to expose what PM Boris Johnson calls the “Russian doll” of property and company ownership.

The series of announcements comes even as Russia amassed over 150,000 soldiers to regions near Ukraine's borders, with the West fearing Moscow could use them for an attack at any moment.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/did-family-guy-predict-vladimir-putins-ukraine-strategy-455350">Did Family Guy predict Vladimir Putin's Ukraine strategy?</a>

Meanwhile, Kremlin-backed separatist leader Denis Pushilin said on Tuesday that Moscow formally recognized the breakaway region of Donetsk within the wider boundaries of eastern Ukraine's Donetsk region, much of which is controlled by Ukrainian forces.

Speaking on Russian state television, Pushilin said the matter of the territory not controlled by separatists would be resolved later.

"The border issue is not simple, it will be resolved later," he said.

(With inputs from agencies)

Russia has decided not to send troops to eastern Ukraine “for now”, but added that it will do so in case of a "threat", the deputy foreign minister said on Tuesday.

Russia has decided not to send troops to eastern Ukraine “for now”, but added that it will do so in case of a "threat", the deputy foreign minister said on Tuesday. The announcement comes after Moscow's parliament ratified cooperation deals with Ukraine's separatist republics. Deputy Foreign Minister Andrei Rudenko said the treaties include the provision of "military aid" but added that "speculation" on troop deployments should be avoided. "For now, no one is planning to send anything anywhere. If there is a threat, then we will provide assistance in accordance with the ratified treaties,” he said. Russia had deployed a few Russian troops to eastern Ukraine as “peacekeepers” after Vladimir Putin recognised Donetsk and Luhansk regions as independent from Ukraine. Also read | Russia has ‘hit list’ of Ukrainians to be killed after invasion, claims US The deployment of troops invited ire from the West leaders, with the United Kingdom imposing sanctions on three Russian banks and three men who are close to Putin. Britain has threatened to cut off Russian companies' access to US dollars and British pounds, blocking them from raising capital in London and to expose what PM Boris Johnson calls the “Russian doll” of property and company ownership. The series of announcements comes even as Russia amassed over 150,000 soldiers to regions near Ukraine's borders, with the West fearing Moscow could use them for an attack at any moment. Also read | Did Family Guy predict Vladimir Putin's Ukraine strategy? Meanwhile, Kremlin-backed separatist leader Denis Pushilin said on Tuesday that Moscow formally recognized the breakaway region of Donetsk within the wider boundaries of eastern Ukraine's Donetsk region, much of which is controlled by Ukrainian forces. Speaking on Russian state television, Pushilin said the matter of the territory not controlled by separatists would be resolved later. "The border issue is not simple, it will be resolved later," he said. (With inputs from agencies)

Russia won’t send troops to east Ukraine ‘for now’, says deputy foreign minister

Europe is likely to shoulder the brunt of the fallout of a rapidly escalating crisis over Ukraine. Middle Eastern states could prove to be a close second.

That is no truer than for Turkey and Israel, whose management of the Ukraine crisis could determine their ability to protect perceived core national interests.

Indeed, for NATO-member Turkey, the stakes could not be higher. Its 2,000 kilometre-long Black Sea coastline stretching from the Bulgarian border in the West to Georgia in the East is the longest of any of the Sea's littoral states, &nbsp;including Russia and Ukraine.

The Black Sea ranks on par with Turkey’s determination to prevent at any cost a permanent autonomous, let alone independent, Kurdish presence on Syrian soil.

“Ukraine is like a dam that stops further Russian influence and pressure in the region. If Ukraine falls, it will have direct implications on Turkey," warned a Turkish official.

Turkey’s stakes are magnified by last year’s discovery of a natural gas field in its Black Sea littoral waters that, according to Energy Minister Fatih Donmez, could by 2027 provide nearly a third of Turkey’s domestic needs.

As the crisis in Ukraine escalates, Turkey could discover that protecting both of those interests may no longer allow it to perform its virtuoso balancing act. Turkey has been maintaining a fragile partnership with Russia sustained by careful management of differences while remaining a Western ally committed to the defense of the Western alliance.

Turkish economic and military support of Ukraine and Crimean Tartars and its refusal to recognize the 2014 Russian annexation of Crimea fit well with Turkey’s tightrope act and was aligned with NATO policy.

Russia’s recognition this week of the breakaway Ukrainian republics of Donetsk and Luhansk and the moving of Russian troops into those regions threatens to throw Turkey off its tightrope and create a Catch-22 for Ankara.

The imposition of US and European sanctions against Russia is likely to be the straw that breaks the back of the Turkish tightrope act.

“Syria remains Turkey’s soft spot. For that matter, Russia is likely to put pressure on Turkey through Syria,” said Turkey scholar Galip Dalay. “At a broader level, Russia and Turkey have cooperated and competed with each other through the conflict spots in the Middle East and North Africa. However, Moscow has been less open to repeating this experience with Turkey in the ex-Soviet area."

Days before the recognition of the Ukrainian regions, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Michael Bogdanov fired a shot across Turkey's bow. Mr. Bogdanov declared that Syrian Kurdish participation in diplomatic efforts to negotiate a post-war settlement in Syria was necessary to prevent Kurdish secession and ensure the unification of the war-ravaged country.

Speaking to state-controlled Russian RT television, Mr. Bogdanov noted that the Syrian Democratic Council (SDC) controls large areas east of the Euphrates River. The region is pockmarked by a patchwork of military forces from Turkey, Russia, the United States, Syria, the Kurds, and various militant and jihadist groups.

US cooperation with the Kurds in the fight against the Islamic State has been an irritant in relations between Ankara and Washington because of Turkish assertions that the SDC is linked to the Kurdish Workers Party (PKK).

Designated a terrorist organization by Turkey, the United States, and Europe, the PKK has waged a low-intensity war in southeastern Turkey for almost four decades that has cost the lives of tens of thousands.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has sought to fend off a potential further Turkish incursion by agreeing to joint Russian-Turkish patrols in a region where Turkey has already built a chain of outposts as a buffer with Russian and Syrian regime forces.

However, Turkey accuses Russia of failing to fulfill its pledge to disarm Kurdish fighters in a 30-kilometre area along the Syrian-Turkish border.

For its part, Israel doesn't share physical land or maritime borders with either Russia or Ukraine. Still, it is discovering that its ability to counter Iran and its Lebanese ally, Hezbollah, &nbsp;militarily in Syria may depend on its approach to the Ukraine crisis.

Earlier this month, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova condemned Israeli strikes against targets in Syria as “a crude violation of Syria’s sovereignty." She warned that they "may trigger a sharp escalation of tensions.” Ms. Zakharova added that “such actions pose serious risks to international passenger flights.”

The Russian warning came weeks after Russia announced that joint Russian-Syrian air patrols had become routine. The announcement came after one of the first patrols flew along the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights that divide Israel and Syria.

Israeli Defense Minister Benny Gantz defiantly insisted in response that “we will continue to prevent the Iranian entrenchment that is eating Syria up from the inside. This is a supreme interest for the Syrian people and the regime: to stabilize, to remove Iranian forces from their territory and allow the country to be rehabilitated.”

At the same time, Foreign Minister Yair Lapid acknowledged that " “We have a kind of border with Russia" given the Russian military presence in Syria in support of President Bashar al-Assad.

Mr. Lapid noted further that Israel has sizeable Russian and Ukrainian Jewish communities and that a significant number of Jews are resident in the two feuding countries.

As a result, Israel, caught in a bind similar to Turkey's, scrambled to avoid further provoking Russia’s ire. It announced that it was banning Baltic states from transferring to Ukraine weapons with Israeli components.

In contrast to Turkey that may feel it has greater maneuverability in its relations with Russia, China, and the United States, Israel feels that its options, like in the case of China, are more limited when it comes to Russia. It cannot afford to put its relations with Washington at risk.

Said Israeli Transportation Minister Merav Michaeli hours before the Ukraine crisis came to a head: “There is no question that the special relationship that Israel has with the United States, that this government is working to rehabilitate and rebuild, is not the same relationship that Israel has with Russia.”

(Disclaimer: The views of the writer do not represent the views of WION or ZMCL. Nor does WION or ZMCL endorse the views of the writer)

Europe is likely to shoulder the brunt of the fallout of a rapidly escalating crisis over Ukraine. Middle Eastern states could prove to be a close second. That is no truer than for Turkey and Israel, whose management of the Ukraine crisis could determine their ability to protect perceived core national interests.

Europe is likely to shoulder the brunt of the fallout of a rapidly escalating crisis over Ukraine. Middle Eastern states could prove to be a close second. That is no truer than for Turkey and Israel, whose management of the Ukraine crisis could determine their ability to protect perceived core national interests. Indeed, for NATO-member Turkey, the stakes could not be higher. Its 2,000 kilometre-long Black Sea coastline stretching from the Bulgarian border in the West to Georgia in the East is the longest of any of the Sea's littoral states, including Russia and Ukraine. The Black Sea ranks on par with Turkey’s determination to prevent at any cost a permanent autonomous, let alone independent, Kurdish presence on Syrian soil. “Ukraine is like a dam that stops further Russian influence and pressure in the region. If Ukraine falls, it will have direct implications on Turkey," warned a Turkish official. Turkey’s stakes are magnified by last year’s discovery of a natural gas field in its Black Sea littoral waters that, according to Energy Minister Fatih Donmez, could by 2027 provide nearly a third of Turkey’s domestic needs. As the crisis in Ukraine escalates, Turkey could discover that protecting both of those interests may no longer allow it to perform its virtuoso balancing act. Turkey has been maintaining a fragile partnership with Russia sustained by careful management of differences while remaining a Western ally committed to the defense of the Western alliance. Turkish economic and military support of Ukraine and Crimean Tartars and its refusal to recognize the 2014 Russian annexation of Crimea fit well with Turkey’s tightrope act and was aligned with NATO policy. Russia’s recognition this week of the breakaway Ukrainian republics of Donetsk and Luhansk and the moving of Russian troops into those regions threatens to throw Turkey off its tightrope and create a Catch-22 for Ankara. The imposition of US and European sanctions against Russia is likely to be the straw that breaks the back of the Turkish tightrope act. “Syria remains Turkey’s soft spot. For that matter, Russia is likely to put pressure on Turkey through Syria,” said Turkey scholar Galip Dalay. “At a broader level, Russia and Turkey have cooperated and competed with each other through the conflict spots in the Middle East and North Africa. However, Moscow has been less open to repeating this experience with Turkey in the ex-Soviet area." Days before the recognition of the Ukrainian regions, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Michael Bogdanov fired a shot across Turkey's bow. Mr. Bogdanov declared that Syrian Kurdish participation in diplomatic efforts to negotiate a post-war settlement in Syria was necessary to prevent Kurdish secession and ensure the unification of the war-ravaged country. Speaking to state-controlled Russian RT television, Mr. Bogdanov noted that the Syrian Democratic Council (SDC) controls large areas east of the Euphrates River. The region is pockmarked by a patchwork of military forces from Turkey, Russia, the United States, Syria, the Kurds, and various militant and jihadist groups. US cooperation with the Kurds in the fight against the Islamic State has been an irritant in relations between Ankara and Washington because of Turkish assertions that the SDC is linked to the Kurdish Workers Party (PKK). Designated a terrorist organization by Turkey, the United States, and Europe, the PKK has waged a low-intensity war in southeastern Turkey for almost four decades that has cost the lives of tens of thousands. Russian President Vladimir Putin has sought to fend off a potential further Turkish incursion by agreeing to joint Russian-Turkish patrols in a region where Turkey has already built a chain of outposts as a buffer with Russian and Syrian regime forces. However, Turkey accuses Russia of failing to fulfill its pledge to disarm Kurdish fighters in a 30-kilometre area along the Syrian-Turkish border. For its part, Israel doesn't share physical land or maritime borders with either Russia or Ukraine. Still, it is discovering that its ability to counter Iran and its Lebanese ally, Hezbollah, militarily in Syria may depend on its approach to the Ukraine crisis. Earlier this month, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova condemned Israeli strikes against targets in Syria as “a crude violation of Syria’s sovereignty." She warned that they "may trigger a sharp escalation of tensions.” Ms. Zakharova added that “such actions pose serious risks to international passenger flights.” The Russian warning came weeks after Russia announced that joint Russian-Syrian air patrols had become routine. The announcement came after one of the first patrols flew along the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights that divide Israel and Syria. Israeli Defense Minister Benny Gantz defiantly insisted in response that “we will continue to prevent the Iranian entrenchment that is eating Syria up from the inside. This is a supreme interest for the Syrian people and the regime: to stabilize, to remove Iranian forces from their territory and allow the country to be rehabilitated.” At the same time, Foreign Minister Yair Lapid acknowledged that " “We have a kind of border with Russia" given the Russian military presence in Syria in support of President Bashar al-Assad. Mr. Lapid noted further that Israel has sizeable Russian and Ukrainian Jewish communities and that a significant number of Jews are resident in the two feuding countries. As a result, Israel, caught in a bind similar to Turkey's, scrambled to avoid further provoking Russia’s ire. It announced that it was banning Baltic states from transferring to Ukraine weapons with Israeli components. In contrast to Turkey that may feel it has greater maneuverability in its relations with Russia, China, and the United States, Israel feels that its options, like in the case of China, are more limited when it comes to Russia. It cannot afford to put its relations with Washington at risk. Said Israeli Transportation Minister Merav Michaeli hours before the Ukraine crisis came to a head: “There is no question that the special relationship that Israel has with the United States, that this government is working to rehabilitate and rebuild, is not the same relationship that Israel has with Russia.” (Disclaimer: The views of the writer do not represent the views of WION or ZMCL. Nor does WION or ZMCL endorse the views of the writer)

Russia breathes down Middle Eastern necks over Ukraine

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has demanded an immediate halt to Nord Stream 2 project amid ongoing conflict with Russia.

Zelensky said Russia must be punished for its recognition Monday of Ukraine's two separatist-held regions with "immediate sanctions" that include "the complete stop of Nord Stream 2".

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/biden-condemns-putins-recognition-of-ukraine-breakaway-regions-now-imposes-sanctions-455319/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

The United States and the EU already have sanctions in place on Russia's energy and defence sectors, with state-owned gas company Gazprom, its oil arm Gazpromneft and oil producers Lukoil, Rosneft and Surgutneftegaz facing various types of curbs on exports/imports and debt-raising.

Nord Stream 2, a recently completed pipeline from Russia to Germany that has yet to win regulatory approval, would also be subject to sanctions by the European Union, Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer said.

Zelenskiy also said he will consider breaking off relations with Russia after it recognised the independence of two self-proclaimed rebel republics of Donetsk and Lugansk that are situated in the rust belt in eastern Ukraine and escaped Kyiv's control in 2014.

Also see |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/donetsk-and-lugansk-ukraines-breakaway-republics-455307" hreflang="en">Donetsk and Lugansk: Ukraine's breakaway republics</a>

"Russia calls on other states to follow its example," Moscow's foreign ministry said in a statement. It added that Moscow's recognition of the rebels -- condemned by the West -- was "not easy, but the only possible step."&nbsp;

After chairing a security council meeting, Zelenskiy accused Russia of violating Ukraine's sovereign territory and said it could mean Moscow pulling the plug on the Minsk peace talks aimed at ending the separatist conflict in eastern Ukraine.

Zelenskiy said Ukraine wanted to solve the crisis through diplomacy but that his country was ready to dig in for the long haul.

Also see |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/how-a-german-climate-fund-set-out-to-help-russia-dodge-us-sanctions-453770">How a German 'climate' fund set out to help Russia dodge US sanctions</a>

"We are committed to the peaceful and diplomatic path, we will follow it and only it," Zelenskiy said. "But we are on our own land, we are not afraid of anything and anybody, we owe nothing to no one, and we will give nothing to no one."

He called for an emergency summit of the leaders of Ukraine, Russia, Germany and France while urging Ukraine's allies to take action against Russia.

With an estimated 150,000 Russian troops massed on three sides of Ukraine, the US&nbsp;has warned that Moscow has already decided to invade. Still, President Joe Biden and Putin tentatively agreed to a meeting brokered by French President Emmanuel Macron in a last-ditch effort to avoid war.

(With inputs from agencies)

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has demanded an immediate halt to Nord Stream 2 project amid ongoing conflict with Russia. Zelensky said Russia must be punished for its recognition Monday of Ukraine's two separatist-held regions with "immediate sanctions" that include "the complete stop of Nord Stream 2".

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has demanded an immediate halt to Nord Stream 2 project amid ongoing conflict with Russia. Zelensky said Russia must be punished for its recognition Monday of Ukraine's two separatist-held regions with "immediate sanctions" that include "the complete stop of Nord Stream 2". The United States and the EU already have sanctions in place on Russia's energy and defence sectors, with state-owned gas company Gazprom, its oil arm Gazpromneft and oil producers Lukoil, Rosneft and Surgutneftegaz facing various types of curbs on exports/imports and debt-raising. Nord Stream 2, a recently completed pipeline from Russia to Germany that has yet to win regulatory approval, would also be subject to sanctions by the European Union, Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer said. Zelenskiy also said he will consider breaking off relations with Russia after it recognised the independence of two self-proclaimed rebel republics of Donetsk and Lugansk that are situated in the rust belt in eastern Ukraine and escaped Kyiv's control in 2014. Also see | Donetsk and Lugansk: Ukraine's breakaway republics "Russia calls on other states to follow its example," Moscow's foreign ministry said in a statement. It added that Moscow's recognition of the rebels -- condemned by the West -- was "not easy, but the only possible step." After chairing a security council meeting, Zelenskiy accused Russia of violating Ukraine's sovereign territory and said it could mean Moscow pulling the plug on the Minsk peace talks aimed at ending the separatist conflict in eastern Ukraine. Zelenskiy said Ukraine wanted to solve the crisis through diplomacy but that his country was ready to dig in for the long haul. Also see | How a German 'climate' fund set out to help Russia dodge US sanctions "We are committed to the peaceful and diplomatic path, we will follow it and only it," Zelenskiy said. "But we are on our own land, we are not afraid of anything and anybody, we owe nothing to no one, and we will give nothing to no one." He called for an emergency summit of the leaders of Ukraine, Russia, Germany and France while urging Ukraine's allies to take action against Russia. With an estimated 150,000 Russian troops massed on three sides of Ukraine, the US has warned that Moscow has already decided to invade. Still, President Joe Biden and Putin tentatively agreed to a meeting brokered by French President Emmanuel Macron in a last-ditch effort to avoid war. (With inputs from agencies)

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy demands immediate halt to Nord Stream 2 project

French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, and US President Joe Biden will consult on the Ukraine crisis "within hours", Macron's office said on Sunday.

Following his 105-minute call with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Macron may also exchange with British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi, and "other close partners", the French presidency said.

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/gravitas-plus-explained-the-russia-ukraine-crisis-454859/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said that a Russian attack on Ukraine would be a "serious mistake" with high "political, economic and geostrategic costs".

There was no justification for some 100,000 soldiers massing on Ukraine's borders, he told the Munich Security Conference.

Russia has amassed over 100,000 soldiers at the border to Ukraine, sparking fear in Western countries and Ukraine of a potential invasion of Ukraine by Russian forces.

"Russia has made the issue of Ukraine's possible NATO membership a casus belli, which is a paradox because here is no decision on this on the agenda," he said.

The West was nonetheless ready to negotiate over Russia's security demands "without being naive".

Also see |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/strike-force-russias-tornado-s-rocket-system-can-strike-multiple-targets-454294">Strike force: Russia's Tornado-S rocket system can strike multiple targets</a>

"We will differentiate clearly between untenable demands and legitimate security interests," he added. Scholz said Germany will continue being one of the biggest financial supporters of Ukraine.

Russia extended military drills near Ukraine’s northern borders Sunday amid increased fears that two days of sustained shelling along the contact line between soldiers and Russa-backed separatists in eastern Ukraine could spark an invasion.

Also see |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/russias-next-wonder-weapon-kedr-intercontinental-ballistic-missile-454013">Russia's next wonder weapon: Kedr intercontinental ballistic missile</a>

The exercises were originally set to end Sunday and brought a sizable contingent of Russian forces to Belarus. The presence of the Russian troops raised concern that they could be used to sweep down on the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv, a city of about 3 million people less than a three-hour drive away.

In new signs of fears of imminent war, Germany and Austria told their citizens to leave Ukraine, and NATO’s liaison office in Kyiv pulled staff to Brussels and to the western Ukraine city of Lviv.

“When tension is escalated to the maximum, as it is now, for example, on the line of contact, then any spark, any unplanned incident or any minor planned provocation can lead to irreparable consequences,” Putin’ spokesman Dmitry Peskov said in an interview that aired Sunday on Russian state television.

(With inputs from agencies)

French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, and US President Joe Biden will consult on the Ukraine crisis "within hours", Macron's office said on Sunday.

French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, and US President Joe Biden will consult on the Ukraine crisis "within hours", Macron's office said on Sunday. Following his 105-minute call with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Macron may also exchange with British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi, and "other close partners", the French presidency said. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said that a Russian attack on Ukraine would be a "serious mistake" with high "political, economic and geostrategic costs". There was no justification for some 100,000 soldiers massing on Ukraine's borders, he told the Munich Security Conference. Russia has amassed over 100,000 soldiers at the border to Ukraine, sparking fear in Western countries and Ukraine of a potential invasion of Ukraine by Russian forces. "Russia has made the issue of Ukraine's possible NATO membership a casus belli, which is a paradox because here is no decision on this on the agenda," he said. The West was nonetheless ready to negotiate over Russia's security demands "without being naive". Also see | Strike force: Russia's Tornado-S rocket system can strike multiple targets "We will differentiate clearly between untenable demands and legitimate security interests," he added. Scholz said Germany will continue being one of the biggest financial supporters of Ukraine. Russia extended military drills near Ukraine’s northern borders Sunday amid increased fears that two days of sustained shelling along the contact line between soldiers and Russa-backed separatists in eastern Ukraine could spark an invasion. Also see | Russia's next wonder weapon: Kedr intercontinental ballistic missile The exercises were originally set to end Sunday and brought a sizable contingent of Russian forces to Belarus. The presence of the Russian troops raised concern that they could be used to sweep down on the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv, a city of about 3 million people less than a three-hour drive away. In new signs of fears of imminent war, Germany and Austria told their citizens to leave Ukraine, and NATO’s liaison office in Kyiv pulled staff to Brussels and to the western Ukraine city of Lviv. “When tension is escalated to the maximum, as it is now, for example, on the line of contact, then any spark, any unplanned incident or any minor planned provocation can lead to irreparable consequences,” Putin’ spokesman Dmitry Peskov said in an interview that aired Sunday on Russian state television. (With inputs from agencies)

France says Macron, Biden, Scholz to consult on Ukraine crisis

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has said that all indications point towards Russia being ''on the brink'' of invading Ukraine.

Speaking on broadcaster CNN'S State of the Union show, Blinken, however, added that the United States was committed until the last minute to using every opportunity to see if diplomacy can dissuade Russian President Vladimir Putin from going ahead with an invasion

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/gravitas-plus-explained-the-russia-ukraine-crisis-454859/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

"Everything we are seeing suggests that this is dead serious, that we are on the brink of an invasion. We will do everything we can to try to prevent it before it happens," Blinken said, adding that the West was equally prepared if Moscow invades.

"Until the tanks are actually rolling, and the planes are flying, we will use every opportunity and every minute we have to see if diplomacy can still dissuade President (Vladimir) Putin from carrying this forward," he said.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/ukraine-crisis-belarus-says-russian-forces-to-remain-for-more-drills-454821">Ukraine crisis: Belarus says Russian forces to remain for more drills</a>

He told CBS's "Face the Nation" Biden has made "very clear that he's prepared to meet President Putin at any time, in any format, if that can help prevent a war."

Russia extended military drills near Ukraine’s northern borders Sunday amid increased fears that two days of sustained shelling along the contact line between soldiers and Russa-backed separatists in eastern Ukraine could spark an invasion.

The exercises were originally set to end Sunday and brought a sizable contingent of Russian forces to Belarus. The presence of the Russian troops raised concern that they could be used to sweep down on the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv, a city of about 3 million people less than a three-hour drive away.

Russian President Vladimir Putin blamed Kyiv for a military escalation in east Ukraine in a call with French leader Emmanuel Macron, but said diplomatic efforts to find a resolution needed to intensify.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/russia-planning-biggest-war-since-1945-says-boris-johnson-454778">Russia planning biggest war since 1945, says Boris Johnson</a>

Putin "noted that the cause of the escalation is provocations carried out by the Ukrainian security forces," according to a Kremlin readout of the call, which added however that the two leaders "believe it is important to intensify efforts to find solutions through diplomatic means".

Putin also repeated a call for "the United States and NATO to take Russian demands for security guarantees seriously".

Meanwhile, Ukraine president Volodymyr Zelenskiy on Sunday called for an immediate ceasefire in the eastern part of the country, where clashes between pro-Russian separatists and Ukrainian forces intensified in recent days.

He also said Ukraine supports peace talks within the Trilateral Contact Group, where Ukraine participates along with Russia and the Organization for Security and Co-Operation in Europe (OSCE).

(With inputs from agencies)

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has said that all indications point towards Russia being ''on the brink'' of invading Ukraine. Speaking on broadcaster CNN'S State of the Union show, Blinken, however, added that the United States was committed until the last minute to using every opportunity to see if diplomacy can dissuade Russian President Vladimir Putin from going ahead with an invasion "Everything we are seeing suggests that this is dead serious, that we are on the brink of an invasion.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has said that all indications point towards Russia being ''on the brink'' of invading Ukraine. Speaking on broadcaster CNN'S State of the Union show, Blinken, however, added that the United States was committed until the last minute to using every opportunity to see if diplomacy can dissuade Russian President Vladimir Putin from going ahead with an invasion "Everything we are seeing suggests that this is dead serious, that we are on the brink of an invasion. We will do everything we can to try to prevent it before it happens," Blinken said, adding that the West was equally prepared if Moscow invades. "Until the tanks are actually rolling, and the planes are flying, we will use every opportunity and every minute we have to see if diplomacy can still dissuade President (Vladimir) Putin from carrying this forward," he said. Also read | Ukraine crisis: Belarus says Russian forces to remain for more drills He told CBS's "Face the Nation" Biden has made "very clear that he's prepared to meet President Putin at any time, in any format, if that can help prevent a war." Russia extended military drills near Ukraine’s northern borders Sunday amid increased fears that two days of sustained shelling along the contact line between soldiers and Russa-backed separatists in eastern Ukraine could spark an invasion. The exercises were originally set to end Sunday and brought a sizable contingent of Russian forces to Belarus. The presence of the Russian troops raised concern that they could be used to sweep down on the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv, a city of about 3 million people less than a three-hour drive away. Russian President Vladimir Putin blamed Kyiv for a military escalation in east Ukraine in a call with French leader Emmanuel Macron, but said diplomatic efforts to find a resolution needed to intensify. Also read | Russia planning biggest war since 1945, says Boris Johnson Putin "noted that the cause of the escalation is provocations carried out by the Ukrainian security forces," according to a Kremlin readout of the call, which added however that the two leaders "believe it is important to intensify efforts to find solutions through diplomatic means". Putin also repeated a call for "the United States and NATO to take Russian demands for security guarantees seriously". Meanwhile, Ukraine president Volodymyr Zelenskiy on Sunday called for an immediate ceasefire in the eastern part of the country, where clashes between pro-Russian separatists and Ukrainian forces intensified in recent days. He also said Ukraine supports peace talks within the Trilateral Contact Group, where Ukraine participates along with Russia and the Organization for Security and Co-Operation in Europe (OSCE). (With inputs from agencies)

All indications Russia 'on brink' of invading Ukraine, says Blinken

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said everything that`s happening on the ground in Ukraine, including the announcement of an extension of military exercises by Russia and Belarus, suggest the world is on the brink of a Russian invasion of Ukraine. 
 
Speaking on broadcaster CNN's&nbsp;State of the Union show, Blinken, however, added that the United States was committed until the last minute to using every opportunity to see if diplomacy can dissuade Russian President Vladimir Putin from going ahead with an invasion.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said everything that`s happening on the ground in Ukraine, including the announcement of an extension of military exercises by Russia and Belarus, suggest the world is on the brink of a Russian invasion of Ukraine.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said everything that`s happening on the ground in Ukraine, including the announcement of an extension of military exercises by Russia and Belarus, suggest the world is on the brink of a Russian invasion of Ukraine. Speaking on broadcaster CNN's State of the Union show, Blinken, however, added that the United States was committed until the last minute to using every opportunity to see if diplomacy can dissuade Russian President Vladimir Putin from going ahead with an invasion.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken says all signs suggest Russia on the brink of invading Ukraine

Ukraine president Volodymyr Zelenskiy on Sunday called for an immediate ceasefire in the eastern part of the country, where clashes between pro-Russian separatists and Ukrainian forces intensified in recent days. 
 
He also said Ukraine supports peace talks within the Trilateral Contact Group, where Ukraine participates along with Russia and the Organization for Security and Co-Operation in Europe (OSCE). 
 
"We stand for intensifying the peace process. We support the immediate convening of the TCG and the immediate introduction of a regime of silence," Zelenskiy said on Twitter.

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Continuing yesterday's conversation, informed <a href="https://twitter.com/EmmanuelMacron?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@EmmanuelMacron</a> about the current security situation and new provocative shelling. We stand for intensifying the peace process. We support the immediate convening of the TCG and the immediate introduction of a regime of silence.
— Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) <a href="https://twitter.com/ZelenskyyUa/status/1495388282150080518?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 20, 2022</a></blockquote>
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Watch | Gravitas Plus | Explained: The Russia-Ukraine crisis

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Ukraine president Volodymyr Zelenskiy on Sunday called for an immediate ceasefire in the eastern part of the country, where clashes between pro-Russian separatists and Ukrainian forces intensified in recent days.

Ukraine president Volodymyr Zelenskiy on Sunday called for an immediate ceasefire in the eastern part of the country, where clashes between pro-Russian separatists and Ukrainian forces intensified in recent days. He also said Ukraine supports peace talks within the Trilateral Contact Group, where Ukraine participates along with Russia and the Organization for Security and Co-Operation in Europe (OSCE). "We stand for intensifying the peace process. We support the immediate convening of the TCG and the immediate introduction of a regime of silence," Zelenskiy said on Twitter. Continuing yesterday's conversation, informed @EmmanuelMacron about the current security situation and new provocative shelling. We stand for intensifying the peace process. We support the immediate convening of the TCG and the immediate introduction of a regime of silence. — Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) February 20, 2022 × Watch | Gravitas Plus | Explained: The Russia-Ukraine crisis

Ukraine president Volodymyr Zelenskiy calls for immediate ceasefire

Belarus' Defence Ministry has said Russia and Belarus would extend joint military exercises that had been due to end on Sunday.

"The presidents of Belarus and Russia decided to continue inspections of the readiness of Union State forces," the Belarusian defence minister Victor Khrenin said in a statement.

He said the decision was taken due to increased military activity along the Belarusian and Russian borders and because of an "escalation" in east Ukraine.

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The next stage would address defence areas that had not been fully covered by the earlier stages of training, Belarus Defence Minister Viktor Khrenin said.

"In general, its focus will remain unchanged - it is designed to ensure an adequate response and de-escalation of military preparations of ill-wishers near our common borders," Khrenin said.

Hundreds of artillery shells exploded along the contact line between Ukrainian soldiers and Russia-backed separatists, and thousands of people evacuated eastern Ukraine, further increasing fears Sunday that the volatile region could spark a Russian invasion.

Also see |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/russias-next-wonder-weapon-kedr-intercontinental-ballistic-missile-454013">Russia's next wonder weapon: Kedr intercontinental ballistic missile</a>

Western leaders warned that Russia was poised to attack its neighbor, which is surrounded on three sides by about 150,000 Russian soldiers, warplanes and equipment. Russia held nuclear drills Saturday and conducted conventional exercises in neighboring Belarus, and has ongoing naval drills off the coast in the Black Sea.

The United States and many European countries have alleged for months that Russia is trying to create pretexts to invade. They have threatened massive, immediate sanctions if it does.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called on Russian President Vladimir Putin to choose a place where the two leaders could meet to try to resolve the crisis. Russia has denied plans to invade.

“Ukraine will continue to follow only the diplomatic path for the sake of a peaceful settlement,” Zelenskyy said Saturday at an international security conference in Munich, Germany.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)

Belarus' Defence Ministry has said Russia and Belarus would extend joint military exercises that had been due to end on Sunday. "The presidents of Belarus and Russia decided to continue inspections of the readiness of Union State forces," the Belarusian defence minister Victor Khrenin said in a statement.

Belarus' Defence Ministry has said Russia and Belarus would extend joint military exercises that had been due to end on Sunday. "The presidents of Belarus and Russia decided to continue inspections of the readiness of Union State forces," the Belarusian defence minister Victor Khrenin said in a statement. He said the decision was taken due to increased military activity along the Belarusian and Russian borders and because of an "escalation" in east Ukraine. The next stage would address defence areas that had not been fully covered by the earlier stages of training, Belarus Defence Minister Viktor Khrenin said. "In general, its focus will remain unchanged - it is designed to ensure an adequate response and de-escalation of military preparations of ill-wishers near our common borders," Khrenin said. Hundreds of artillery shells exploded along the contact line between Ukrainian soldiers and Russia-backed separatists, and thousands of people evacuated eastern Ukraine, further increasing fears Sunday that the volatile region could spark a Russian invasion. Also see | Russia's next wonder weapon: Kedr intercontinental ballistic missile Western leaders warned that Russia was poised to attack its neighbor, which is surrounded on three sides by about 150,000 Russian soldiers, warplanes and equipment. Russia held nuclear drills Saturday and conducted conventional exercises in neighboring Belarus, and has ongoing naval drills off the coast in the Black Sea. The United States and many European countries have alleged for months that Russia is trying to create pretexts to invade. They have threatened massive, immediate sanctions if it does. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called on Russian President Vladimir Putin to choose a place where the two leaders could meet to try to resolve the crisis. Russia has denied plans to invade. “Ukraine will continue to follow only the diplomatic path for the sake of a peaceful settlement,” Zelenskyy said Saturday at an international security conference in Munich, Germany. (With inputs from agencies)

Ukraine crisis: Belarus says Russian forces to remain for more drills

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has said that Russia is planning the biggest war since 1945.

"The fact is that all the signs are that the plan has already in some senses begun," he said in a BBC interview broadcast Sunday from the Munich Security Conference, after two Ukrainian soldiers were killed in attacks around rebel-held enclaves.

"People need to understand the sheer cost in human life that could entail," he said, after previously indicating that the West would continue to support any Ukraine resistance after an invasion.

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"I'm afraid to say that the plan we are seeing is for something that could be really the biggest war in Europe since 1945, just in terms of sheer scale."

Hundreds of artillery shells exploded along the contact line between Ukrainian soldiers and Russia-backed separatists, and thousands of people evacuated eastern Ukraine, further increasing fears Sunday that the volatile region could spark a Russian invasion.

Western leaders warned that Russia was poised to attack its neighbor, which is surrounded on three sides by about 150,000 Russian soldiers, warplanes and equipment. Russia held nuclear drills Saturday in neighboring Belarus and has ongoing naval drills off the coast in the Black Sea.

Also see |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/satellite-pictures-show-russian-helicopters-still-parked-in-crimea-454505">Satellite pictures show Russian helicopters still parked in Crimea</a>

The United States and many European countries have alleged for months that Russia is trying to create pretexts to invade. They have threatened massive, immediate sanctions if it does.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called on Russian President Vladimir Putin to choose a place to meet where the two leaders could meet to try to resolve the crisis.

Separatist leaders in eastern Ukraine on Saturday ordered a full military mobilisation and sent more civilians to Russia, which has issued about 700,000 passports to residents of the rebel-held territories.

Also see |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/strike-force-russias-tornado-s-rocket-system-can-strike-multiple-targets-454294">Strike force: Russia's Tornado-S rocket system can strike multiple targets</a>

Johnson has recommended that the West should cut off Russian companies' access to US dollars and British pounds if the Kremlin orders an invasion of Ukraine.

Given Russia's position as one of the world's top exporters of oil, gas and metals, which are largely priced and settled in US dollars, blocking Russian companies from access to dollar markets could have a stinging impact.

Putin has repeatedly called for reducing reliance on the US dollar trade.

Russia's largest oil company Rosneft fully switched the currency of its contracts to euros from US dollars to shield its transactions from US sanctions, CEO Igor Sechin said in 2019.

(With inputs from agencies)

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has said that Russia is planning the biggest war since 1945. "The fact is that all the signs are that the plan has already in some senses begun," he said in a BBC interview broadcast Sunday from the Munich Security Conference, after two Ukrainian soldiers were killed in attacks around rebel-held enclaves.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has said that Russia is planning the biggest war since 1945. "The fact is that all the signs are that the plan has already in some senses begun," he said in a BBC interview broadcast Sunday from the Munich Security Conference, after two Ukrainian soldiers were killed in attacks around rebel-held enclaves. "People need to understand the sheer cost in human life that could entail," he said, after previously indicating that the West would continue to support any Ukraine resistance after an invasion. "I'm afraid to say that the plan we are seeing is for something that could be really the biggest war in Europe since 1945, just in terms of sheer scale." Hundreds of artillery shells exploded along the contact line between Ukrainian soldiers and Russia-backed separatists, and thousands of people evacuated eastern Ukraine, further increasing fears Sunday that the volatile region could spark a Russian invasion. Western leaders warned that Russia was poised to attack its neighbor, which is surrounded on three sides by about 150,000 Russian soldiers, warplanes and equipment. Russia held nuclear drills Saturday in neighboring Belarus and has ongoing naval drills off the coast in the Black Sea. Also see | Satellite pictures show Russian helicopters still parked in Crimea The United States and many European countries have alleged for months that Russia is trying to create pretexts to invade. They have threatened massive, immediate sanctions if it does. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called on Russian President Vladimir Putin to choose a place to meet where the two leaders could meet to try to resolve the crisis. Separatist leaders in eastern Ukraine on Saturday ordered a full military mobilisation and sent more civilians to Russia, which has issued about 700,000 passports to residents of the rebel-held territories. Also see | Strike force: Russia's Tornado-S rocket system can strike multiple targets Johnson has recommended that the West should cut off Russian companies' access to US dollars and British pounds if the Kremlin orders an invasion of Ukraine. Given Russia's position as one of the world's top exporters of oil, gas and metals, which are largely priced and settled in US dollars, blocking Russian companies from access to dollar markets could have a stinging impact. Putin has repeatedly called for reducing reliance on the US dollar trade. Russia's largest oil company Rosneft fully switched the currency of its contracts to euros from US dollars to shield its transactions from US sanctions, CEO Igor Sechin said in 2019. (With inputs from agencies)

Russia planning biggest war since 1945, says Boris Johnson

US Vice President Kamala Harris said on Saturday that any Russian invasion in Ukraine will invite not only damaging economic sanctions but also a bolstered NATO on Europe's eastern flank.

"We have prepared economic measures that will be swift, severe, and united," Harris said.&nbsp;"We will target Russia's financial institutions and key industries."

The United States will not stop with economic measures, but will further reinforce the eastern flank of NATO, Harris said at the Munich Security Conference, which she attended in person.

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The United States and European countries remain on high alert should Russia create a pretext for invasion. Her comments appeared aimed at sending Putin a message the crisis has bolstered the 30-country NATO alliance's resolve to push back against any Russian aggression.

With an estimated 150,000 Russian troops now posted around Ukraine’s borders, the long-simmering separatist conflict could provide the spark for a broader attack.

Ukraine’s military said shelling killed a soldier Saturday in the government-held part of the Donetsk region and that separatist forces were placing artillery in residential areas to try and provoke a response.

Also see |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/strike-force-russias-tornado-s-rocket-system-can-strike-multiple-targets-454294">Strike force: Russia's Tornado-S rocket system can strike multiple targets</a>

On Friday, the rebels began evacuating civilians to Russia with an announcement that appeared to be part of their and Moscow’s efforts to paint Ukraine as the aggressor.

US President Joe Biden said late Friday he was now “convinced” that Russian President Vladimir Putin has decided to invade Ukraine and assault the capital, Kyiv.

Meanwhile, the Kremlin announced that it would conduct massive nuclear drills Saturday, and Putin pledged to protect Russia’s national interests against what it sees as encroaching Western threats.

Biden reiterated his threat of crushing economic and diplomatic sanctions against Russia if it does invade Ukraine, and pressed Putin to reconsider.

Lines of communication between Moscow and Washington remain open: the American and Russian defense chiefs spoke Friday. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov agreed to meet next week.

Immediate worries focused on eastern Ukraine, where Ukrainian forces have been fighting the pro-Russia rebels since 2014 in a conflict that has killed some 14,000 people.

Violations of a 2015 ceasefire agreement, including shelling and shooting along the line of contact, have been common.

(With inputs from agencies)

US Vice President Kamala Harris said on Saturday that any Russian invasion in Ukraine will invite not only damaging economic sanctions but also a bolstered NATO on Europe's eastern flank.

US Vice President Kamala Harris said on Saturday that any Russian invasion in Ukraine will invite not only damaging economic sanctions but also a bolstered NATO on Europe's eastern flank. "We have prepared economic measures that will be swift, severe, and united," Harris said. "We will target Russia's financial institutions and key industries." The United States will not stop with economic measures, but will further reinforce the eastern flank of NATO, Harris said at the Munich Security Conference, which she attended in person. The United States and European countries remain on high alert should Russia create a pretext for invasion. Her comments appeared aimed at sending Putin a message the crisis has bolstered the 30-country NATO alliance's resolve to push back against any Russian aggression. With an estimated 150,000 Russian troops now posted around Ukraine’s borders, the long-simmering separatist conflict could provide the spark for a broader attack. Ukraine’s military said shelling killed a soldier Saturday in the government-held part of the Donetsk region and that separatist forces were placing artillery in residential areas to try and provoke a response. Also see | Strike force: Russia's Tornado-S rocket system can strike multiple targets On Friday, the rebels began evacuating civilians to Russia with an announcement that appeared to be part of their and Moscow’s efforts to paint Ukraine as the aggressor. US President Joe Biden said late Friday he was now “convinced” that Russian President Vladimir Putin has decided to invade Ukraine and assault the capital, Kyiv. Meanwhile, the Kremlin announced that it would conduct massive nuclear drills Saturday, and Putin pledged to protect Russia’s national interests against what it sees as encroaching Western threats. Biden reiterated his threat of crushing economic and diplomatic sanctions against Russia if it does invade Ukraine, and pressed Putin to reconsider. Lines of communication between Moscow and Washington remain open: the American and Russian defense chiefs spoke Friday. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov agreed to meet next week. Immediate worries focused on eastern Ukraine, where Ukrainian forces have been fighting the pro-Russia rebels since 2014 in a conflict that has killed some 14,000 people. Violations of a 2015 ceasefire agreement, including shelling and shooting along the line of contact, have been common. (With inputs from agencies)

Russia invading Ukraine will invite bolstered NATO on Europe's eastern flank: Harris

The staccato thud of exploding shells can be heard along the tense lines in Ukraine's Lugansk area between government forces and rebel-held territory.

On Kyiv's side of the front, civilian residences and buildings appear to have been caught in the crossfire of Thursday's bombardment, with debris scattered across the once-peaceful floors.

"They've been shooting every now and then for the last two days," a resident of the border town of Stanytsia Luhanska tells AFP as he stands in the ruins of his home.&nbsp;

Meanwhile, Russian President Vladimir Putin claims that the situation in Eastern Ukraine is worsening.

Since 2014, Russia has backed separatist insurgents in territories controlled by the separatists.

Moscow maintains that it has no plans to invade Ukraine and accuses the West of inciting "hysteria."&nbsp;

According to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, escalation of the Russia-Ukraine conflict into a war would be "catastrophic," as he said at the opening ceremony of the Munich Security Conference on Friday, which Moscow will not attend this year.&nbsp;

"With a concentration of Russian troops around Ukraine, I am deeply concerned about heightened tensions and increased speculation about a military conflict in Europe," Guterres said. If that happened, "it would be catastrophic," he warned. "There is no alternative to diplomacy."

(With inputs from agencies)

The staccato thud of exploding shells can be heard along the tense lines in Ukraine's Lugansk area between government forces and rebel-held territory. On Kyiv's side of the front, civilian residences and buildings appear to have been caught in the crossfire of Thursday's bombardment, with debris scattered across the once-peaceful floors.

The staccato thud of exploding shells can be heard along the tense lines in Ukraine's Lugansk area between government forces and rebel-held territory. On Kyiv's side of the front, civilian residences and buildings appear to have been caught in the crossfire of Thursday's bombardment, with debris scattered across the once-peaceful floors. "They've been shooting every now and then for the last two days," a resident of the border town of Stanytsia Luhanska tells AFP as he stands in the ruins of his home. Meanwhile, Russian President Vladimir Putin claims that the situation in Eastern Ukraine is worsening. Since 2014, Russia has backed separatist insurgents in territories controlled by the separatists. Moscow maintains that it has no plans to invade Ukraine and accuses the West of inciting "hysteria." According to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, escalation of the Russia-Ukraine conflict into a war would be "catastrophic," as he said at the opening ceremony of the Munich Security Conference on Friday, which Moscow will not attend this year. "With a concentration of Russian troops around Ukraine, I am deeply concerned about heightened tensions and increased speculation about a military conflict in Europe," Guterres said. If that happened, "it would be catastrophic," he warned. "There is no alternative to diplomacy." (With inputs from agencies)

Explosions heard after shelling destroys houses in East Ukraine

Russia continues to deny planning an invasion of Ukraine, but Western leaders say it could happen in the coming days.

According to US authorities, Russia currently has up to 190,000 troops stationed in and around Ukraine.

They claim it is Europe's "largest military mobilisation" since World War II.

US President Joe Biden will host a call with the leaders of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Romania, Britain, the EU and NATO.&nbsp; 
 
<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/number-of-russian-troops-around-ukraine-reaches-149000-kyiv-454326">Also read | Number of Russian troops around Ukraine reaches 149,000: Kyiv</a>

In light of this warlike situation, world leaders are meeting in Munich today for the first time since 1999 for a security conference, but Russia will be absent.

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<h5>Officials from the United States and Ukraine have warned that the information war might worsen ahead of any Russian military engagement. That war appears to have escalated in the last 24 hours.</h5>
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Meanwhile, Russian President Vladimir Putin claims that the situation in Eastern Ukraine is worsening.

Since 2014, Russia has backed separatist insurgents in territories controlled by the separatists.

Moscow maintains that it has no plans to invade Ukraine and accuses the West of inciting "hysteria."&nbsp; 
 
<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/more-tanks-returning-to-permanent-bases-after-drills-says-russia-454247">Also read | More tanks returning to permanent bases after drills, says Russia</a>

According to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, escalation of the Russia-Ukraine conflict into a war would be "catastrophic," as he said at the opening ceremony of the Munich Security Conference on Friday, which Moscow will not attend this year.&nbsp; 
 
Watch | Gravitas: Ukraine Crisis: Is Moscow manufacturing a pretext for an invasion?

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<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/ukraine-crisis-how-putin-built-russias-army-as-a-potent-force-453715">Also Read in Pics:&nbsp;&nbsp;How Putin built Russia's Army as a potent force</a>

&nbsp;

"With a concentration of Russian troops around Ukraine, I am deeply concerned about heightened tensions and increased speculation about a military conflict in Europe," Guterres said. If that happened, "it would be catastrophic," he warned. "There is no alternative to diplomacy."

(With inputs from agencies)

Russia continues to deny planning an invasion of Ukraine, but Western leaders say it could happen in the coming days. According to US authorities, Russia currently has up to 190,000 troops stationed in and around Ukraine.

Russia continues to deny planning an invasion of Ukraine, but Western leaders say it could happen in the coming days. According to US authorities, Russia currently has up to 190,000 troops stationed in and around Ukraine. They claim it is Europe's "largest military mobilisation" since World War II. US President Joe Biden will host a call with the leaders of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Romania, Britain, the EU and NATO. Also read | Number of Russian troops around Ukraine reaches 149,000: Kyiv In light of this warlike situation, world leaders are meeting in Munich today for the first time since 1999 for a security conference, but Russia will be absent. Officials from the United States and Ukraine have warned that the information war might worsen ahead of any Russian military engagement. That war appears to have escalated in the last 24 hours. × Meanwhile, Russian President Vladimir Putin claims that the situation in Eastern Ukraine is worsening. Since 2014, Russia has backed separatist insurgents in territories controlled by the separatists. Moscow maintains that it has no plans to invade Ukraine and accuses the West of inciting "hysteria." Also read | More tanks returning to permanent bases after drills, says Russia According to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, escalation of the Russia-Ukraine conflict into a war would be "catastrophic," as he said at the opening ceremony of the Munich Security Conference on Friday, which Moscow will not attend this year. Watch | Gravitas: Ukraine Crisis: Is Moscow manufacturing a pretext for an invasion? Also Read in Pics: How Putin built Russia's Army as a potent force "With a concentration of Russian troops around Ukraine, I am deeply concerned about heightened tensions and increased speculation about a military conflict in Europe," Guterres said. If that happened, "it would be catastrophic," he warned. "There is no alternative to diplomacy." (With inputs from agencies)

Russian troop buildup is the largest since World War II: US

US secretary of state Anthony Blinken told the United Nations on Friday that Russia is seeking to unleash a major invasion in the "coming days".

The US diplomat citing intelligence inputs asked Russia to "announce today with no qualification, equivocation or deflection that Russia will not invade Ukraine. State it clearly. State it plainly to the world."

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/ukraine-crisis-how-putin-built-russias-army-as-a-potent-force-453715">Also Read in Pics:&nbsp;Ukraine crisis: How Putin built Russia's Army as a potent force</a>

President Biden said Russia was planning a "false flag operation" in order to invade Ukraine as a pretext to launch an attack.&nbsp;

"They have not moved any of their troops out. They've moved more troops in," the US president said, adding, "Every indication we have is that they're prepared to go into Ukraine." Biden reiterated that path to diplomacy "is a way through this".

Blinken said Russia should demonstrate its intentions "by sending your troops, your tanks, your planes, back to their barrack" and allow its diplomats to negotiate.

Watch:&nbsp;Is Russia conducting a proxy war in Ukraine?

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Russia has repeatedly scoffed at reports that its forces are ready to invade Ukraine even as the US has said heavy artillery, tanks and thousands of troops&nbsp;are stationed at the border with Ukraine.

Meanwhile, shelling was reported as exchanges of fire took place between Ukraine's forces and pro-Russian separatists

Russia had submitted a security document to the United States and NATO stating that ex-Soviet states&nbsp;should not be inducted into the European military alliance referring to Ukraine, however, both NATO and the US have rejected Russia's direction.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/russias-next-wonder-weapon-kedr-intercontinental-ballistic-missile-454013">Also Read in Pics:&nbsp;Russia's next wonder weapon: Kedr intercontinental ballistic missile</a>

"In the absence of will on the American side to negotiate firm and legally binding guarantees on our security from the United States and its allies, Russia will be forced to respond, including with military-technical measures," the Russian foreign ministry said.

Russia had announced earlier this week that its forces were returning to their permanent bases after drills in Belarus including those who had taken part in the Crimea military exercise. However, the US said it needs proof of Russian withdrawal.

US officials say there are at least 150,000 Russian troops massed along the southern, eastern and northern borders of Ukraine.

(With inputs from Agencies)

 
&nbsp;

US secretary of state Anthony Blinken told the United Nations on Friday that Russia is seeking to unleash a major invasion in the "coming days". The US diplomat citing intelligence inputs asked Russia to "announce today with no qualification, equivocation or deflection that Russia will not invade Ukraine.

US secretary of state Anthony Blinken told the United Nations on Friday that Russia is seeking to unleash a major invasion in the "coming days". The US diplomat citing intelligence inputs asked Russia to "announce today with no qualification, equivocation or deflection that Russia will not invade Ukraine. State it clearly. State it plainly to the world." Also Read in Pics: Ukraine crisis: How Putin built Russia's Army as a potent force President Biden said Russia was planning a "false flag operation" in order to invade Ukraine as a pretext to launch an attack. "They have not moved any of their troops out. They've moved more troops in," the US president said, adding, "Every indication we have is that they're prepared to go into Ukraine." Biden reiterated that path to diplomacy "is a way through this". Blinken said Russia should demonstrate its intentions "by sending your troops, your tanks, your planes, back to their barrack" and allow its diplomats to negotiate. Watch: Is Russia conducting a proxy war in Ukraine? Russia has repeatedly scoffed at reports that its forces are ready to invade Ukraine even as the US has said heavy artillery, tanks and thousands of troops are stationed at the border with Ukraine. Meanwhile, shelling was reported as exchanges of fire took place between Ukraine's forces and pro-Russian separatists Russia had submitted a security document to the United States and NATO stating that ex-Soviet states should not be inducted into the European military alliance referring to Ukraine, however, both NATO and the US have rejected Russia's direction. Also Read in Pics: Russia's next wonder weapon: Kedr intercontinental ballistic missile "In the absence of will on the American side to negotiate firm and legally binding guarantees on our security from the United States and its allies, Russia will be forced to respond, including with military-technical measures," the Russian foreign ministry said. Russia had announced earlier this week that its forces were returning to their permanent bases after drills in Belarus including those who had taken part in the Crimea military exercise. However, the US said it needs proof of Russian withdrawal. US officials say there are at least 150,000 Russian troops massed along the southern, eastern and northern borders of Ukraine. (With inputs from Agencies)

State plainly Russia will not invade Ukraine, US challenges Putin

In an exclusive conversation with WION's Executive Editor Palki Sharma, Igor Polikha, the Ukrainian ambassador to India, has stated that he does not believe a war with Russia is imminent.&nbsp;

When asked about the concerns of Indian parents whose children are studying in Ukraine, he stated that "The situation in Ukraine is not as critical and panicky as some people are trying to make it out to be.I understand that parents are concerned. I don't believe a war is imminent.It is an Indian citizen's right to choose whether to return to India or remain in Ukraine".

In the wake of the 'uncertainties,' India recommended its people, particularly students, to leave Ukraine temporarily and avoid non-essential travel to and within the country.&nbsp; 
 
Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/no-sign-of-russian-troops-withdrawal-yet-ukraine-president-voldymyr-zelensky-453772" hreflang="en">'No sign of Russian troops' withdrawal yet': Ukraine President Zelensky</a>

WION's professionalism in providing firsthand coverage of the situation from Kyiv was praised by the ambassador.

He also chastised a portion of the media for sensationalising Russia-Ukraine relations.

He also praised India's leadership for taking a balanced approach.&nbsp;

Meanwhile, Ukraine's President, Volodymyr Zelensky, stated today that his country has not seen proof that Russia is withdrawing more troops.

"We don't see any retreat of Russian forces from Ukraine's borders yet," President Voldymyr Zelensky told reporters.

It comes after Russia stated it was drawing out additional troops—this time from the Crimean peninsula.

Earlier today, after declaring that some troops had pulled back, Russia said that military drills in Crimea had ended and troops were returning to their barracks.

Moscow's defence ministry said: "Units of the southern military district, having completed their participation in tactical exercises, are moving to their permanent deployment points."

(With inputs from agencies)

In an exclusive conversation with WION's Executive Editor Palki Sharma, Igor Polikha, the Ukrainian ambassador to India, has stated that he does not believe a war with Russia is imminent.

In an exclusive conversation with WION's Executive Editor Palki Sharma, Igor Polikha, the Ukrainian ambassador to India, has stated that he does not believe a war with Russia is imminent. When asked about the concerns of Indian parents whose children are studying in Ukraine, he stated that "The situation in Ukraine is not as critical and panicky as some people are trying to make it out to be.I understand that parents are concerned. I don't believe a war is imminent.It is an Indian citizen's right to choose whether to return to India or remain in Ukraine". In the wake of the 'uncertainties,' India recommended its people, particularly students, to leave Ukraine temporarily and avoid non-essential travel to and within the country. Also read | 'No sign of Russian troops' withdrawal yet': Ukraine President Zelensky WION's professionalism in providing firsthand coverage of the situation from Kyiv was praised by the ambassador. He also chastised a portion of the media for sensationalising Russia-Ukraine relations. He also praised India's leadership for taking a balanced approach. Meanwhile, Ukraine's President, Volodymyr Zelensky, stated today that his country has not seen proof that Russia is withdrawing more troops. "We don't see any retreat of Russian forces from Ukraine's borders yet," President Voldymyr Zelensky told reporters. It comes after Russia stated it was drawing out additional troops—this time from the Crimean peninsula. Earlier today, after declaring that some troops had pulled back, Russia said that military drills in Crimea had ended and troops were returning to their barracks. Moscow's defence ministry said: "Units of the southern military district, having completed their participation in tactical exercises, are moving to their permanent deployment points." (With inputs from agencies)

Watch | 'Understand parents' concern': Ukrainian envoy assures safety of Indian students

In an exclusive conversation with WION's Executive Editor Palki Sharma, Ukrainian Ambassador to India Igor Polikha has said that the ''situation (in Kyiv) is strenuous but not critical.''

Although Western media houses had claimed that ''war is emminent'' and Russia will invade Ukraine on February 16, Polikha said, ''Our president never confirmed any date for invasion.''

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/no-sign-of-russian-troops-withdrawal-yet-ukraine-president-voldymyr-zelensky-453772" hreflang="en">'No sign of Russian troops' withdrawal yet': Ukraine President Zelensky</a>

Lauding WION's professionalism in its direct coverage of the conflict from Kyiv, Polikha slammed a section of media for sensationalising the tensions between Russia and Ukraine. He also appreciated the balanced approach adopted by the Indian government.

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/gravitas-exclusive-should-indian-students-leave-ukraine-453862/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

Ukraine staged military drills and defiant displays of flag-waving patriotism on Wednesday as Western powers warned Russia is continuing to mass forces for a possible invasion.

The demonstration of Ukrainian firepower contrasted with images on Russian state media that were said to show Moscow's forces bringing an end to a major exercise in occupied Crimea.

On Tuesday, Ukraine said the websites of the country's defence ministry and armed forces, as well as two banks, had been hit by a cyberattack of the kind that US intelligence fears would precede a Russian attack.

"It cannot be excluded that the aggressor is resorting to dirty tricks," Ukraine's communications watchdog said, in reference to Russia.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/polands-minister-przydacz-sees-indias-positive-role-amid-the-ukraine-russia-crisis-453809" hreflang="en">Poland's Minister Przydacz sees India's 'positive' role amid the Ukraine-Russia crisis</a>

The United States and NATO have said Russia was still building up troops around Ukraine on Wednesday despite Moscow's insistence it was pulling back, questioning President Vladimir Putin's stated desire to negotiate a solution to the crisis.

Russia says it never planned to attack Ukraine but wants to lay down "red lines" to prevent its neighbour from joining NATO, which it sees as a threat to its own security.

The Kremlin said Putin was keen to negotiate with the United States, which has offered discussions on arms control and confidence-building measures while ruling out a veto on future NATO membership for Ukraine.

But Russia also said it would be ready to re-route energy exports to other markets if it was hit by sanctions, which Washington and its allies have threatened if it invades Ukraine.

Finance Minister Anton Siluanov said sanctions against Russian banks would be "unpleasant" but the state would ensure all deposits with banks and transactions were secured.

"They say we have a financial shield in the form of gold and forex reserves, budget surplus ... low debt," he told reporters.

Russia's huge build-up of troops, missiles and warships around Ukraine, which US intelligence warns could turn quickly into an invasion, is being billed as Europe's worst security crisis since the Cold War.&nbsp;

Russian President Vladimir Putin has demanded Ukraine be forbidden from pursuing its ambition to join NATO and wants to redraw the security map of eastern Europe, rolling back Western influence.

In an exclusive conversation with WION's Executive Editor Palki Sharma, Ukrainian Ambassador to India Igor Polikha has said that the ''situation (in Kyiv) is strenuous but not critical.

In an exclusive conversation with WION's Executive Editor Palki Sharma, Ukrainian Ambassador to India Igor Polikha has said that the ''situation (in Kyiv) is strenuous but not critical.'' Although Western media houses had claimed that ''war is emminent'' and Russia will invade Ukraine on February 16, Polikha said, ''Our president never confirmed any date for invasion.'' Also read | 'No sign of Russian troops' withdrawal yet': Ukraine President Zelensky Lauding WION's professionalism in its direct coverage of the conflict from Kyiv, Polikha slammed a section of media for sensationalising the tensions between Russia and Ukraine. He also appreciated the balanced approach adopted by the Indian government. Ukraine staged military drills and defiant displays of flag-waving patriotism on Wednesday as Western powers warned Russia is continuing to mass forces for a possible invasion. The demonstration of Ukrainian firepower contrasted with images on Russian state media that were said to show Moscow's forces bringing an end to a major exercise in occupied Crimea. On Tuesday, Ukraine said the websites of the country's defence ministry and armed forces, as well as two banks, had been hit by a cyberattack of the kind that US intelligence fears would precede a Russian attack. "It cannot be excluded that the aggressor is resorting to dirty tricks," Ukraine's communications watchdog said, in reference to Russia. Also read | Poland's Minister Przydacz sees India's 'positive' role amid the Ukraine-Russia crisis The United States and NATO have said Russia was still building up troops around Ukraine on Wednesday despite Moscow's insistence it was pulling back, questioning President Vladimir Putin's stated desire to negotiate a solution to the crisis. Russia says it never planned to attack Ukraine but wants to lay down "red lines" to prevent its neighbour from joining NATO, which it sees as a threat to its own security. The Kremlin said Putin was keen to negotiate with the United States, which has offered discussions on arms control and confidence-building measures while ruling out a veto on future NATO membership for Ukraine. But Russia also said it would be ready to re-route energy exports to other markets if it was hit by sanctions, which Washington and its allies have threatened if it invades Ukraine. Finance Minister Anton Siluanov said sanctions against Russian banks would be "unpleasant" but the state would ensure all deposits with banks and transactions were secured. "They say we have a financial shield in the form of gold and forex reserves, budget surplus ... low debt," he told reporters. Russia's huge build-up of troops, missiles and warships around Ukraine, which US intelligence warns could turn quickly into an invasion, is being billed as Europe's worst security crisis since the Cold War. Russian President Vladimir Putin has demanded Ukraine be forbidden from pursuing its ambition to join NATO and wants to redraw the security map of eastern Europe, rolling back Western influence.

Exclusive: 'Situation is strenuous but not critical,' Ukrainian ambassador to India tells WION

How a German 'climate' fund set out to help Russia dodge US sanctions

After decades of getting schooled in information warfare by President Vladimir Putin of Russia, the United States is trying to beat the master at his own game.

The Biden administration has detailed the movement of Russian special operation forces to Ukraine’s borders, exposed a Russian plan to create a video of a faked atrocity as a pretext for an invasion, outlined Moscow’s war plans, warned that an invasion would result in possibly thousands of deaths and hinted that Russian officers had doubts about Putin.

Then, on Friday, Jake Sullivan, President Joe Biden’s national security adviser, told reporters that the United States was seeing signs of Russian escalation and that there was a “credible prospect” of immediate military action.

All told, the extraordinary series of disclosures has amounted to one of the most aggressive releases of intelligence by the United States since the Cuban missile crisis, current and former officials say.

It is an unusual gambit, in part because Biden has repeatedly made clear that he has no intention of sending US&nbsp;troops to defend Ukraine. In effect, the administration is warning the world of an urgent threat — not to make the case for a war, but to try to prevent one.

The hope is that disclosing Putin’s plans will disrupt them, perhaps delaying an invasion and buying more time for diplomacy or even giving Putin a chance to reconsider the political, economic and human costs of an invasion.

At the same time, Biden administration officials said they had a narrower and more realistic goal: They want to make it more difficult for Putin to justify an invasion with lies, undercutting his standing on the global stage and building support for a tougher response.

Intelligence agencies, prodded by the White House, have declassified information, which in turn has been briefed to Congress, shared with reporters and discussed by Pentagon and State Department spokespeople.

The last time Russia moved against Ukraine, in 2014, intelligence officials blocked the Obama administration from sharing what they knew. But the Biden administration has studied those mistakes.

“We have learned a lot, especially since 2014, about how Russia uses the information space as part of its overall security and military apparatus,” said Emily Horne, spokesperson for the National Security Council. “And we have learned a lot about how to deny them some impact in that space.”

After decades of getting schooled in information warfare by President Vladimir Putin of Russia, the United States is trying to beat the master at his own game. The Biden administration has detailed the movement of Russian special operation forces to Ukraine’s borders, exposed a Russian plan to create a video of a faked atrocity as a pretext for an invasion, outlined Moscow’s war plans, warned that an invasion would result in possibly thousands of deaths and hinted that Russian officers had doubts about Putin.

After decades of getting schooled in information warfare by President Vladimir Putin of Russia, the United States is trying to beat the master at his own game. The Biden administration has detailed the movement of Russian special operation forces to Ukraine’s borders, exposed a Russian plan to create a video of a faked atrocity as a pretext for an invasion, outlined Moscow’s war plans, warned that an invasion would result in possibly thousands of deaths and hinted that Russian officers had doubts about Putin. Then, on Friday, Jake Sullivan, President Joe Biden’s national security adviser, told reporters that the United States was seeing signs of Russian escalation and that there was a “credible prospect” of immediate military action. All told, the extraordinary series of disclosures has amounted to one of the most aggressive releases of intelligence by the United States since the Cuban missile crisis, current and former officials say. It is an unusual gambit, in part because Biden has repeatedly made clear that he has no intention of sending US troops to defend Ukraine. In effect, the administration is warning the world of an urgent threat — not to make the case for a war, but to try to prevent one. The hope is that disclosing Putin’s plans will disrupt them, perhaps delaying an invasion and buying more time for diplomacy or even giving Putin a chance to reconsider the political, economic and human costs of an invasion. At the same time, Biden administration officials said they had a narrower and more realistic goal: They want to make it more difficult for Putin to justify an invasion with lies, undercutting his standing on the global stage and building support for a tougher response. Intelligence agencies, prodded by the White House, have declassified information, which in turn has been briefed to Congress, shared with reporters and discussed by Pentagon and State Department spokespeople. The last time Russia moved against Ukraine, in 2014, intelligence officials blocked the Obama administration from sharing what they knew. But the Biden administration has studied those mistakes. “We have learned a lot, especially since 2014, about how Russia uses the information space as part of its overall security and military apparatus,” said Emily Horne, spokesperson for the National Security Council. “And we have learned a lot about how to deny them some impact in that space.”

US battles Putin by disclosing his next possible moves

At the end of the Cold War, the third-largest nuclear power on earth was not Britain, France or China. It was Ukraine. The Soviet collapse, a slow-motion downfall that culminated in December 1991, resulted in the newly independent Ukraine inheriting roughly 5,000 nuclear arms that Moscow had stationed on its soil. Underground silos on its military bases held long-range missiles that carried up to 10 thermonuclear warheads, each far stronger than the bomb that leveled Hiroshima. Only Russia and the United States had more weapons.

The removal of this arsenal often gets hailed as a triumph of arms control. Diplomats and peace activists cast Ukraine as a model citizen in a world of would-be nuclear powers.

But history shows the denuclearization to have been a chaotic upheaval that shook with infighting, reversals and discord among the country’s government and military. At the time, both Ukrainian and American experts questioned the wisdom of atomic disarmament. The deadly weapons, some argued, were the only reliable means of deterring Russian aggression.

Today Ukraine has no easy path to producing or acquiring the materials to build a bomb. Even so, the nuclear genie is once again stirring as Russian troops encircle the nation and wage a shadow war in its easternmost provinces.

“We gave away the capability for nothing,” said Andriy Zahorodniuk, a former defense minister of Ukraine. Referring to the security assurances Ukraine won in exchange for its nuclear arms, he added: “Now, every time somebody offers us to sign a strip of paper, the response is, ‘Thank you very much. We already had one of those some time ago.’”

Western analysts say the current Ukrainian mood tends to romanticize the atomic past. “The gist is, ‘We had the weapons, gave them up and now look what’s happening,’” said Mariana Budjeryn, a Ukraine specialist at Harvard University. “On a policy level, I see no movement toward any kind of reconsideration. But on a popular level, that’s the narrative.”

“Regret is part of it,” Budjeryn, a Ukrainian native, added. “The other part is whatever one feels as a result of being subjected to injustice.”

At first, Ukraine rushed to get the Soviet arms off its soil. Bombs, artillery shells, land mines and the relatively small warheads atop short-range missiles were the easiest to relocate and most likely to fall into unfriendly hands. More difficult to move were the long-range missiles, which could weigh 100 tons and rise to a height of nearly 90 feet.

In January 1992, a month after the Soviet Union ceased to exist, Ukraine’s president and defense minister ordered military commanders and their men to pledge loyalty to the new country — a move that would exert administrative control over the remaining arms. Many refused, and the soldiers who managed Ukraine’s nuclear forces fell into a period of tense bewilderment over the fate of the arsenal and its operational status.

Volodymyr Tolubko, a former nuclear-base commander who had been elected to the Ukrainian parliament, argued that Kyiv should never give up its atomic edge. In April 1992, he told the assembly that it was “romantic and premature” for Ukraine to declare itself a non-nuclear state and insisted that it should retain at least some of its long-range warheads. A residual missile force, he declared, would be enough to “deter any aggressor.”

While his stance never gained wide support, “it compounded existing tensions,” according to a detailed history of Ukraine’s nuclear disarmament.

In the summer of 1993, John J. Mearsheimer, a prominent international relations theorist at the University of Chicago who was no stranger to controversy, lent his voice to the issue of atomic retention. He argued in Foreign Affairs that a nuclear arsenal was “imperative” if Ukraine was “to maintain peace.” The deterrent, he added, would ensure that the Russians, “who have a history of bad relations with Ukraine, do not move to reconquer it.”

In Kyiv, the government in 1993 went so far as to consider seizing operational control of its nuclear missiles and bombers. But that never came to pass.

Instead, Ukraine punted. It demanded that, in exchange for nuclear disarmament, it would need ironclad security guarantees. That was the heart of the agreement signed in Moscow early in 1994 by Russia, Ukraine and the United States.

In late 1994, the pledges got fleshed out. The accord, known as the Budapest Memorandum, signed by Russia, Ukraine, Britain and the U.S., promised that none of the nations would use force or threats against Ukraine and all would respect its sovereignty and existing borders. The agreement also vowed that, if aggression took place, the signatories would seek immediate action from the United Nations Security Council to aid Ukraine.

While Kyiv had failed to get what it wanted — the kind of legally binding guarantees that would come with a formal treaty ratified by the U.S. Senate — it received assurances that Washington would take its political commitments as seriously as its legal obligations, according to Budjeryn, a research analyst at the Managing the Atom project at Harvard’s Kennedy School.

In May 1996, Ukraine saw the last of its nuclear arms transported back to Russia. The repatriations had taken a half decade.

What undid the diplomatic feat was the “collective failure” of Washington and Kyiv to take into account the rise of someone like Vladimir Putin, Steven Pifer, a negotiator of the Budapest Memorandum and a former U.S. ambassador to Ukraine now at Stanford University, said. After Russian troops invaded Crimea in early 2014 and stepped up a proxy war in eastern Ukraine, Putin dismissed the Budapest accord as null and void.

“They’ve been fighting a low-grade war for eight years,” Pifer, who just returned from Kyiv, said of the Ukrainians. “You can’t find bullets in the stores. A lot of civilians are arming up.”

In Ukraine, the Crimean invasion and the lengthy war led to a series of calls for atomic rearmament, according to Budjeryn, author of “Inheriting the Bomb,” a forthcoming book from Johns Hopkins University Press.

In March 2014, Volodymyr Ohryzko, a former foreign minister, argued that Ukraine now had the moral and legal right to reestablish its nuclear status. In July, an ultranationalist parliamentary bloc introduced a bill for arsenal reacquisition. Later that year, a poll showed that public approval stood at nearly 50% for nuclear rearmament.

Last year, Ukraine’s ambassador to Germany, Andriy Melnyk, said Kyiv might look to nuclear arms if it cannot become a member of NATO. “How else can we guarantee our defense?” Melnyk asked. The Foreign Ministry denied that such options were under consideration.

Western experts, including Budjeryn, see the Ukrainian stirrings and threats as empty gestures given the tangle of scientific, logistical, financial and geopolitical challenges that Kyiv would face if it opted for nuclear rearmament. Kyiv could encounter the same dilemmas that have confronted Tehran, Iran, which has worked steadily for decades to acquire the know-how and materials to build a bomb — all of which Ukraine apparently lacks.

More widely, experts fear that the current crisis could turn Ukraine from an example of arms-control benefits to one of atomic-disarmament risks, and drive the Irans and Saudi Arabias of the world to pursue their own nuclear arms programs.

“If a diplomatic solution is not achieved, it will reinforce the impression that nuclear-armed states can bully non-nuclear states” and thus “reduce the incentives” for disarmament, said Daryl Kimball, executive director of the Arms Control Association in Washington.

Pifer argued in a 2019 analysis that the high costs of rearmament would ultimately include Ukraine finding itself alone in any crisis or confrontation with Russia.

“A lot of countries are supportive of Ukraine,” he said of the current standoff. If, however, the nation went nuclear, Pifer added, “that support would dry up quickly.” 
&nbsp;

At the end of the Cold War, the third-largest nuclear power on earth was not Britain, France or China. It was Ukraine. The Soviet collapse, a slow-motion downfall that culminated in December 1991, resulted in the newly independent Ukraine inheriting roughly 5,000 nuclear arms that Moscow had stationed on its soil.

At the end of the Cold War, the third-largest nuclear power on earth was not Britain, France or China. It was Ukraine. The Soviet collapse, a slow-motion downfall that culminated in December 1991, resulted in the newly independent Ukraine inheriting roughly 5,000 nuclear arms that Moscow had stationed on its soil. Underground silos on its military bases held long-range missiles that carried up to 10 thermonuclear warheads, each far stronger than the bomb that leveled Hiroshima. Only Russia and the United States had more weapons. The removal of this arsenal often gets hailed as a triumph of arms control. Diplomats and peace activists cast Ukraine as a model citizen in a world of would-be nuclear powers. But history shows the denuclearization to have been a chaotic upheaval that shook with infighting, reversals and discord among the country’s government and military. At the time, both Ukrainian and American experts questioned the wisdom of atomic disarmament. The deadly weapons, some argued, were the only reliable means of deterring Russian aggression. Today Ukraine has no easy path to producing or acquiring the materials to build a bomb. Even so, the nuclear genie is once again stirring as Russian troops encircle the nation and wage a shadow war in its easternmost provinces. “We gave away the capability for nothing,” said Andriy Zahorodniuk, a former defense minister of Ukraine. Referring to the security assurances Ukraine won in exchange for its nuclear arms, he added: “Now, every time somebody offers us to sign a strip of paper, the response is, ‘Thank you very much. We already had one of those some time ago.’” Western analysts say the current Ukrainian mood tends to romanticize the atomic past. “The gist is, ‘We had the weapons, gave them up and now look what’s happening,’” said Mariana Budjeryn, a Ukraine specialist at Harvard University. “On a policy level, I see no movement toward any kind of reconsideration. But on a popular level, that’s the narrative.” “Regret is part of it,” Budjeryn, a Ukrainian native, added. “The other part is whatever one feels as a result of being subjected to injustice.” At first, Ukraine rushed to get the Soviet arms off its soil. Bombs, artillery shells, land mines and the relatively small warheads atop short-range missiles were the easiest to relocate and most likely to fall into unfriendly hands. More difficult to move were the long-range missiles, which could weigh 100 tons and rise to a height of nearly 90 feet. In January 1992, a month after the Soviet Union ceased to exist, Ukraine’s president and defense minister ordered military commanders and their men to pledge loyalty to the new country — a move that would exert administrative control over the remaining arms. Many refused, and the soldiers who managed Ukraine’s nuclear forces fell into a period of tense bewilderment over the fate of the arsenal and its operational status. Volodymyr Tolubko, a former nuclear-base commander who had been elected to the Ukrainian parliament, argued that Kyiv should never give up its atomic edge. In April 1992, he told the assembly that it was “romantic and premature” for Ukraine to declare itself a non-nuclear state and insisted that it should retain at least some of its long-range warheads. A residual missile force, he declared, would be enough to “deter any aggressor.” While his stance never gained wide support, “it compounded existing tensions,” according to a detailed history of Ukraine’s nuclear disarmament. In the summer of 1993, John J. Mearsheimer, a prominent international relations theorist at the University of Chicago who was no stranger to controversy, lent his voice to the issue of atomic retention. He argued in Foreign Affairs that a nuclear arsenal was “imperative” if Ukraine was “to maintain peace.” The deterrent, he added, would ensure that the Russians, “who have a history of bad relations with Ukraine, do not move to reconquer it.” In Kyiv, the government in 1993 went so far as to consider seizing operational control of its nuclear missiles and bombers. But that never came to pass. Instead, Ukraine punted. It demanded that, in exchange for nuclear disarmament, it would need ironclad security guarantees. That was the heart of the agreement signed in Moscow early in 1994 by Russia, Ukraine and the United States. In late 1994, the pledges got fleshed out. The accord, known as the Budapest Memorandum, signed by Russia, Ukraine, Britain and the U.S., promised that none of the nations would use force or threats against Ukraine and all would respect its sovereignty and existing borders. The agreement also vowed that, if aggression took place, the signatories would seek immediate action from the United Nations Security Council to aid Ukraine. While Kyiv had failed to get what it wanted — the kind of legally binding guarantees that would come with a formal treaty ratified by the U.S. Senate — it received assurances that Washington would take its political commitments as seriously as its legal obligations, according to Budjeryn, a research analyst at the Managing the Atom project at Harvard’s Kennedy School. In May 1996, Ukraine saw the last of its nuclear arms transported back to Russia. The repatriations had taken a half decade. What undid the diplomatic feat was the “collective failure” of Washington and Kyiv to take into account the rise of someone like Vladimir Putin, Steven Pifer, a negotiator of the Budapest Memorandum and a former U.S. ambassador to Ukraine now at Stanford University, said. After Russian troops invaded Crimea in early 2014 and stepped up a proxy war in eastern Ukraine, Putin dismissed the Budapest accord as null and void. “They’ve been fighting a low-grade war for eight years,” Pifer, who just returned from Kyiv, said of the Ukrainians. “You can’t find bullets in the stores. A lot of civilians are arming up.” In Ukraine, the Crimean invasion and the lengthy war led to a series of calls for atomic rearmament, according to Budjeryn, author of “Inheriting the Bomb,” a forthcoming book from Johns Hopkins University Press. In March 2014, Volodymyr Ohryzko, a former foreign minister, argued that Ukraine now had the moral and legal right to reestablish its nuclear status. In July, an ultranationalist parliamentary bloc introduced a bill for arsenal reacquisition. Later that year, a poll showed that public approval stood at nearly 50% for nuclear rearmament. Last year, Ukraine’s ambassador to Germany, Andriy Melnyk, said Kyiv might look to nuclear arms if it cannot become a member of NATO. “How else can we guarantee our defense?” Melnyk asked. The Foreign Ministry denied that such options were under consideration. Western experts, including Budjeryn, see the Ukrainian stirrings and threats as empty gestures given the tangle of scientific, logistical, financial and geopolitical challenges that Kyiv would face if it opted for nuclear rearmament. Kyiv could encounter the same dilemmas that have confronted Tehran, Iran, which has worked steadily for decades to acquire the know-how and materials to build a bomb — all of which Ukraine apparently lacks. More widely, experts fear that the current crisis could turn Ukraine from an example of arms-control benefits to one of atomic-disarmament risks, and drive the Irans and Saudi Arabias of the world to pursue their own nuclear arms programs. “If a diplomatic solution is not achieved, it will reinforce the impression that nuclear-armed states can bully non-nuclear states” and thus “reduce the incentives” for disarmament, said Daryl Kimball, executive director of the Arms Control Association in Washington. Pifer argued in a 2019 analysis that the high costs of rearmament would ultimately include Ukraine finding itself alone in any crisis or confrontation with Russia. “A lot of countries are supportive of Ukraine,” he said of the current standoff. If, however, the nation went nuclear, Pifer added, “that support would dry up quickly.”

Ukraine gave up a giant nuclear arsenal 30 years ago. Today there are regrets.

Ukraine leader Volodymyr Zelensky urged US President Joe Biden to visit Kyiv to "stabilise" the situation with Ukraine and send a "powerful signal" amid tensions with Russia at the border.

Germany said the responsibility of risk of war lay with Putin's regime as German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said there was a "serious threat to peace in Europe". The German Chancellor will be travelling to Kyiv to meet President Zelensky and then he will be in Moscow to meet President Putin.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/russias-checkmate-why-the-orion-combat-drone-is-a-gamechanger-446455">Also Read in Pics:&nbsp;Russia's 'checkmate': Why the Orion combat drone is a gamechanger</a>

Germany expressed mounting concerns over Russia's plan to invade Ukraine, although Putin has repeatedly said he has no plans to invade the country. The US has said there are over 100,000 troops amassed at the Ukraine border including tanks, artillery and missiles.

Amid hectic diplomatic efforts, the UK government said it will be making a fresh bid to defuse Russia's row with Ukraine in the coming weeks as Downing Street pointed out that the crisis had reached a "critical juncture".

Watch:&nbsp;Russia vs Ukraine: How do the armies compare?

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"All the information we have suggests Russia could be planning an invasion of Ukraine at any moment," the Downing Street spokesman said while adding that it could lead to "disastrous consequences" for both Ukraine and Russia.

Several countries including Britain, Ireland, Belgium, Luxembourg, Japan, Israel, Saudi Arabia and UAE have asked their citizens to leave Ukraine even as Russia has recalled some of its diplomatic staff over what it called fears of "provocations".

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/tsirkon-serial-production-russias-race-for-hypersonic-missiles-revealed-452075">Also Read in Pics |&nbsp;Tsirkon 'serial production': Russia's race for hypersonic missiles revealed</a>

Dutch airlines KLM said it would be suspending flights to Ukraine till further notice as Canada said it was closing its embassy temporarily in Kyiv and Romania withdrew non-essential personnel from its embassy in Kyiv.

US national security advisor Jake Sullivan said&nbsp;"a major military action could begin by Russia in&nbsp;Ukraine&nbsp;any day now" while adding that it could&nbsp;start with "a significant barrage of missiles and bomb attacks and&nbsp;innocent civilians could be killed" even as both Germany and the United States threatened sanctions.

The US State Department over the weekend also asked its non-emergency embassy staff to leave Ukraine.

(With inputs from Agencies)

Ukraine leader Volodymyr Zelensky urged US President Joe Biden to visit Kyiv to "stabilise" the situation with Ukraine and send a "powerful signal" amid tensions with Russia at the border.

Ukraine leader Volodymyr Zelensky urged US President Joe Biden to visit Kyiv to "stabilise" the situation with Ukraine and send a "powerful signal" amid tensions with Russia at the border. Germany said the responsibility of risk of war lay with Putin's regime as German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said there was a "serious threat to peace in Europe". The German Chancellor will be travelling to Kyiv to meet President Zelensky and then he will be in Moscow to meet President Putin. Also Read in Pics: Russia's 'checkmate': Why the Orion combat drone is a gamechanger Germany expressed mounting concerns over Russia's plan to invade Ukraine, although Putin has repeatedly said he has no plans to invade the country. The US has said there are over 100,000 troops amassed at the Ukraine border including tanks, artillery and missiles. Amid hectic diplomatic efforts, the UK government said it will be making a fresh bid to defuse Russia's row with Ukraine in the coming weeks as Downing Street pointed out that the crisis had reached a "critical juncture". Watch: Russia vs Ukraine: How do the armies compare? "All the information we have suggests Russia could be planning an invasion of Ukraine at any moment," the Downing Street spokesman said while adding that it could lead to "disastrous consequences" for both Ukraine and Russia. Several countries including Britain, Ireland, Belgium, Luxembourg, Japan, Israel, Saudi Arabia and UAE have asked their citizens to leave Ukraine even as Russia has recalled some of its diplomatic staff over what it called fears of "provocations". Also Read in Pics | Tsirkon 'serial production': Russia's race for hypersonic missiles revealed Dutch airlines KLM said it would be suspending flights to Ukraine till further notice as Canada said it was closing its embassy temporarily in Kyiv and Romania withdrew non-essential personnel from its embassy in Kyiv. US national security advisor Jake Sullivan said "a major military action could begin by Russia in Ukraine any day now" while adding that it could start with "a significant barrage of missiles and bomb attacks and innocent civilians could be killed" even as both Germany and the United States threatened sanctions. The US State Department over the weekend also asked its non-emergency embassy staff to leave Ukraine. (With inputs from Agencies)

Russia could begin military action in Ukraine any day now: US national security advisor Jake Sullivan

A day after President Joe Biden warned President Vladimir Putin of Russia that the costs of an attack on Ukraine would be severe, there was no indication that tensions were easing. Foreign embassies continued to withdraw nonessential staff, nations urged their citizens to leave the country, and the Russian military buildup in the region showed no signs of slowing.

While President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of Ukraine urged calm, and Russia continued to deny that it is planning to invade its neighbor, weeks of frenzied diplomacy showed little sign of progress.

Still, efforts to defuse the crisis are continuing, with Chancellor Olaf Scholz of Germany planning to travel to Kyiv, Ukraine’s capital, on Monday and Moscow on Tuesday.

“It is our job to ensure that we prevent a war in Europe, in that we send a clear message to Russia that any military aggression would have consequences that would be very high for Russia and its prospects, and that we are united with our allies,” Scholz told the upper house of the Bundestag, Germany’s Parliament, on Friday.

Ahead of the visit, a German official said Scholz would be “actively urging for dialogue,” in which concrete steps toward de-escalation would be discussed. While the German delegation would put its threat perception on the table, the official said the visit was aimed at gaining “a better understanding of Russia’s goals” and Scholz would be open to initiating a broader discussion about “Russian grievances.”

Berlin is viewed with skepticism by many in Ukraine for not providing military weapons to aid in its defense as other NATO allies have. Ukraine’s ambassador to Germany complained Sunday about “German hypocrisy” on Twitter, noting that Berlin sells materials to Russia that can increase weapons production.

Last week, Scholz traveled to Washington, where he met Biden in a key attempt to shore up the alliance between the United States and Europe’s most powerful economy. Biden vowed that a lucrative gas pipeline project connecting Russia and Germany, Nord Stream 2, would be halted if Moscow invades Ukraine.

Scholz has not explicitly said the pipeline will be canceled in the event of an invasion, but Biden said the two countries were crafting their policies “in lockstep.”

Scholz’s Social Democratic Party has historically favored strong ties between Germany and Russia and has struggled to develop a coherent stance in dealing with Putin. But German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, who rose to political prominence as a member of the party, was unequivocal in his criticism of the Russian troop buildup. Reelected Sunday to a second five-year term, he warned Putin not to “underestimate the power of democracy” in his acceptance speech.

“We are in the midst of a military conflict, a war in Eastern Europe,” Steinmeier said. “Russia is responsible for that.”

He appealed directly to Putin, calling on him to “untie the noose around Ukraine’s neck and join us in finding a way to preserve peace in Europe.”

Ben Wallace, the United Kingdom’s defense secretary, criticized Western efforts at reaching a diplomatic solution with Russia as “appeasement” in an interview with the Sunday Times.

Western officials estimate that Russia has massed more than 130,000 troops on Ukraine’s northern, southern and eastern borders, which Wallace said was enough to “launch an offensive at any time,” something he said was “highly likely.”

While the menacing military buildup around Ukraine has been roundly criticized by most Western governments, Putin has found support in some other autocratic leaders.

Brazil’s populist president, Jair Bolsonaro, is expected to arrive in Moscow on Tuesday, the same day as Scholz, for a meeting with Putin. The visit is seen as part of Putin’s attempt to shore up his alliances with Latin American countries that have traditionally been close to the United States.

Bolsonaro, whose approval rating is at a low ahead of elections this year, said Saturday that he did not intend to raise the issue of a Russian invasion of Ukraine.

“We ask God that peace reign in the world, for the good of all of us,” he said in a radio interview. 
&nbsp;

A day after President Joe Biden warned President Vladimir Putin of Russia that the costs of an attack on Ukraine would be severe, there was no indication that tensions were easing.

A day after President Joe Biden warned President Vladimir Putin of Russia that the costs of an attack on Ukraine would be severe, there was no indication that tensions were easing. Foreign embassies continued to withdraw nonessential staff, nations urged their citizens to leave the country, and the Russian military buildup in the region showed no signs of slowing. While President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of Ukraine urged calm, and Russia continued to deny that it is planning to invade its neighbor, weeks of frenzied diplomacy showed little sign of progress. Still, efforts to defuse the crisis are continuing, with Chancellor Olaf Scholz of Germany planning to travel to Kyiv, Ukraine’s capital, on Monday and Moscow on Tuesday. “It is our job to ensure that we prevent a war in Europe, in that we send a clear message to Russia that any military aggression would have consequences that would be very high for Russia and its prospects, and that we are united with our allies,” Scholz told the upper house of the Bundestag, Germany’s Parliament, on Friday. Ahead of the visit, a German official said Scholz would be “actively urging for dialogue,” in which concrete steps toward de-escalation would be discussed. While the German delegation would put its threat perception on the table, the official said the visit was aimed at gaining “a better understanding of Russia’s goals” and Scholz would be open to initiating a broader discussion about “Russian grievances.” Berlin is viewed with skepticism by many in Ukraine for not providing military weapons to aid in its defense as other NATO allies have. Ukraine’s ambassador to Germany complained Sunday about “German hypocrisy” on Twitter, noting that Berlin sells materials to Russia that can increase weapons production. Last week, Scholz traveled to Washington, where he met Biden in a key attempt to shore up the alliance between the United States and Europe’s most powerful economy. Biden vowed that a lucrative gas pipeline project connecting Russia and Germany, Nord Stream 2, would be halted if Moscow invades Ukraine. Scholz has not explicitly said the pipeline will be canceled in the event of an invasion, but Biden said the two countries were crafting their policies “in lockstep.” Scholz’s Social Democratic Party has historically favored strong ties between Germany and Russia and has struggled to develop a coherent stance in dealing with Putin. But German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, who rose to political prominence as a member of the party, was unequivocal in his criticism of the Russian troop buildup. Reelected Sunday to a second five-year term, he warned Putin not to “underestimate the power of democracy” in his acceptance speech. “We are in the midst of a military conflict, a war in Eastern Europe,” Steinmeier said. “Russia is responsible for that.” He appealed directly to Putin, calling on him to “untie the noose around Ukraine’s neck and join us in finding a way to preserve peace in Europe.” Ben Wallace, the United Kingdom’s defense secretary, criticized Western efforts at reaching a diplomatic solution with Russia as “appeasement” in an interview with the Sunday Times. Western officials estimate that Russia has massed more than 130,000 troops on Ukraine’s northern, southern and eastern borders, which Wallace said was enough to “launch an offensive at any time,” something he said was “highly likely.” While the menacing military buildup around Ukraine has been roundly criticized by most Western governments, Putin has found support in some other autocratic leaders. Brazil’s populist president, Jair Bolsonaro, is expected to arrive in Moscow on Tuesday, the same day as Scholz, for a meeting with Putin. The visit is seen as part of Putin’s attempt to shore up his alliances with Latin American countries that have traditionally been close to the United States. Bolsonaro, whose approval rating is at a low ahead of elections this year, said Saturday that he did not intend to raise the issue of a Russian invasion of Ukraine. “We ask God that peace reign in the world, for the good of all of us,” he said in a radio interview.

German leader will visit Moscow as diplomatic breakthrough remains elusive

Tsirkon 'serial production': Russia's race for hypersonic missiles revealed

The Ukraine crisis is here to stay.

President Vladimir Putin of Russia is increasingly staking his legacy on reversing Ukraine’s pro-Western shift. Even if he does not order an invasion this winter, he is making clear that he will keep the pressure on, backed by the threat of force, for as long as it takes to get his way.

But Ukraine’s leaders have so far refused to compromise on Putin’s terms, and the West sees the Kremlin’s demand for a Russian sphere of influence in Eastern Europe as a nonstarter. That leaves the best-case scenario as a long and dangerous diplomatic slog toward a difficult settlement — a process that could consume Western resources and attention for many months.

President Emmanuel Macron of France, shuttling from Moscow to Kyiv, Ukraine, to Berlin on Monday and Tuesday, described the coming days as crucial in the West’s bid to avert war. Putin countered with a pledge to keep the “dialogue” going. It was a message that implied he would be deliberate in using his levers of influence and coercion to deal with the long-standing Russian grievances that the Kremlin appears newly determined to address.

“I expect we’ll have this crisis with us, in various forms, for all of 2022, at least,” said Andrei Sushentsov, dean of the school of international relations at MGIMO, the elite Moscow university run by the Russian Foreign Ministry.

He described the current standoff as only the first step in a drawn-out Russian effort to force the West to agree to a new security architecture for Eastern Europe. It was a characterization of the start of a more high-stakes phase in Russia’s yearslong conflict with the West that is gaining currency in Moscow’s foreign policy circles.

Russia’s aim, according to Sushentsov: keep the threat of war ever-present, and thus compel negotiations that Western officials have avoided until now.

For too long, he said in an interview, people in Western Europe have been lulled into thinking that a new war on the continent was impossible. For Putin, that point of view needs to be changed, Sushentsov said, to compel the West to accept Russia’s demands.

“What’s important is this suspense, this feeling of a prewar situation,” Sushentsov said. “People are spoiled by an overly long peace. They think of security as a given, as something that is attained for free, rather than something that must be negotiated. This is a mistake.”

For the West, that approach could mean being drawn in to a new sort of “forever war” — a conflict consuming ever more time and treasure, with no clear exit strategy. President Joe Biden on Monday characterized a Russian invasion of Ukraine as “tanks or troops crossing the border.” But U.S. officials say that there remain numerous lower-grade options that Putin is considering that could touch off a less deadly but still costly conflict.

Even if Macron, working with Biden and other Western leaders, were to help secure a temporary relaxation of tensions, Putin’s demands are so expansive — and his disdain of Ukraine’s pro-Western leaders so great — that analysts struggle to imagine a grand bargain being struck.

Ruslan Pukhov, a Russian military analyst, said that even if the West and Ukraine were to make sufficient concessions in the coming weeks to avert an armed conflict, they would be unlikely to satisfy Russia in the longer term, adding that a renewed threat of war could come next year.

“The West just doesn’t understand how much this is a question of life or death for us,” said Pukhov, who runs the Center for Analysis of Strategies and Technologies, a privately owned think tank in Moscow. “Ukraine in NATO, from my point of view or Russia’s, would be the equivalent of nuclear war.”

Putin made the threat of war over Ukraine between nuclear superpowers explicit twice in recent days: in news conferences after his meetings with Prime Minister Viktor Orban of Hungary last week and with Macron on Monday. Both times, Putin described a scenario in which Ukraine would join NATO and then try to recapture Crimea, the Ukrainian peninsula that Russia annexed in 2014, with the Western alliance’s backing.

Dmitri Kiselyov, one of Russian state television’s leading anchors, on Sunday detailed what would happen next: a nuclear war in which Russia, faced with its own destruction, would take the West with it.

“Let’s remember that Russia doesn’t need a world without Russia,” Kiselyov intoned at the beginning of his weekly prime-time show, paraphrasing a 2018 line by Putin. “And then not just America, but also Europe, will turn into radioactive ash.”

Western officials describe NATO membership for Ukraine as unrealistic anytime in the near future, but the Kremlin insists that even the possibility poses an existential threat. On the ground, analysts see preparations gaining pace for a possible military solution to preventing Ukraine from ever joining NATO.

Researchers monitoring satellite imagery and footage of troop movements posted to social media say that Russia is deploying personnel and equipment within miles of the border with Ukraine. The forces have been filmed setting up tents in the mud and snow, adding to fears that Putin could order an attack as early as this month.

“It’s safe to say that this is not a force posture that Russia is going to maintain for an extended period of time,” said Michael Kofman, director of Russia studies at CNA, a research institute based in Arlington, Virginia. “They are entering a go/no-go posture, and they’re going to make that decision in the coming weeks.”

But even if an attack were to happen, touching off what would most likely be enormous human suffering in Ukraine, the diplomatic scramble would continue — with Russia exercising even more leverage, Kofman argued.

“Diplomacy continues throughout war,” he said. “Ultimately, there would need to be some sort of agreement.”

Despite the worrying troop movements, many analysts inside Russia continue to doubt that Putin will actually order a full invasion. The risks would far exceed any of Putin’s prior military pushes, like the five-day war against Georgia in 2008 or the still-simmering proxy war in eastern Ukraine that he started in 2014. Russian missiles could miss their targets, causing civilian casualties; Ukraine could respond by attacking Russian targets across the border.

“I think most military officials understand that any operation would be rife with great difficulties,” said Pukhov, the Russian military analyst. “One has to understand that even in the event of limited military action, you won’t be able to avoid a major escalation, and it won’t conclude in five days.”

The Kremlin said Tuesday that Russia would withdraw the thousands of troops it had sent to Belarus, Ukraine’s northern neighbor, after large-scale joint exercises concluded there Feb. 20. Whether the Russian troops indeed leave will be one closely watched signal of Putin’s military intentions. Even if they do, Russia’s newfound appetite for attention-grabbing military pressure against Ukraine and the West is likely to remain.

“Russia has departed from the tactic of simply asking to be listened to,” said Sushentsov, the university dean. “Russian leaders have seen that this does not work and that it is necessary to make clear the risks of the Russian position being ignored.”

The Ukraine crisis is here to stay. President Vladimir Putin of Russia is increasingly staking his legacy on reversing Ukraine’s pro-Western shift. Even if he does not order an invasion this winter, he is making clear that he will keep the pressure on, backed by the threat of force, for as long as it takes to get his way.

The Ukraine crisis is here to stay. President Vladimir Putin of Russia is increasingly staking his legacy on reversing Ukraine’s pro-Western shift. Even if he does not order an invasion this winter, he is making clear that he will keep the pressure on, backed by the threat of force, for as long as it takes to get his way. But Ukraine’s leaders have so far refused to compromise on Putin’s terms, and the West sees the Kremlin’s demand for a Russian sphere of influence in Eastern Europe as a nonstarter. That leaves the best-case scenario as a long and dangerous diplomatic slog toward a difficult settlement — a process that could consume Western resources and attention for many months. President Emmanuel Macron of France, shuttling from Moscow to Kyiv, Ukraine, to Berlin on Monday and Tuesday, described the coming days as crucial in the West’s bid to avert war. Putin countered with a pledge to keep the “dialogue” going. It was a message that implied he would be deliberate in using his levers of influence and coercion to deal with the long-standing Russian grievances that the Kremlin appears newly determined to address. “I expect we’ll have this crisis with us, in various forms, for all of 2022, at least,” said Andrei Sushentsov, dean of the school of international relations at MGIMO, the elite Moscow university run by the Russian Foreign Ministry. He described the current standoff as only the first step in a drawn-out Russian effort to force the West to agree to a new security architecture for Eastern Europe. It was a characterization of the start of a more high-stakes phase in Russia’s yearslong conflict with the West that is gaining currency in Moscow’s foreign policy circles. Russia’s aim, according to Sushentsov: keep the threat of war ever-present, and thus compel negotiations that Western officials have avoided until now. For too long, he said in an interview, people in Western Europe have been lulled into thinking that a new war on the continent was impossible. For Putin, that point of view needs to be changed, Sushentsov said, to compel the West to accept Russia’s demands. “What’s important is this suspense, this feeling of a prewar situation,” Sushentsov said. “People are spoiled by an overly long peace. They think of security as a given, as something that is attained for free, rather than something that must be negotiated. This is a mistake.” For the West, that approach could mean being drawn in to a new sort of “forever war” — a conflict consuming ever more time and treasure, with no clear exit strategy. President Joe Biden on Monday characterized a Russian invasion of Ukraine as “tanks or troops crossing the border.” But U.S. officials say that there remain numerous lower-grade options that Putin is considering that could touch off a less deadly but still costly conflict. Even if Macron, working with Biden and other Western leaders, were to help secure a temporary relaxation of tensions, Putin’s demands are so expansive — and his disdain of Ukraine’s pro-Western leaders so great — that analysts struggle to imagine a grand bargain being struck. Ruslan Pukhov, a Russian military analyst, said that even if the West and Ukraine were to make sufficient concessions in the coming weeks to avert an armed conflict, they would be unlikely to satisfy Russia in the longer term, adding that a renewed threat of war could come next year. “The West just doesn’t understand how much this is a question of life or death for us,” said Pukhov, who runs the Center for Analysis of Strategies and Technologies, a privately owned think tank in Moscow. “Ukraine in NATO, from my point of view or Russia’s, would be the equivalent of nuclear war.” Putin made the threat of war over Ukraine between nuclear superpowers explicit twice in recent days: in news conferences after his meetings with Prime Minister Viktor Orban of Hungary last week and with Macron on Monday. Both times, Putin described a scenario in which Ukraine would join NATO and then try to recapture Crimea, the Ukrainian peninsula that Russia annexed in 2014, with the Western alliance’s backing. Dmitri Kiselyov, one of Russian state television’s leading anchors, on Sunday detailed what would happen next: a nuclear war in which Russia, faced with its own destruction, would take the West with it. “Let’s remember that Russia doesn’t need a world without Russia,” Kiselyov intoned at the beginning of his weekly prime-time show, paraphrasing a 2018 line by Putin. “And then not just America, but also Europe, will turn into radioactive ash.” Western officials describe NATO membership for Ukraine as unrealistic anytime in the near future, but the Kremlin insists that even the possibility poses an existential threat. On the ground, analysts see preparations gaining pace for a possible military solution to preventing Ukraine from ever joining NATO. Researchers monitoring satellite imagery and footage of troop movements posted to social media say that Russia is deploying personnel and equipment within miles of the border with Ukraine. The forces have been filmed setting up tents in the mud and snow, adding to fears that Putin could order an attack as early as this month. “It’s safe to say that this is not a force posture that Russia is going to maintain for an extended period of time,” said Michael Kofman, director of Russia studies at CNA, a research institute based in Arlington, Virginia. “They are entering a go/no-go posture, and they’re going to make that decision in the coming weeks.” But even if an attack were to happen, touching off what would most likely be enormous human suffering in Ukraine, the diplomatic scramble would continue — with Russia exercising even more leverage, Kofman argued. “Diplomacy continues throughout war,” he said. “Ultimately, there would need to be some sort of agreement.” Despite the worrying troop movements, many analysts inside Russia continue to doubt that Putin will actually order a full invasion. The risks would far exceed any of Putin’s prior military pushes, like the five-day war against Georgia in 2008 or the still-simmering proxy war in eastern Ukraine that he started in 2014. Russian missiles could miss their targets, causing civilian casualties; Ukraine could respond by attacking Russian targets across the border. “I think most military officials understand that any operation would be rife with great difficulties,” said Pukhov, the Russian military analyst. “One has to understand that even in the event of limited military action, you won’t be able to avoid a major escalation, and it won’t conclude in five days.” The Kremlin said Tuesday that Russia would withdraw the thousands of troops it had sent to Belarus, Ukraine’s northern neighbor, after large-scale joint exercises concluded there Feb. 20. Whether the Russian troops indeed leave will be one closely watched signal of Putin’s military intentions. Even if they do, Russia’s newfound appetite for attention-grabbing military pressure against Ukraine and the West is likely to remain. “Russia has departed from the tactic of simply asking to be listened to,” said Sushentsov, the university dean. “Russian leaders have seen that this does not work and that it is necessary to make clear the risks of the Russian position being ignored.”

Putin is operating on his own timetable, and it may be a long one

Weakest link? Why Russian gas puts Europe in a bind over Ukraine

Ukraine presidency advisor Mykhailo Podolyak has said a diplomatic solution is more likely than an attack by&nbsp;Russia.

"An honest assessment of the situation suggests that the chance of finding a diplomatic solution for de-escalation is still substantially higher than the threat of further escalation," said Podolyak.

"For our intelligence service and our armed forces, this Russian activity comes as absolutely no surprise," he said.&nbsp;

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It comes after US officials said Russia has assembled at least 70 per cent of the military firepower it likely intends to have in place by mid-month to give President Vladimir Putin the option of launching a full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

Washington believes Russia may choose other options than a full-scale invasion, including a limited incursion, and does not believe President Vladimir Putin had made a final decision, the officials said.

Also see |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/what-weapons-has-ukraine-received-from-western-countries-to-resist-russias-army-449650">What weapons has Ukraine received from Western countries to resist Russia's army?</a>

Ukraine could suffer 5,000 to 25,000 troop casualties, while Russia's troop casualties could be between 3,000 and 10,000, and civilian casualties could range from 25,000 to 50,000, according to US estimates, the official said.

"How long will such Russian activity last and for what purpose is it maintained? Only the Kremlin can know the exact answer to this question," he said.&nbsp;

"The task of both Ukraine and our partners is to be prepared for any scenario, and we are fulfilling this task 100 percent."&nbsp;

Russia has denied plans to invade Ukraine but has deployed more than 100,000 troops near Ukraine's borders and says it could take unspecified military measures if its demands are not met, including a promise by NATO never to admit Ukraine.

US President Joe Biden has said he will not send US troops to Ukraine to fight a war. He has, however, ordered additional forces, including headquarters personnel and combat troops, to Poland and Romania to reassure those NATO allies that Washington would fulfill its treaty commitment to respond to Russian aggression against NATO territory. Ukraine is not a NATO member but receives US and allied military support and training. 
&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)

Ukraine presidency advisor Mykhailo Podolyak has said a diplomatic solution is more likely than an attack by Russia. "An honest assessment of the situation suggests that the chance of finding a diplomatic solution for de-escalation is still substantially higher than the threat of further escalation," said Podolyak.

Ukraine presidency advisor Mykhailo Podolyak has said a diplomatic solution is more likely than an attack by Russia. "An honest assessment of the situation suggests that the chance of finding a diplomatic solution for de-escalation is still substantially higher than the threat of further escalation," said Podolyak. "For our intelligence service and our armed forces, this Russian activity comes as absolutely no surprise," he said. It comes after US officials said Russia has assembled at least 70 per cent of the military firepower it likely intends to have in place by mid-month to give President Vladimir Putin the option of launching a full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Washington believes Russia may choose other options than a full-scale invasion, including a limited incursion, and does not believe President Vladimir Putin had made a final decision, the officials said. Also see | What weapons has Ukraine received from Western countries to resist Russia's army? Ukraine could suffer 5,000 to 25,000 troop casualties, while Russia's troop casualties could be between 3,000 and 10,000, and civilian casualties could range from 25,000 to 50,000, according to US estimates, the official said. "How long will such Russian activity last and for what purpose is it maintained? Only the Kremlin can know the exact answer to this question," he said. "The task of both Ukraine and our partners is to be prepared for any scenario, and we are fulfilling this task 100 percent." Russia has denied plans to invade Ukraine but has deployed more than 100,000 troops near Ukraine's borders and says it could take unspecified military measures if its demands are not met, including a promise by NATO never to admit Ukraine. US President Joe Biden has said he will not send US troops to Ukraine to fight a war. He has, however, ordered additional forces, including headquarters personnel and combat troops, to Poland and Romania to reassure those NATO allies that Washington would fulfill its treaty commitment to respond to Russian aggression against NATO territory. Ukraine is not a NATO member but receives US and allied military support and training. (With inputs from agencies)

Chance of diplomatic solution 'higher' than military escalation: Ukraine presidency

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said that Turkey is ready to do what it can to resolve the Ukraine-Russia crisis.

Offering to host a meeting of the country's two leaders, Erdogan accused the West of making the Russia-Ukraine crisis "worse."

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"Unfortunately, the West until now has not made any contribution to resolving this issue. I can say they are only making things worse," Erdogan said.

Erdogan said that Russian President Vladimir Putin has "responded positively" to the idea and that a date for the Russian leader's visit would now be set soon.

Also see |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/what-weapons-has-ukraine-received-from-western-countries-to-resist-russias-army-449650">What weapons has Ukraine received from Western countries to resist Russia's army?</a>

He reiterated Turkey's determination to support Ukraine's territorial integrity added that US President Joe Biden "has not yet been able to demonstrate a positive approach".

His comments come days after his visit to his counterpart Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Kyiv.

Erdogan has tried to position Turkey, which is a member of the NATO defence alliance, as a neutral mediator close to both Moscow and Kyiv.

Also see |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/beyond-full-scale-attack-on-ukraine-what-are-other-risky-options-does-russia-have-448771">Beyond full scale attack on Ukraine, what are other risky options does Russia have?</a>

Turkey has good ties with Kyiv and Moscow but has said it would do what is necessary as a NATO member if Russia invades.

Russia has denied plans to invade Ukraine amid concern by many Western nations over its build up of more than 100,000 troops near the border, but has demanded sweeping security guarantees from the West and says it could take unspecified military measures if its demands are not met.

With growing nervousness in Eastern Europe over Russia’s buildup, much attention is focused on its placement of thousands of troops in Belarus, which shares a border not only with Ukraine but also with three NATO nations,&nbsp;Poland, Lithuania and Latvia

Erdogan and Zelensky also signed an agreement expanding the production of parts in Ukraine for a Turkish combat drone whose sale to Kyiv has angered Moscow.

Ankara has previously offered to help to defuse the standoff and Turkish diplomatic sources have said both Russia and Ukraine were open to the idea.

Turkey has opposed the sanctions threatened by other NATO members in response to a military incursion by Russia.

(With inputs from agencies)

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said that Turkey is ready to do what it can to resolve the Ukraine-Russia crisis. Offering to host a meeting of the country's two leaders, Erdogan accused the West of making the Russia-Ukraine crisis "worse.

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said that Turkey is ready to do what it can to resolve the Ukraine-Russia crisis. Offering to host a meeting of the country's two leaders, Erdogan accused the West of making the Russia-Ukraine crisis "worse." "Unfortunately, the West until now has not made any contribution to resolving this issue. I can say they are only making things worse," Erdogan said. Erdogan said that Russian President Vladimir Putin has "responded positively" to the idea and that a date for the Russian leader's visit would now be set soon. Also see | What weapons has Ukraine received from Western countries to resist Russia's army? He reiterated Turkey's determination to support Ukraine's territorial integrity added that US President Joe Biden "has not yet been able to demonstrate a positive approach". His comments come days after his visit to his counterpart Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Kyiv. Erdogan has tried to position Turkey, which is a member of the NATO defence alliance, as a neutral mediator close to both Moscow and Kyiv. Also see | Beyond full scale attack on Ukraine, what are other risky options does Russia have? Turkey has good ties with Kyiv and Moscow but has said it would do what is necessary as a NATO member if Russia invades. Russia has denied plans to invade Ukraine amid concern by many Western nations over its build up of more than 100,000 troops near the border, but has demanded sweeping security guarantees from the West and says it could take unspecified military measures if its demands are not met. With growing nervousness in Eastern Europe over Russia’s buildup, much attention is focused on its placement of thousands of troops in Belarus, which shares a border not only with Ukraine but also with three NATO nations, Poland, Lithuania and Latvia Erdogan and Zelensky also signed an agreement expanding the production of parts in Ukraine for a Turkish combat drone whose sale to Kyiv has angered Moscow. Ankara has previously offered to help to defuse the standoff and Turkish diplomatic sources have said both Russia and Ukraine were open to the idea. Turkey has opposed the sanctions threatened by other NATO members in response to a military incursion by Russia. (With inputs from agencies)

Erdogan reiterates Turkey's determination to support Ukraine's territorial integrity

The first batch of US troops reinforcing NATO allies in eastern Europe has arrived at Rzeszow military base in southeastern&nbsp;Poland.

"As announced, the first elements of the brigade battle group from the 82nd Airborne Division of the United States Army have arrived in Poland," a Polish military spokesman said.

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/west-sends-weapons-to-ukraine-as-tensions-escalate-with-russia-450741/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

Major Przemyslaw Lipczynski added that the bulk of a contingent of 1,700 US soldiers would come "soon".

It comes after US President Joe Biden ordered nearly 3,000 extra troops to defend NATO members against any "aggression".

The new plan goes above and beyond the 8,500 troops the Pentagon put on alert last month to deploy to Europe if needed.

Also see |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/what-weapons-has-ukraine-received-from-western-countries-to-resist-russias-army-449650">What weapons has Ukraine received from Western countries to resist Russia's army?</a>

NATO defence ministers are expected to discuss further reinforcements at their next meeting on February 16-17.

Russia says NATO, the American-led alliance that has on its hands the biggest European crisis in decades, must never offer membership to Ukraine, which gained independence as the Soviet Union broke apart about 30 years ago.&nbsp;

Also see |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/beyond-full-scale-attack-on-ukraine-what-are-other-risky-options-does-russia-have-448771">Beyond full scale attack on Ukraine, what are other risky options does Russia have?</a>

Western capitals have accused Russia of amassing some 100,000 troops on the borders of pro-Western Ukraine in preparation for an invasion and have vowed to impose devastating sanctions on Moscow if it attacks.

Moscow has denied plans to invade Ukraine but has deployed more than 100,000 troops near Ukraine's borders and says it could take unspecified military measures if its demands are not met, including a promise by NATO never to admit Kyiv.

The Biden administration says Russia is now capable of a wide range of actions, including a full-scale invasion to capture Kyiv.

Russian President Vladimir Putin says NATO has gone too far not only by providing Ukraine with weaponry and military training but also by stationing forces in other Eastern European countries that compromise Russian security.

(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;

The first batch of US troops reinforcing NATO allies in eastern Europe has arrived at Rzeszow military base in southeastern Poland. "As announced, the first elements of the brigade battle group from the 82nd Airborne Division of the United States Army have arrived in Poland," a Polish military spokesman said.

The first batch of US troops reinforcing NATO allies in eastern Europe has arrived at Rzeszow military base in southeastern Poland. "As announced, the first elements of the brigade battle group from the 82nd Airborne Division of the United States Army have arrived in Poland," a Polish military spokesman said. Major Przemyslaw Lipczynski added that the bulk of a contingent of 1,700 US soldiers would come "soon". It comes after US President Joe Biden ordered nearly 3,000 extra troops to defend NATO members against any "aggression". The new plan goes above and beyond the 8,500 troops the Pentagon put on alert last month to deploy to Europe if needed. Also see | What weapons has Ukraine received from Western countries to resist Russia's army? NATO defence ministers are expected to discuss further reinforcements at their next meeting on February 16-17. Russia says NATO, the American-led alliance that has on its hands the biggest European crisis in decades, must never offer membership to Ukraine, which gained independence as the Soviet Union broke apart about 30 years ago. Also see | Beyond full scale attack on Ukraine, what are other risky options does Russia have? Western capitals have accused Russia of amassing some 100,000 troops on the borders of pro-Western Ukraine in preparation for an invasion and have vowed to impose devastating sanctions on Moscow if it attacks. Moscow has denied plans to invade Ukraine but has deployed more than 100,000 troops near Ukraine's borders and says it could take unspecified military measures if its demands are not met, including a promise by NATO never to admit Kyiv. The Biden administration says Russia is now capable of a wide range of actions, including a full-scale invasion to capture Kyiv. Russian President Vladimir Putin says NATO has gone too far not only by providing Ukraine with weaponry and military training but also by stationing forces in other Eastern European countries that compromise Russian security. (With inputs from agencies)

Russia-Ukraine crisis: US reinforcement troops arrive in Poland

Ukraine's challenge: How Russia uses Spetsnaz as 'tip of the spear'

US President Biden on Wednesday approved the deployment of additional 3,000 US military troops to Eastern Europe as per a senior administration official.

"The Department of Defense will reposition certain Europe-based units further east, forward-deploy additional US-based units to Europe, and maintain the heightened state of readiness of response forces" to meet commitments to NATO, the administration official said.

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/gravitas-ukraine-crisis-moscow-boosts-troop-levels-around-ukrainian-border-449320/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

Biden has said he will not put American troops in Ukraine to fight any Russian incursion, although the United States is supplying Ukraine with weapons to defend itself.

"These forces are not going to fight in Ukraine. They are not permanent moves. They respond to current conditions," the official added

The move is being viwed by experts as Washington reinforcement towards its allies against what it describes as a Russian threat to invade Ukraine.

Also see |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/what-weapons-has-ukraine-received-from-western-countries-to-resist-russias-army-449650">What weapons has Ukraine received from Western countries to resist Russia's army?</a>

Moscow, which has massed more than 100,000 troops near Ukraine's borders, denies any plan to invade its neighbour but says it could take unspecified military measures if demands are not met, including a promise by NATO never to admit Kyiv.

According to US media reports, around 2,000 troops will be sent from Fort Bragg, North Carolina to Poland and Germany, while another 1,000 already in Germany will be moved to Romania.

The Pentagon also has put about 8,500 US-based troops on higher alert for possible deployment to Europe as additional reassurance to allies, and officials have indicated the possibility that additional units could be placed on higher alert soon.&nbsp;

Also see |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/beyond-full-scale-attack-on-ukraine-what-are-other-risky-options-does-russia-have-448771">Beyond full scale attack on Ukraine, what are other risky options does Russia have?</a>

The US already has between 75,000 and 80,000 troops in Europe as permanently stationed forces and as part of regular rotations in place such as Poland.

Washington and Moscow have been at loggerheads over Ukraine, with little sign of a diplomatic path forward.

In his first public remarks on the standoff in more than a month, Putin on Tuesday accused the U.S. and its allies of ignoring Russia’s central security demands but he said that Moscow is willing to talk more to ease tensions over Ukraine.

His remarks suggested that a potential Russian invasion may not be imminent and that at least one more round of diplomacy is likely.

Ukraine has been battling Moscow-backed insurgencies in two separatist regions since 2014, when Moscow annexed the peninsula of Crimea.

More than 13,000 people have been killed in the fighting, the last major ongoing war in Europe.

(With inputs from agencies) 
&nbsp;

US President Biden on Wednesday approved the deployment of additional 3,000 US military troops to Eastern Europe as per a senior administration official. "The Department of Defense will reposition certain Europe-based units further east, forward-deploy additional US-based units to Europe, and maintain the heightened state of readiness of response forces" to meet commitments to NATO, the administration official said.

US President Biden on Wednesday approved the deployment of additional 3,000 US military troops to Eastern Europe as per a senior administration official. "The Department of Defense will reposition certain Europe-based units further east, forward-deploy additional US-based units to Europe, and maintain the heightened state of readiness of response forces" to meet commitments to NATO, the administration official said. Biden has said he will not put American troops in Ukraine to fight any Russian incursion, although the United States is supplying Ukraine with weapons to defend itself. "These forces are not going to fight in Ukraine. They are not permanent moves. They respond to current conditions," the official added The move is being viwed by experts as Washington reinforcement towards its allies against what it describes as a Russian threat to invade Ukraine. Also see | What weapons has Ukraine received from Western countries to resist Russia's army? Moscow, which has massed more than 100,000 troops near Ukraine's borders, denies any plan to invade its neighbour but says it could take unspecified military measures if demands are not met, including a promise by NATO never to admit Kyiv. According to US media reports, around 2,000 troops will be sent from Fort Bragg, North Carolina to Poland and Germany, while another 1,000 already in Germany will be moved to Romania. The Pentagon also has put about 8,500 US-based troops on higher alert for possible deployment to Europe as additional reassurance to allies, and officials have indicated the possibility that additional units could be placed on higher alert soon. Also see | Beyond full scale attack on Ukraine, what are other risky options does Russia have? The US already has between 75,000 and 80,000 troops in Europe as permanently stationed forces and as part of regular rotations in place such as Poland. Washington and Moscow have been at loggerheads over Ukraine, with little sign of a diplomatic path forward. In his first public remarks on the standoff in more than a month, Putin on Tuesday accused the U.S. and its allies of ignoring Russia’s central security demands but he said that Moscow is willing to talk more to ease tensions over Ukraine. His remarks suggested that a potential Russian invasion may not be imminent and that at least one more round of diplomacy is likely. Ukraine has been battling Moscow-backed insurgencies in two separatist regions since 2014, when Moscow annexed the peninsula of Crimea. More than 13,000 people have been killed in the fighting, the last major ongoing war in Europe. (With inputs from agencies)

US President Joe Biden approves deployment of additional 3,000 troops to eastern Europe: Report