Joe Biden warned Russian president Vladimir Putin that the US would impose swift and severe costs on Russia if his forces invaded Ukraine. The warning comes as US officials say a Russian invasion could begin "at any time."

No breakthrough on Ukraine after US President Biden & Russian President Putin's call

US President Joe Biden warns Russia's Vladimir Putin over Ukraine invasion

Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro has confirmed a trip to Moscow for next week, despite warnings from the US government of a possible imminent Russian attack on Ukraine.

Brazilian President Bolsonaro confirms Russia trip despite Ukraine conflict

At least 10 countries have asked their citizens to leave Ukraine before tensions escalate further. These panicked warnings came after US issued a warning saying that Russia could attack Ukraine any day now. WION brings you more insights.

Russia-Ukraine Conflict: Nations tell their citizens to leave Ukraine

Amid the rising tensions between the West and Russia, French President Emmanuel Macron dialled Russian President Vladimir Putin.

French President Emmanuel Macron speaks to Russian President Vladimir Putin amid Ukraine conflict

Thousands of people hold a rally in support of the Ukrainian government in Kyiv as tensions mount over Russian invasion fears.

Thousands march in Kyiv in a show of support to the Ukrainian government amid Russian invasion fears

The US has said that the Russian invasion of Ukraine is possible even before the end of the Beijing Winter Olympics. The US has repeated its warning of severe sanctions on Russia. Meanwhile, Military drills have intensified across Eastern Europe

Russia accuses the West of seeking to provoke a conflict

As fears of Russian invasion loom over Ukraine, the United States has dramatically raised the alarm warning that a Russian invasion could begin within few days. The White House said that a Russian invasion starting with civilians being caught under aerial bombing could begin any time even before the end of the Beijing Olympics.

United States: Russian invasion could occur any day

US, British and Norweigan nationals have been asked to leave Ukraine as war tensions with Russia mount over the Ukraine crisis. Meanwhile, the UK has urged Russia to step back from conflict.

Efforts at shuttle diplomacy by the the West continues amid Russian invasion fears

WION brings a report from Ukraine's first line of defence. The border where Ukraine, Belarus and Russia meet. Border guards warn of land mines below the snow.

WION reports from the Russia-Ukraine border: Border guards warn of land mines below the snow

As tensions over Ukraine are ramping up, the West fears of full-fledged invasion. Russia is moving large number of troops to its borders while world leaders are shuttling between the capitals. The big question is if there's a way out of this. Here are a few possible scenarios that can play out.

Can Russia-Ukraine crisis end? WION decodes the possibilities

The QUAD foreign ministers discussed Russia during their third meeting in Melbourne. But there was no mention of the crisis in the joint statement. How did India react to US attempts to pull the QUAD into a European crisis? Palki Sharma tells you.

Gravitas Ukraine Direct: India reluctant to discuss Russia at QUAD meet

Europe is divided over American troop deployment. Denmark is reversing a long-standing policy to allow US troops on its soil. In Slovakia, people are protesting. Palki Sharma brings you a report.

Gravitas Ukraine Direct: Ukraine-Russia crisis: Denmark may soon host US troops

The Normandy Talks have failed. The Russian Military has surrounded Ukraine. Where are things headed? Is a war inevitable? Palki Sharma decodes the possibilities with WION's correspondents from Berlin, Washington D.C. & London.

Gravitas Ukraine Direct: Russia Vs Ukraine: Decoding Friday's biggest developments

The Indian Business Community in Ukraine is on the edge. A war could spell doom for their livelihoods. Palki Sharma interviewed Indian businessmen based in Kyiv to understand their worries.

Gravitas Ukraine Direct: WION speaks to Indian Businessmen in Ukraine

The Normandy format talks between Russia and Ukraine broke down in Berlin after 9 hours. US President Joe Biden is asking Americans to leave Ukraine immediately. With each diplomatic failure, is Europe inching closer to war? Palki Sharma tells you.

Gravitas Ukraine Direct: Russian build-up grows as Moscow-Kyiv talks break down

Thousands of Russian soldiers and tanks have been deployed near the Ukraine-Belarus border in the north. How are Ukrainian border posts preparing to defend against Russia? Palki Sharma visited the Senkivka checkpost near the Russian border to find out.

Gravitas Ukraine Direct: WION reports from Ukraine-Russia border

The National Opera of Ukraine has withstood wars & conflicts. Today, it stands resolute in the face of a looming invasion. The performances continue in all their glory, instilling hope among the residents of Kyiv. Palki Sharma went backstage to witness the pre-show rehearsals.

Gravitas Ukraine Direct: 'The Show must go on' WION goes backstage at an Opera House in Kyiv

Report from Ukraine: Military drills intensify in Eastern Europe amid Russian invasion fears

The US has said that the Russian invasion of Ukraine is possible even before the end of the Beijing Winter Olympics. The US has repeated its warning of severe sanctions on Russia.

Sources: US President Joe Biden met his security advisers over the Ukraine crisis

British and Norweigan nationals have been asked to leave Ukraine as war tensions with Russia mount over the Ukraine crisis. Meanwhile, the UK has urged Russia to step back from conflict.

British nationals urged to leave Ukraine amid the second round of UK-Russia diplomacy bid

British and Norweigan nationals have been asked to leave Ukraine as war tensions with Russia mount over the Ukraine crisis. Meanwhile, the UK urges Russia to step back from conflict.

British nationals urged to leave Ukraine amid the second round of UK-Russia diplomacy

Amid the ongoing Russian invasion fears, US President Joe Biden is all set to hold talks with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin. The US has said that the Russian invasion of Ukraine is possible even before the end of the Beijing Winter Olympics.

US President Biden to hold talks with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin as invasion fear looms

As fears of Russian invasion loom over Ukraine, the United States has dramatically raised the alarm warning that a Russian invasion could begin within few days. The White House said that a Russian invasion starting with civilians being caught under aerial bombing could begin any time even before the end of the Beijing Olympics. WION's executive editor Palki Sharma and Ashok Sajjanhar, former Indian envoy to Kazakhstan give more insights on the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict.

US continues to raise alarms over Russian invasion in Ukraine | Palki Sharma Exclusive

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Ukraine using Bitcoin to crowdfund possible war against Russia: Report

Threats of Russian invasion are growing near the Ukrainian border as result tensions are rising in the deserted Ukraine town. Here's a report about what life is like in Krymske.

Threats of Russian invasion are growing near Ukrainian border

President Joe Biden called on US citizens to leave Ukraine immediately due to the heightened risk of a Russian invasion. Biden reiterated that under no circumstances would he send US troops to Ukraine, even to rescue Americans in case of a Russian invasion.

Russia-Ukraine Conflict: US urges its citizens to leave Ukraine immediately

Ukrainian and Russian officials met in the German capital for talks on ending the conflict in eastern Ukraine but nearly nine hours of talks failed to produce a breakthrough on signing a joint document. However, both sides have agreed to keep talks with French and German officials aimed at ending an eight-year separators conflict in eastern Ukraine but the lack of progress marked a setback for efforts to defuse the crisis.

Berlin talks fail to yield breakthrough in Russia-Ukraine crisis

The British Foreign Secretary's latest foray into international diplomacy has not gone as planned especially after she received a geography lesson from her Russian counterpart at their meeting in Moscow.

UK Foreign secretary mistakes Russian territory as Ukrainian, gets mocked for the gaffe

Amid rising tensions between the West and Russia over the Ukraine conflict. Watch a report from Krymske where people are living in a conflict zone.

Krymske: Life in a conflict zone

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