New satellite images show that Russia is still building up forces in Crimea and near Ukraine, reports Reuters. However, the agency claims that it could not independently verify the latest images from &nbsp;Maxar technologies.&nbsp;

The images show a base in Crimea, which Russia annexed in 2014. As of December 13, there were hundreds of&nbsp;vehicles and tanks at the base. An image of the same base in October showed the base half empty.

Maxar, in a statement, said, "Over the past month, our high-resolution satellite imagery has observed a number of new Russian deployments in Crimea as well as in several training areas in western Russia along the periphery of the Ukraine border."

Other Maxar images showed a build-up at the Soloti staging ground in Russia close to the Ukrainian border, with photos shot at the start of December showing a larger concentration of military hardware than in September.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/putin-wants-to-destroy-our-country-says-ukrainian-senior-security-official-439796">Also read |&nbsp;'Putin wants to destroy our country', says Ukrainian senior security official</a>

Several other pictures showed a continuing build-up at Yelnya, which is 160 miles north of the Ukrainian border. There was also a build-up at the Pogonovo training ground near the southern Russian city of Voronezh.

Tensions between Russia and Ukraine escalated in mid-November after Washington warned of a massive Russian troop build-up on Ukraine's border. NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg had offered to start talks with Russian officials year next year without setting a date to discuss the situation in Ukraine.&nbsp;

Meanwhile, Ukraine's Secretary of the National Security and Defence Council, Oleksiy Danilov has said that Russian President Vladimir Putin is determined to destroy Ukraine.&nbsp;

While speaking to AFP, he said that Moscow's invasion could destabilise Ukraine.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)

New satellite images show that Russia is still building up forces in Crimea and near Ukraine, reports Reuters. However, the agency claims that it could not independently verify the latest images from Maxar technologies.

New satellite images show that Russia is still building up forces in Crimea and near Ukraine, reports Reuters. However, the agency claims that it could not independently verify the latest images from Maxar technologies. The images show a base in Crimea, which Russia annexed in 2014. As of December 13, there were hundreds of vehicles and tanks at the base. An image of the same base in October showed the base half empty. Maxar, in a statement, said, "Over the past month, our high-resolution satellite imagery has observed a number of new Russian deployments in Crimea as well as in several training areas in western Russia along the periphery of the Ukraine border." Other Maxar images showed a build-up at the Soloti staging ground in Russia close to the Ukrainian border, with photos shot at the start of December showing a larger concentration of military hardware than in September. Also read | 'Putin wants to destroy our country', says Ukrainian senior security official Several other pictures showed a continuing build-up at Yelnya, which is 160 miles north of the Ukrainian border. There was also a build-up at the Pogonovo training ground near the southern Russian city of Voronezh. Tensions between Russia and Ukraine escalated in mid-November after Washington warned of a massive Russian troop build-up on Ukraine's border. NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg had offered to start talks with Russian officials year next year without setting a date to discuss the situation in Ukraine. Meanwhile, Ukraine's Secretary of the National Security and Defence Council, Oleksiy Danilov has said that Russian President Vladimir Putin is determined to destroy Ukraine. While speaking to AFP, he said that Moscow's invasion could destabilise Ukraine. (With inputs from agencies)

Satellite images expose Russia's attempts of building up forces near Ukraine

Russia President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday that Russia did not want conflict with Ukraine or the West but clearly said that NATO should not expand eastwards towards Russia. He was speaking at his annual end-of-year press conference.

He added that Russia had received generally positive response to security proposals it handed to US this month. He said the negotiations would start early next year in Geneva.

Russia last week presented the United States and NATO with draft proposals, summarising its demands in return for a de-escalation of tensions over ex-Soviet Ukraine.

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The documents said that NATO must not admit new members into the military alliance and called for no military bases to be established in ex-Soviet countries.

"There must not be any eastward NATO expansion," Putin told journalists at his annual end-of-year press conference.

"The ball is in their court. They need to provide us with some answer," he said, but added: "Overall we see a positive reaction."

"US partners told us that they are ready to begin this discussion, these talks, at the very start of next year in Geneva," Putin said, adding that representatives from both sides have been appointed.&nbsp;

Russia's far-reaching demands were dismissed by several members of the US-led alliance.&nbsp;

Washington said it was open for discussions but is yet to provide a detailed response to Moscow's proposals.

Western governments have accused Moscow of massing troops near its border with eastern Ukraine, where Kiev has been fighting pro-Russia separatists since shortly after the annexation of Crimea in 2014.

The United States and Europe have warned Russia that it risks unprecedented sanctions should Putin launch a military attack on NATO ally Ukraine.

(With inputs from agencies)

Russia President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday that Russia did not want conflict with Ukraine or the West but clearly said that NATO should not expand eastwards towards Russia.

Russia President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday that Russia did not want conflict with Ukraine or the West but clearly said that NATO should not expand eastwards towards Russia. He was speaking at his annual end-of-year press conference. He added that Russia had received generally positive response to security proposals it handed to US this month. He said the negotiations would start early next year in Geneva. Russia last week presented the United States and NATO with draft proposals, summarising its demands in return for a de-escalation of tensions over ex-Soviet Ukraine. × The documents said that NATO must not admit new members into the military alliance and called for no military bases to be established in ex-Soviet countries. "There must not be any eastward NATO expansion," Putin told journalists at his annual end-of-year press conference. "The ball is in their court. They need to provide us with some answer," he said, but added: "Overall we see a positive reaction." "US partners told us that they are ready to begin this discussion, these talks, at the very start of next year in Geneva," Putin said, adding that representatives from both sides have been appointed. Russia's far-reaching demands were dismissed by several members of the US-led alliance. Washington said it was open for discussions but is yet to provide a detailed response to Moscow's proposals. Western governments have accused Moscow of massing troops near its border with eastern Ukraine, where Kiev has been fighting pro-Russia separatists since shortly after the annexation of Crimea in 2014. The United States and Europe have warned Russia that it risks unprecedented sanctions should Putin launch a military attack on NATO ally Ukraine. (With inputs from agencies)

Don't want conflict over Ukraine, but NATO expansion unacceptable: Putin

Former deputy prime minister of Israel Natan Sharansky in an exclusive interview with Wion opined that&nbsp;western world was right to warn Russia against invading Ukraine. He maintained that Israel had good relations with both, Ukraine and Russia.

Natan Sharansky was the figurehead of the worldwide human rights campaign to free Jews from Soviet Russia. At the time, Jews there weren’t allowed to practise Jewish life – or to emigrate.

Having spent 9 years in prison for his activism, Sharansky himself was finally freed in 1986.

He immediately moved to Israel, where he went on to become a minister in 5 different governments, including serving as deputy prime minister.

Our correspondent, Jodie Cohen, brings you this exclusive interview for WION…

Wion: Natan Sharansky, you went from the depths of a Soviet prison to becoming Deputy Prime Minister of Israel, and winning numerous awards across your lifetime. With the world currently facing difficult times because of the pandemic, what do you think gave you such resilience?

Sharansky: In Soviet Union, there was a totalitarian regime which wanted to deprive people of any independence. The way to do it was to deprive people of their identities. So I grew up having no freedom and no identity. Being Jewish, (there was) nothing Jewish in our lives. No holiday, no tradition or religion or language, nothing. There was a lot of anti-semitism. And (there was) no freedom.&nbsp;

And then Israel secured victories against Arab regimes. You learn a lot in underground movements about this unique history, the people and the country, and you want to be part of it. The discovery of things bigger than yourself gives you strength to start speaking publicly and to fight for your rights. And that's how I became official spokesperson of two movements, Jewish movement and human rights movement.

When you get arrested, (you get) this feeling of yourself being part of a very important historical struggle, and that your people are together with you. And then somehow you make yourself feel that the struggle of your people depends on you saying 'no' to KGB. That's what gives you strength. And ofcourse KGB tried to convince me that everything was lost and nobody was ready to fight for you. And then you convince yourself that your people continue to struggle.

So it's mainly a struggle of your imagination against their lies and feeling that your life is more meaningful than simply your survival. Your identity and your freedom are very important.

Wion: You spent about half your time in prison in solitary confinement. With Christmas approaching, and people all over the world having to isolate because of COVID-19, what tips do you have for people finding it hard to cope in quarantine?

Sharansky: First of all, We are in a big struggle for the health of humanity and each of us has a role. We can deliver the victory together. So realising that there is sense, there is meaning (to all of this) helps.

Secondly, try to keep your sense of humour. I always enjoyed laughing at my prison guards showing them absurdity of their regime by making jokes about Soviet leaders. They couldn't even laugh because they were afraid to laugh.&nbsp;

As long as you can laugh when it is funny, you are free. So internet has lot of jokes about our situation. Enjoy the jokes.

Thirdly, don't make plans which don't depend on you. For example, don't say something like when all of this is over I will go to America. It doesn't depend on you, whether you can or cannot go. Then you feel even more depressed. Make plans that depend on you.

For example, say I will learn a new language next month. I will read books which I wanted to read but didn't have time. This depends on you.

In prison, it was very important to not make plans about your survival. Your survival doesn't depend on you. But make plans to stand and say no to KGB and think that you will be a free person on the last moment of your life.

So make plans for which you can take full responsibility, and then deliver.&nbsp;

Wion: Hundreds of thousands of people marched united in Washington to stand up for Jews from Soviet Russia. Today in the US, Israel and across the world, politics is increasingly polariseD. What lessons can be learned from the unity of the campaign to free Soviet Jews?

Sharansky: That campaign was extremely powerful. They marched not just to free Soviet Jews but also to bring down the iron curtain. The Soviet Union couldn't survive, it fell apart. So it was a victory against the most powerful totalitarian regime in the world. And this was possible because us, a small group of dissidents in the Soviet Union were supported by Jews from different walks of life and also other people who were interested in (supporting) human rights.

They marched with Martin Luther King and then they fought for our human rights. We also received support from those interested in freedom of those teaching Judaism. People from left to right (in the political spectrum) could understand why it was in their interest to press Soviet Union on the issue of human rights. So it was really very important that there was a common ground.&nbsp;

The problem today is that even in the most obvious battles like battle against anti-Semitism, the confrontation between the left and the right that left is ready to see anto-Semitism among the right but not among themselves.

(Fight against) Hatred towards other religions and anti-Semitism must unite us all, left and right, and we all have to fight these prejudices in our own camps. This is quite a challenge, how to overcome political differences and unite ourselves for fight for freedom.

Wion: In 2018, you won the Israel Prize for your contributions to the State of Israel in the fields of Immigration and Absorption. This included setting up a political party to help integrate the 1 million Soviet Jews who moved to Israel. What can you tell us from your experience about the best way to integrate immigrants into society?

Sharansky: First of all, Israel is really a unique country because usually a country creates diaspora. In case of Israel, diaspora created Israel. They created their own state which existed two thousand years ago. So these are the people who came from very different diasporas.

Secondly, our victory over the territorial regime of Soviet Union brought the unique fact that 1 million Jews came from Soviet Union to Israel. Israel at the time was a country of 6 million people. It was a big change. It was very cometitive. People who became professionals, elite in a country of 200 million people, they came to a small country. So suddenly, number of doctors doubled (there were) engineers, 10 times more musicians and so on. So it was difficult.

But what was critical was that we understood we had to give voice to new immigrants. That's why we created a party of new immigrants. We entered the Knesset. Many immigrants were not well conversant in Hebrew, but they worked in government, municipalities are were taking decisions along with rest of country. That proved to be the best way of integration.

And if you look now, one generation later, (you can see) unbelievable example of successful integration. They are very comfortable in all walks of society.

Wion: Moving to Israel now. You became Deputy Prime Minister just after the Camp David peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians broke down - in hindsight, why do you think they broke down? In your books on democracy, you’ve argued that there can never be peace until there are ‘real democratic institutions in Palestinian society’. Do you see signs for optimism today?

Sharansky: Well, I definitely see signs of optimism today. And they think that we lost a lot of time trying to build peace process through Oslo agreement. At that moment in 1993 when we signed the Oslo agreement, everybody was happy to see the picture of Yitzhak Rabin, Yasser Arafat and Bill Clinton. Two weeks after this I wrote my first article against this. Why? Because our prime minister said that it was very good that Yasser Arafat was a dictator. Without free press, human rights organisations, supreme court, he will defeat terrorism of Hamas.

I wrote in my article that as dictators, these people would need us as their enemies....For Yasser Arafat there will be no other enemy but us. So we have to be insistent that Yasser Arafat has free press, human rights organisations and supreme court (in Palestine). What happened in Oslo brought Yasser Arafat from Tunis to Palestine and it told Palestinians that he was their leader. And he destroyed all beginnings of (establishment of) human rights.

And that's why I was very critical. I never believed that this type of process of creating our own, or encouraging our own (principles) among Palestinians would bring peace.

I am more optimistic now. Because Abraham Accords between Israel and number of countries are based on people-to-people connections. Public opinion in Egypt continues to be extremely hostile to Israel. Same in Jordan. (But) The leaders are encouraging contact between people, businesses, cultures. It inevitably will also include Palestinians.

And then when those Palestinian leaders who will choose to recognise how important it is to use this, to build their own civil institutions, to build joint ventures with Israelis, they will become leaders of future Palestinian state which will make peace with us. Only the state in which people and leaders are interested to make peace can be our partner. So yes I am much more optimistic than I was before.

Wion: As a human rights activist, you’ve won numerous awards including, in 2006, the US Presidential Medal of Freedom. Israel often faces criticism for its human rights record. In your opinion, is this criticism fair?

Sharansky: Israel, like every democratic country, should be open to criticism. Israel has a challenge of constantly fighting for its right to exist and also uphold human rights. For example, how to minimise casualties among civilians while fighting terror. Israel surely has this challenge and has more and more reasons to think about it. And as one who has been trying to solve this problem from all sides, I can say that we have this problem and we are dealing with this at least as good if not better than all other democratic countries.

Criticism is ok. But when criticism turns into demonisation of Israel, denying right of Israel to exist, applying double standards, that is anti-Semitism.&nbsp;

Unfortunately, people in the free world, without realising are helping those who want to destroy us by agreeing with all sorts of extreme demonisation. For example, I hear some respectable western leader who says that I was in a refugee camp of Palestinians. This is the Auschwitz of today.

This is typical demonisation.

What does a refugee camp have to do with Auschwitz? Anyone who was in Auschwitz knows what a hell it was. It has nothing to do with poor neighbourhoods of Palestinians.

This is one of millions of examples of demonisation of Israel. These are clear double standards.

China is erasing whole cultures in Tibet and that of Uyghurs. Awful things are happening in Chechenya or in Africa.&nbsp;

Amid all this, the only conflict that becomes symbol of human rights (violations) is that between Israel and Palestinians. These are clear double standards.

Wion: You were a child chess prodigy, and even beat the world chess champion in 1996! There is another Israeli who is also known to be a master strategist, and that is former PM, Benjamin Netanyahu. A) Would he beat you at chess? And B) Do you think he’ll be able to manoevre his way to becoming prime minister again?

 
Sharansky: First of all, Bibi (Benjamin Netanyahu) is not a bad chess player. He once drew with me and I don't know which other Israeli politician can do that.

He is not oustanding, but by the standards of politicians, he is a good chess player.

As to the political chess, Netanyahu is a friend. When I was in prison, he was a young diplomat in Washington. He was very inventive in giving ideas about how our struggle against the Soviet Union can be amplified.

And then when I was in government, I could see how he fought for an open Israeli economy, for removal of old socialist restrictions. And at the same time. For 20 years he was a fierce voice, sometimes a lonely one, against Iran.&nbsp;

When such a person stays in power for so many years, it appears somehow that for the future of the country this person should stay in power. But let's not bet about democracy let's not bet over a person.

So I do reach out to my friend Netanyahu to strengthen his heritage. (But I don't want him to be complacent).

Today's political situation is unstable because we have a government that has the majority of 1 vote in the Knesset. This makes it very difficult to take any serious decision. There needs to be effort from both sides to build a government that will have a much broader platform.

Wion: Moving to geopolitics. You were born in the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic of the Soviet Union…today there is great tension between the Ukraine and Russia. Israel has just celebrated 30 years of ties with the Ukraine, and it also has ties with Russia. How can it continue to balance relations with both Ukraine and Russia going forward?

Sharansky: First of all, we have good relations with both Russia and Ukraine. There is no KGB today controlling minds of the people, there are no&nbsp;Gulags with millions of people dying there.

Having said this, I feel sorry that President Putin, who has very good relations with Israel, is restricting democracy and freedom in Russia.

Russia's annexation of Crimea was a violation of Helsinki agreement that said that borders will not change by way of war. I think this is very unfortunate.

I think the free world is right in warning Russia against invading Ukraine. At the same time I understand the difficulty of Israeli leaders who have to lead war against Iran and Iran's presence in Syria.

Unfortunately, Syrian airspace and territory is controlled by Russia. Giving away control in Syria, doing nothing when Syria was using chemical weapons and allowing strong Russian presence in Syria was a mistake from President Obama.

As a result, when we have to fight Iranian presence in Syria, we have to co-ordinate with Russia. So our leaders, when they are critical of Russia, they have to be cautious in choosing their tone, words and actions

Wion: You’re currently chairman of the Institute for the Study of Global Antisemitism and Policy – with the pandemic there has been a new trend of Covid-related anti-Semitism. What can you tell us about this, and what is being done to counter it?

Sharansky: This is something very new, anti-Semitism and Covid. It is continuation of same policy of anti-Semites for 3000 years. Jews were presented as symbol of the evil, so everything bad was connected with Jews. (It was said that) Jews were responsible for Capitalism and they were also responsible for Marxism. They were held responsible for establishing regimes and destroying regimes.

Today we see two types of accusations. First is, Jews are making money through Covid pandemic. Second is, Jews helped China to keep Covid a secret. Jews didn't tell the world because they wanted to do business using pandemic. All of this is nonsense. But when some absolute nonsense is repeated many times on the internet, more and more people start believing it.

Only way to fight this is through a fight against demonisation of Jewish people and of Jewish state on all fronts simultaneously, on the left, on the right, religious, secular, everywhere.

After all, we are Jews and we are very proud of it.&nbsp;

I was very happy when I received the Genesis Prize. I donated the prize amount, one million dollars for fight against Covid. Many Jewish people and organisations are doing excellent work in this field.&nbsp;

Wion: You most recently served as Chairman of the Jewish Agency for Israel, which seeks to unite and educate Jews across the world…This is seen as a unifying role, and of course there is one other major unifying role in Israel, and that is the president. Would you like to become President of Israel one day?

Sharansky: I am very happy and lucky that I got the opportunity to lead the struggle for Soviet Jews, the struggle to bring down the iron cutrain, the struggle for integration of Soviet Jews and many other good opportunities. But everybody has to know where he can contribute. It is great, the position of president of Israel is noble. But (there are) many speeches, many performances and many receptions every day, I don't think I can be good in it.

Former deputy prime minister of Israel Natan Sharansky in an exclusive interview with Wion opined that western world was right to warn Russia against invading Ukraine.

Former deputy prime minister of Israel Natan Sharansky in an exclusive interview with Wion opined that western world was right to warn Russia against invading Ukraine. He maintained that Israel had good relations with both, Ukraine and Russia. Natan Sharansky was the figurehead of the worldwide human rights campaign to free Jews from Soviet Russia. At the time, Jews there weren’t allowed to practise Jewish life – or to emigrate. Having spent 9 years in prison for his activism, Sharansky himself was finally freed in 1986. He immediately moved to Israel, where he went on to become a minister in 5 different governments, including serving as deputy prime minister. Our correspondent, Jodie Cohen, brings you this exclusive interview for WION… Wion: Natan Sharansky, you went from the depths of a Soviet prison to becoming Deputy Prime Minister of Israel, and winning numerous awards across your lifetime. With the world currently facing difficult times because of the pandemic, what do you think gave you such resilience? Sharansky: In Soviet Union, there was a totalitarian regime which wanted to deprive people of any independence. The way to do it was to deprive people of their identities. So I grew up having no freedom and no identity. Being Jewish, (there was) nothing Jewish in our lives. No holiday, no tradition or religion or language, nothing. There was a lot of anti-semitism. And (there was) no freedom. And then Israel secured victories against Arab regimes. You learn a lot in underground movements about this unique history, the people and the country, and you want to be part of it. The discovery of things bigger than yourself gives you strength to start speaking publicly and to fight for your rights. And that's how I became official spokesperson of two movements, Jewish movement and human rights movement. When you get arrested, (you get) this feeling of yourself being part of a very important historical struggle, and that your people are together with you. And then somehow you make yourself feel that the struggle of your people depends on you saying 'no' to KGB. That's what gives you strength. And ofcourse KGB tried to convince me that everything was lost and nobody was ready to fight for you. And then you convince yourself that your people continue to struggle. So it's mainly a struggle of your imagination against their lies and feeling that your life is more meaningful than simply your survival. Your identity and your freedom are very important. Wion: You spent about half your time in prison in solitary confinement. With Christmas approaching, and people all over the world having to isolate because of COVID-19, what tips do you have for people finding it hard to cope in quarantine? Sharansky: First of all, We are in a big struggle for the health of humanity and each of us has a role. We can deliver the victory together. So realising that there is sense, there is meaning (to all of this) helps. Secondly, try to keep your sense of humour. I always enjoyed laughing at my prison guards showing them absurdity of their regime by making jokes about Soviet leaders. They couldn't even laugh because they were afraid to laugh. As long as you can laugh when it is funny, you are free. So internet has lot of jokes about our situation. Enjoy the jokes. Thirdly, don't make plans which don't depend on you. For example, don't say something like when all of this is over I will go to America. It doesn't depend on you, whether you can or cannot go. Then you feel even more depressed. Make plans that depend on you. For example, say I will learn a new language next month. I will read books which I wanted to read but didn't have time. This depends on you. In prison, it was very important to not make plans about your survival. Your survival doesn't depend on you. But make plans to stand and say no to KGB and think that you will be a free person on the last moment of your life. So make plans for which you can take full responsibility, and then deliver. Wion: Hundreds of thousands of people marched united in Washington to stand up for Jews from Soviet Russia. Today in the US, Israel and across the world, politics is increasingly polariseD. What lessons can be learned from the unity of the campaign to free Soviet Jews? Sharansky: That campaign was extremely powerful. They marched not just to free Soviet Jews but also to bring down the iron curtain. The Soviet Union couldn't survive, it fell apart. So it was a victory against the most powerful totalitarian regime in the world. And this was possible because us, a small group of dissidents in the Soviet Union were supported by Jews from different walks of life and also other people who were interested in (supporting) human rights. They marched with Martin Luther King and then they fought for our human rights. We also received support from those interested in freedom of those teaching Judaism. People from left to right (in the political spectrum) could understand why it was in their interest to press Soviet Union on the issue of human rights. So it was really very important that there was a common ground. The problem today is that even in the most obvious battles like battle against anti-Semitism, the confrontation between the left and the right that left is ready to see anto-Semitism among the right but not among themselves. (Fight against) Hatred towards other religions and anti-Semitism must unite us all, left and right, and we all have to fight these prejudices in our own camps. This is quite a challenge, how to overcome political differences and unite ourselves for fight for freedom. Wion: In 2018, you won the Israel Prize for your contributions to the State of Israel in the fields of Immigration and Absorption. This included setting up a political party to help integrate the 1 million Soviet Jews who moved to Israel. What can you tell us from your experience about the best way to integrate immigrants into society? Sharansky: First of all, Israel is really a unique country because usually a country creates diaspora. In case of Israel, diaspora created Israel. They created their own state which existed two thousand years ago. So these are the people who came from very different diasporas. Secondly, our victory over the territorial regime of Soviet Union brought the unique fact that 1 million Jews came from Soviet Union to Israel. Israel at the time was a country of 6 million people. It was a big change. It was very cometitive. People who became professionals, elite in a country of 200 million people, they came to a small country. So suddenly, number of doctors doubled (there were) engineers, 10 times more musicians and so on. So it was difficult. But what was critical was that we understood we had to give voice to new immigrants. That's why we created a party of new immigrants. We entered the Knesset. Many immigrants were not well conversant in Hebrew, but they worked in government, municipalities are were taking decisions along with rest of country. That proved to be the best way of integration. And if you look now, one generation later, (you can see) unbelievable example of successful integration. They are very comfortable in all walks of society. Wion: Moving to Israel now. You became Deputy Prime Minister just after the Camp David peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians broke down - in hindsight, why do you think they broke down? In your books on democracy, you’ve argued that there can never be peace until there are ‘real democratic institutions in Palestinian society’. Do you see signs for optimism today? Sharansky: Well, I definitely see signs of optimism today. And they think that we lost a lot of time trying to build peace process through Oslo agreement. At that moment in 1993 when we signed the Oslo agreement, everybody was happy to see the picture of Yitzhak Rabin, Yasser Arafat and Bill Clinton. Two weeks after this I wrote my first article against this. Why? Because our prime minister said that it was very good that Yasser Arafat was a dictator. Without free press, human rights organisations, supreme court, he will defeat terrorism of Hamas. I wrote in my article that as dictators, these people would need us as their enemies....For Yasser Arafat there will be no other enemy but us. So we have to be insistent that Yasser Arafat has free press, human rights organisations and supreme court (in Palestine). What happened in Oslo brought Yasser Arafat from Tunis to Palestine and it told Palestinians that he was their leader. And he destroyed all beginnings of (establishment of) human rights. And that's why I was very critical. I never believed that this type of process of creating our own, or encouraging our own (principles) among Palestinians would bring peace. I am more optimistic now. Because Abraham Accords between Israel and number of countries are based on people-to-people connections. Public opinion in Egypt continues to be extremely hostile to Israel. Same in Jordan. (But) The leaders are encouraging contact between people, businesses, cultures. It inevitably will also include Palestinians. And then when those Palestinian leaders who will choose to recognise how important it is to use this, to build their own civil institutions, to build joint ventures with Israelis, they will become leaders of future Palestinian state which will make peace with us. Only the state in which people and leaders are interested to make peace can be our partner. So yes I am much more optimistic than I was before. Wion: As a human rights activist, you’ve won numerous awards including, in 2006, the US Presidential Medal of Freedom. Israel often faces criticism for its human rights record. In your opinion, is this criticism fair? Sharansky: Israel, like every democratic country, should be open to criticism. Israel has a challenge of constantly fighting for its right to exist and also uphold human rights. For example, how to minimise casualties among civilians while fighting terror. Israel surely has this challenge and has more and more reasons to think about it. And as one who has been trying to solve this problem from all sides, I can say that we have this problem and we are dealing with this at least as good if not better than all other democratic countries. Criticism is ok. But when criticism turns into demonisation of Israel, denying right of Israel to exist, applying double standards, that is anti-Semitism. Unfortunately, people in the free world, without realising are helping those who want to destroy us by agreeing with all sorts of extreme demonisation. For example, I hear some respectable western leader who says that I was in a refugee camp of Palestinians. This is the Auschwitz of today. This is typical demonisation. What does a refugee camp have to do with Auschwitz? Anyone who was in Auschwitz knows what a hell it was. It has nothing to do with poor neighbourhoods of Palestinians. This is one of millions of examples of demonisation of Israel. These are clear double standards. China is erasing whole cultures in Tibet and that of Uyghurs. Awful things are happening in Chechenya or in Africa. Amid all this, the only conflict that becomes symbol of human rights (violations) is that between Israel and Palestinians. These are clear double standards. Wion: You were a child chess prodigy, and even beat the world chess champion in 1996! There is another Israeli who is also known to be a master strategist, and that is former PM, Benjamin Netanyahu. A) Would he beat you at chess? And B) Do you think he’ll be able to manoevre his way to becoming prime minister again? Sharansky: First of all, Bibi (Benjamin Netanyahu) is not a bad chess player. He once drew with me and I don't know which other Israeli politician can do that. He is not oustanding, but by the standards of politicians, he is a good chess player. As to the political chess, Netanyahu is a friend. When I was in prison, he was a young diplomat in Washington. He was very inventive in giving ideas about how our struggle against the Soviet Union can be amplified. And then when I was in government, I could see how he fought for an open Israeli economy, for removal of old socialist restrictions. And at the same time. For 20 years he was a fierce voice, sometimes a lonely one, against Iran. When such a person stays in power for so many years, it appears somehow that for the future of the country this person should stay in power. But let's not bet about democracy let's not bet over a person. So I do reach out to my friend Netanyahu to strengthen his heritage. (But I don't want him to be complacent). Today's political situation is unstable because we have a government that has the majority of 1 vote in the Knesset. This makes it very difficult to take any serious decision. There needs to be effort from both sides to build a government that will have a much broader platform. Wion: Moving to geopolitics. You were born in the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic of the Soviet Union…today there is great tension between the Ukraine and Russia. Israel has just celebrated 30 years of ties with the Ukraine, and it also has ties with Russia. How can it continue to balance relations with both Ukraine and Russia going forward? Sharansky: First of all, we have good relations with both Russia and Ukraine. There is no KGB today controlling minds of the people, there are no Gulags with millions of people dying there. Having said this, I feel sorry that President Putin, who has very good relations with Israel, is restricting democracy and freedom in Russia. Russia's annexation of Crimea was a violation of Helsinki agreement that said that borders will not change by way of war. I think this is very unfortunate. I think the free world is right in warning Russia against invading Ukraine. At the same time I understand the difficulty of Israeli leaders who have to lead war against Iran and Iran's presence in Syria. Unfortunately, Syrian airspace and territory is controlled by Russia. Giving away control in Syria, doing nothing when Syria was using chemical weapons and allowing strong Russian presence in Syria was a mistake from President Obama. As a result, when we have to fight Iranian presence in Syria, we have to co-ordinate with Russia. So our leaders, when they are critical of Russia, they have to be cautious in choosing their tone, words and actions Wion: You’re currently chairman of the Institute for the Study of Global Antisemitism and Policy – with the pandemic there has been a new trend of Covid-related anti-Semitism. What can you tell us about this, and what is being done to counter it? Sharansky: This is something very new, anti-Semitism and Covid. It is continuation of same policy of anti-Semites for 3000 years. Jews were presented as symbol of the evil, so everything bad was connected with Jews. (It was said that) Jews were responsible for Capitalism and they were also responsible for Marxism. They were held responsible for establishing regimes and destroying regimes. Today we see two types of accusations. First is, Jews are making money through Covid pandemic. Second is, Jews helped China to keep Covid a secret. Jews didn't tell the world because they wanted to do business using pandemic. All of this is nonsense. But when some absolute nonsense is repeated many times on the internet, more and more people start believing it. Only way to fight this is through a fight against demonisation of Jewish people and of Jewish state on all fronts simultaneously, on the left, on the right, religious, secular, everywhere. After all, we are Jews and we are very proud of it. I was very happy when I received the Genesis Prize. I donated the prize amount, one million dollars for fight against Covid. Many Jewish people and organisations are doing excellent work in this field. Wion: You most recently served as Chairman of the Jewish Agency for Israel, which seeks to unite and educate Jews across the world…This is seen as a unifying role, and of course there is one other major unifying role in Israel, and that is the president. Would you like to become President of Israel one day? Sharansky: I am very happy and lucky that I got the opportunity to lead the struggle for Soviet Jews, the struggle to bring down the iron cutrain, the struggle for integration of Soviet Jews and many other good opportunities. But everybody has to know where he can contribute. It is great, the position of president of Israel is noble. But (there are) many speeches, many performances and many receptions every day, I don't think I can be good in it.

World is right to warn Russia over Ukraine issue: Former deputy PM of Israel

Despite tensions simmering between the US-led NATO allies and Russia over Ukraine, Moscow believes that their relations with Washington are not at their lowest point yet.

According to&nbsp;Interfax news agency,&nbsp;Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov on Saturday said that Kremlin needed stable and predictable relations with Washington.&nbsp;

Meanwhile, Britain’s defence secretary&nbsp;Ben Wallace&nbsp;has said that it is “highly unlikely” that UK or other NATO allies would send troops to the eastern European country if it is invaded by neighbouring Moscow.

The comments come days after UK Prime Minister Borish Johnson 'warned' Russian President Vladimir Putin that they would have to face "signficant consequences" if Russia tries to invade Ukraine,

According to US intelligence, Russia has stationed about 70,000 troops near the border of Ukraine and has begun planning for a possible invasion as soon as early next year.

Also read |&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/ukraine-invasion-would-be-a-costly-mistake-boris-johnson-warns-putin-436696">Ukraine invasion would be a costly mistake, Boris Johnson warns Putin</a>

Recently in an interview, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Pesko acknowledged a troop build-up near its borders, stating that it was a response to the US military’s presence on the Ukrainian border.

In an interview with the Spectator, Wallace said Ukraine “is not a member of NATO, so it is highly unlikely that anyone is going to send troops into Ukraine to challenge Russia”.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/ukraine-commanders-say-a-russian-invasion-would-overwhelm-them-435579">Ukraine commanders say a Russian invasion would overwhelm them</a>

“We shouldn’t kid people we would. The Ukrainians are aware of that,” he added.

When asked what would be the UK’s response against a possible Russian invasion, Wallace said, “We can all help with capacity building, but to some extent, Ukraine is not in NATO and that is why we are doing the best diplomatically to say to Putin don’t do this.”

On December 13, Boris Johnson told Russian President Vladimir Putin that the UK&nbsp;is committed&nbsp;to Ukraine's territorial integrity and sovereignty, and warned that "any destabilising action would be a strategic mistake that would have significant consequences."

(With inputs from agencies)

Despite tensions simmering between the US-led NATO allies and Russia over Ukraine, Moscow believes that their relations with Washington are not at their lowest point yet.

Despite tensions simmering between the US-led NATO allies and Russia over Ukraine, Moscow believes that their relations with Washington are not at their lowest point yet. According to Interfax news agency, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov on Saturday said that Kremlin needed stable and predictable relations with Washington. Meanwhile, Britain’s defence secretary Ben Wallace has said that it is “highly unlikely” that UK or other NATO allies would send troops to the eastern European country if it is invaded by neighbouring Moscow. The comments come days after UK Prime Minister Borish Johnson 'warned' Russian President Vladimir Putin that they would have to face "signficant consequences" if Russia tries to invade Ukraine, According to US intelligence, Russia has stationed about 70,000 troops near the border of Ukraine and has begun planning for a possible invasion as soon as early next year. Also read | Ukraine invasion would be a costly mistake, Boris Johnson warns Putin Recently in an interview, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Pesko acknowledged a troop build-up near its borders, stating that it was a response to the US military’s presence on the Ukrainian border. In an interview with the Spectator, Wallace said Ukraine “is not a member of NATO, so it is highly unlikely that anyone is going to send troops into Ukraine to challenge Russia”. Also read | Ukraine commanders say a Russian invasion would overwhelm them “We shouldn’t kid people we would. The Ukrainians are aware of that,” he added. When asked what would be the UK’s response against a possible Russian invasion, Wallace said, “We can all help with capacity building, but to some extent, Ukraine is not in NATO and that is why we are doing the best diplomatically to say to Putin don’t do this.” On December 13, Boris Johnson told Russian President Vladimir Putin that the UK is committed to Ukraine's territorial integrity and sovereignty, and warned that "any destabilising action would be a strategic mistake that would have significant consequences." (With inputs from agencies)

Amid Ukraine crisis, Kremlin says tensions between Russia and US not at lowest point yet

Western countries on Thursday rejected Russian efforts to put obstacles in Ukraine's path towards becoming NATO member. The countries urged Russia to return to peace talks mediated by France and Germany.

NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg branded Russia the "aggressor" thus repeating accusation that Moscow had masses powerful military forces near its border with Ukraine.

The NATO chief also met Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky, and gave a joint news conference to insist that any decision on membership was a matter for Kiev and the alliance's 30 member states.

"We will not compromise on the right of Ukraine to choose its own path. We will not compromise on the right for NATO to protect and defend all NATO allies," Stoltenberg said.

Russia's President Vladimir Putin is pushing for direct dialogue with his US counterpart Joe Biden's administration to resolve the stand-off on the frontier.

European leaders who met in Brussels in EU summit pushed for a return to 'Normandy format'. It is a four-way dialogue between Paris Berlin, Kiev and Moscow aimed at ending the conflict.

On Wednesday, Russia handed a list of security demands to US Assistant Secretary of State Karen Donfried, who then came to NATO headquarters in Brussels on Thursday to discuss them with Stoltenberg.

No compromise

He said there would also be no compromising on NATO's partnership with Ukraine, describing it as important for both sides and "not in any way a threat to Russia".

On Wednesday, Zelensky attended a summit with EU leaders -- most of whose countries are also NATO members -- and said that most of them understood and supported Ukraine's position in the conflict.

But he is frustrated that European powers in particular have refused to take preventive action against Russia, preferring to threaten a response in the event of Russian action.&nbsp;

"Since 2014, since the start of the war, I believe that basically Russia pushed Ukraine into NATO," he said.

"Basically I believe that today Russia itself is paving the difficult path of Ukraine to NATO."

Western countries on Thursday rejected Russian efforts to put obstacles in Ukraine's path towards becoming NATO member. The countries urged Russia to return to peace talks mediated by France and Germany.

Western countries on Thursday rejected Russian efforts to put obstacles in Ukraine's path towards becoming NATO member. The countries urged Russia to return to peace talks mediated by France and Germany. NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg branded Russia the "aggressor" thus repeating accusation that Moscow had masses powerful military forces near its border with Ukraine. The NATO chief also met Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky, and gave a joint news conference to insist that any decision on membership was a matter for Kiev and the alliance's 30 member states. "We will not compromise on the right of Ukraine to choose its own path. We will not compromise on the right for NATO to protect and defend all NATO allies," Stoltenberg said. Russia's President Vladimir Putin is pushing for direct dialogue with his US counterpart Joe Biden's administration to resolve the stand-off on the frontier. European leaders who met in Brussels in EU summit pushed for a return to 'Normandy format'. It is a four-way dialogue between Paris Berlin, Kiev and Moscow aimed at ending the conflict. On Wednesday, Russia handed a list of security demands to US Assistant Secretary of State Karen Donfried, who then came to NATO headquarters in Brussels on Thursday to discuss them with Stoltenberg. No compromise He said there would also be no compromising on NATO's partnership with Ukraine, describing it as important for both sides and "not in any way a threat to Russia". On Wednesday, Zelensky attended a summit with EU leaders -- most of whose countries are also NATO members -- and said that most of them understood and supported Ukraine's position in the conflict. But he is frustrated that European powers in particular have refused to take preventive action against Russia, preferring to threaten a response in the event of Russian action. "Since 2014, since the start of the war, I believe that basically Russia pushed Ukraine into NATO," he said. "Basically I believe that today Russia itself is paving the difficult path of Ukraine to NATO."

West rejects Russian attempts to thwart Ukraine's NATO ambitions

A Russian court has inadvertantly revealed that Russia had troops in separatists-held region. Russia, apparently in a damage control mode, is now saying that the documents likely contained an error.

"Maybe we are talking about a mistake by someone who wrote the document, because this is impossible," Dmitry Peskov, Spokesman of President Vladimir Putin said.

"There have never been any Russian forces on the territory of the self-proclaimed republics."

The court in question is one in southern Russian region of Rostov. It published a ruling online&nbsp;

in a case where the defendant testified he was responsible for supplying food to Russian troops in eastern Ukraine.

The court verdict read that every two weeks a column of 70 trucks carrying supplies would be dispatched to eastern Ukraine to bring food to Russian troops stationed there.&nbsp;

Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/germany-expels-russian-diplomats-after-court-accuses-russia-of-state-terrorism-in-berlin-park-murder-case-437205">Germany expels Russian diplomats after court accuses Russia of 'state terrorism' in Berlin park murder case</a>

Pescov claimed that Russia has been sending humanitarian aid to the separatist statelets on a regular basis.

According to the court document, supplies were sent to eastern Ukraine in 2018 and 2019.

"The supplies were intended to be sent to military units of the armed forces of the Russian Federation deployed in the DPR and LPR," the conviction read, referring to two breakaway regions.

'Confession'

The defendant -- identified as V.N. Zabaluyev -- served as deputy regional manager for military food supplies at a local company and was sentenced to five years in prison for bribing officials in 2019.

Later Thursday, the Rostov courts press service issued a statement saying the local court that collected Zabaluyev's testimony had not verified it.

"This was not the subject of the legal proceedings," the statement said, adding that "the court did not and could not verify this part of the testimony".

The revelation comes at a tense time in the conflict, with Russia accused of massing around 100,000 troops near Ukraine, raising new fears in the West of a possible invasion.

A Russian court has inadvertantly revealed that Russia had troops in separatists-held region. Russia, apparently in a damage control mode, is now saying that the documents likely contained an error.

A Russian court has inadvertantly revealed that Russia had troops in separatists-held region. Russia, apparently in a damage control mode, is now saying that the documents likely contained an error. "Maybe we are talking about a mistake by someone who wrote the document, because this is impossible," Dmitry Peskov, Spokesman of President Vladimir Putin said. "There have never been any Russian forces on the territory of the self-proclaimed republics." The court in question is one in southern Russian region of Rostov. It published a ruling online in a case where the defendant testified he was responsible for supplying food to Russian troops in eastern Ukraine. The court verdict read that every two weeks a column of 70 trucks carrying supplies would be dispatched to eastern Ukraine to bring food to Russian troops stationed there. Also Read | Germany expels Russian diplomats after court accuses Russia of 'state terrorism' in Berlin park murder case Pescov claimed that Russia has been sending humanitarian aid to the separatist statelets on a regular basis. According to the court document, supplies were sent to eastern Ukraine in 2018 and 2019. "The supplies were intended to be sent to military units of the armed forces of the Russian Federation deployed in the DPR and LPR," the conviction read, referring to two breakaway regions. 'Confession' The defendant -- identified as V.N. Zabaluyev -- served as deputy regional manager for military food supplies at a local company and was sentenced to five years in prison for bribing officials in 2019. Later Thursday, the Rostov courts press service issued a statement saying the local court that collected Zabaluyev's testimony had not verified it. "This was not the subject of the legal proceedings," the statement said, adding that "the court did not and could not verify this part of the testimony". The revelation comes at a tense time in the conflict, with Russia accused of massing around 100,000 troops near Ukraine, raising new fears in the West of a possible invasion.

Russian court documents show troops in Ukraine, Kremlin says text has 'error'

The recent build up of Russian Forces along the borders of Ukraine and the reactions of United States for this were not a surprise and this incident may lead into another possibility of a situation like Cold War. Although Russian authorities categorically denied it, but the experience of the past wants us to take the Russian statement with a pinch of salt. While some of the international experts say it well that it may be another suicidal attempt for Uncle Sam, US is making aggressive statements.

Recently, US President Joe Biden in his two-hour video call with Russian President Vladimir Putin categorically mentioned that “US and our allies would respond with strong economic and other measures” if Russia continues to escalate things militarily and creates a threat to Ukrainian democracy. Recently, G-7 Nations also issued a joint statement issuing a stern warning to Russia against an invasion. Ukraine is geographically located in such a place that if Russia invades it, it will knock at the doors of European Union and if Ukraine joins NATO or any other western military alliance, American or NATO forces will be knocking at the doors of Russia. Both parties are visualising Ukraine as a challenge.

Tensions between Russia and Ukraine are not new. It started soon after the disintegration of erstwhile USSR and creation of Ukraine and Russia. Ukraine was a part of USSR, and it was socially, economically and culturally well connected to Russia. Both the countries have co-operated well in the past too till the 2014 Ukrainian revolution. Soon after Petro Poroshenko took over as president and forbade military co-operation with Russia, things started taking an ugly turn. Increasing proximity of Ukraine with western powers, European union and United States made things worse.

Russia has its own concerns. It had suffered immensely due to the post-cold war events, the economic crisis and does not want NATO to knock at its door now. With Ukraine inching closer to US both militarily and economically, the possibility of US forces being stationed in Ukraine can not be ruled out. There are high possibilities that Ukraine may be leading to become another battlefield between US and Russia after Afghanistan. We have strong reasons to understand the dynamics

1. Russia wants its borders to be secure

With Western forces especially NATO inching close to Russia, it is but natural for the Kremlin to be concerned about its own security. It wanted Ukraine to act as a wall between western forces and Russia, but things are happening just opposite. As Ukraine is trying for a NATO membership and Unites States providing all out help to president Volodymyr Zelensky, things ahave been&nbsp;taking an ugly turn since 2014. Further, as Ukraine is getting closer to European Union, it is a serious worry for President Putin too. He mentioned that Ukraine could become a springboard for a US sponsored military action against Russia in future. To secure his country and land borders, he may do something which can turn Ukraine into a battleground.

2.&nbsp;Declining trade relations between Russia and Ukraine

Trade relations between Russia and Ukraine are at&nbsp;lowest since 2014. Despite of the fact that both countries are well connected and been part of the same empire in the past, things are not moving smoothly. Within last seven years, European Union (EU) became the biggest trade partner of Ukraine outclassing Russia. Ukraine not only signed a free trade agreement with EU but also created trade barriers with Russia. As a result, Russia revoked free trade agreement with Ukraine and the result is visible in the figures. In 2013, Russia used to get 25.7% share in total Ukrainian exports which have fallen to 7.7% in 2020. In contrast, EU’s share has shot from 24.9% to 42.6% in the same time frame. For a country which is already facing severe economic crisis, such action by a trusted partner will certainly evoke reactions.

3. Social and Cultural ties

Ukraine has deep social and cultural ties with Russia, their languages are similar, their script is same, they have same form of Christianity and culturally both communities are much closer to each other than any of the western countries. Although post cold war events leading to disintegration of USSR led to separation of both countries but somewhere Russians want it to be part of their country. This wish is reflected in the statements of Russian leadership time and again. This year in July, Russian President Vladimir Putin wrote an article on “The Historical Unity of Russians and Ukrainians” which clearly brings out what is happening in the minds of Russian leadership.&nbsp;

4. US-NATO military intervention in Ukraine

Over last 7 years, US has provided significant military hardware both new and used to Ukraine. Similarly, United Kingdom and Turkey too provided their war machines. Often Russian leaders have complained that Ukraine has been using Turkish armed drones in the disturbed eastern areas of Ukraine and close to their borders. In last seven years, US has provided Kiev with large number of armoured Vehicles, anti-tank Missiles, patrol crafts, and weapon locating radars. A big portion of this armory is deployed on the eastern borders with Russia where more than half of Ukrainian forces are deployed for last few months to counter the disturbances in Donbas. &nbsp;

5. Anti-Russian approach of Ukrainian leaders

Earlier in June 2021, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced to the western media that his country is ready to join NATO and he openly asked for military and economic support from the US. Further, the events leading to annexation of Crimea and situation in eastern part of Donbas made it further difficult for the Ukrainian leadership to rely on Kremlin’s words. Proximity with Turkey, European Union and United States did the rest and as a result Ukrainian leaders today have a total anti-Russian approach which is making things worse.

In an atmosphere where leaders are not relying on each other and western powers are ready to intervene, the biggest question arises now is if Ukraine will be a battleground of two global powers who are flexing their muscles. Some of the international experts say that Russia will not require to intervene militarily in Ukraine to win over it.

It will just follow the approach it took in Crimea and what it is doing in Donbas. Create a local unrest and fuel it up. Then let the locals do the entire job with the indirect military support of Russia. While a military intervention by US or NATO cannot be ruled out, it will only make the lives of local Ukrainians miserable the way it did in Afghanistan, Vietnam, or Middle East. It may also lead to another polarisation in the world since China is already closer to Russia and it will not take much time for other countries to form an Anti-US alliance on the grounds of Ukraine. Current events are just an indicator and need to be observed carefully.

(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.)

The recent build up of Russian Forces along the borders of Ukraine and the reactions of United States for this were not a surprise and this incident may lead into another possibility of a situation like Cold War.

The recent build up of Russian Forces along the borders of Ukraine and the reactions of United States for this were not a surprise and this incident may lead into another possibility of a situation like Cold War. Although Russian authorities categorically denied it, but the experience of the past wants us to take the Russian statement with a pinch of salt. While some of the international experts say it well that it may be another suicidal attempt for Uncle Sam, US is making aggressive statements. Recently, US President Joe Biden in his two-hour video call with Russian President Vladimir Putin categorically mentioned that “US and our allies would respond with strong economic and other measures” if Russia continues to escalate things militarily and creates a threat to Ukrainian democracy. Recently, G-7 Nations also issued a joint statement issuing a stern warning to Russia against an invasion. Ukraine is geographically located in such a place that if Russia invades it, it will knock at the doors of European Union and if Ukraine joins NATO or any other western military alliance, American or NATO forces will be knocking at the doors of Russia. Both parties are visualising Ukraine as a challenge. Tensions between Russia and Ukraine are not new. It started soon after the disintegration of erstwhile USSR and creation of Ukraine and Russia. Ukraine was a part of USSR, and it was socially, economically and culturally well connected to Russia. Both the countries have co-operated well in the past too till the 2014 Ukrainian revolution. Soon after Petro Poroshenko took over as president and forbade military co-operation with Russia, things started taking an ugly turn. Increasing proximity of Ukraine with western powers, European union and United States made things worse. Russia has its own concerns. It had suffered immensely due to the post-cold war events, the economic crisis and does not want NATO to knock at its door now. With Ukraine inching closer to US both militarily and economically, the possibility of US forces being stationed in Ukraine can not be ruled out. There are high possibilities that Ukraine may be leading to become another battlefield between US and Russia after Afghanistan. We have strong reasons to understand the dynamics 1. Russia wants its borders to be secure With Western forces especially NATO inching close to Russia, it is but natural for the Kremlin to be concerned about its own security. It wanted Ukraine to act as a wall between western forces and Russia, but things are happening just opposite. As Ukraine is trying for a NATO membership and Unites States providing all out help to president Volodymyr Zelensky, things ahave been taking an ugly turn since 2014. Further, as Ukraine is getting closer to European Union, it is a serious worry for President Putin too. He mentioned that Ukraine could become a springboard for a US sponsored military action against Russia in future. To secure his country and land borders, he may do something which can turn Ukraine into a battleground. 2. Declining trade relations between Russia and Ukraine Trade relations between Russia and Ukraine are at lowest since 2014. Despite of the fact that both countries are well connected and been part of the same empire in the past, things are not moving smoothly. Within last seven years, European Union (EU) became the biggest trade partner of Ukraine outclassing Russia. Ukraine not only signed a free trade agreement with EU but also created trade barriers with Russia. As a result, Russia revoked free trade agreement with Ukraine and the result is visible in the figures. In 2013, Russia used to get 25.7% share in total Ukrainian exports which have fallen to 7.7% in 2020. In contrast, EU’s share has shot from 24.9% to 42.6% in the same time frame. For a country which is already facing severe economic crisis, such action by a trusted partner will certainly evoke reactions. 3. Social and Cultural ties Ukraine has deep social and cultural ties with Russia, their languages are similar, their script is same, they have same form of Christianity and culturally both communities are much closer to each other than any of the western countries. Although post cold war events leading to disintegration of USSR led to separation of both countries but somewhere Russians want it to be part of their country. This wish is reflected in the statements of Russian leadership time and again. This year in July, Russian President Vladimir Putin wrote an article on “The Historical Unity of Russians and Ukrainians” which clearly brings out what is happening in the minds of Russian leadership. 4. US-NATO military intervention in Ukraine Over last 7 years, US has provided significant military hardware both new and used to Ukraine. Similarly, United Kingdom and Turkey too provided their war machines. Often Russian leaders have complained that Ukraine has been using Turkish armed drones in the disturbed eastern areas of Ukraine and close to their borders. In last seven years, US has provided Kiev with large number of armoured Vehicles, anti-tank Missiles, patrol crafts, and weapon locating radars. A big portion of this armory is deployed on the eastern borders with Russia where more than half of Ukrainian forces are deployed for last few months to counter the disturbances in Donbas. 5. Anti-Russian approach of Ukrainian leaders Earlier in June 2021, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced to the western media that his country is ready to join NATO and he openly asked for military and economic support from the US. Further, the events leading to annexation of Crimea and situation in eastern part of Donbas made it further difficult for the Ukrainian leadership to rely on Kremlin’s words. Proximity with Turkey, European Union and United States did the rest and as a result Ukrainian leaders today have a total anti-Russian approach which is making things worse. In an atmosphere where leaders are not relying on each other and western powers are ready to intervene, the biggest question arises now is if Ukraine will be a battleground of two global powers who are flexing their muscles. Some of the international experts say that Russia will not require to intervene militarily in Ukraine to win over it. It will just follow the approach it took in Crimea and what it is doing in Donbas. Create a local unrest and fuel it up. Then let the locals do the entire job with the indirect military support of Russia. While a military intervention by US or NATO cannot be ruled out, it will only make the lives of local Ukrainians miserable the way it did in Afghanistan, Vietnam, or Middle East. It may also lead to another polarisation in the world since China is already closer to Russia and it will not take much time for other countries to form an Anti-US alliance on the grounds of Ukraine. Current events are just an indicator and need to be observed carefully. (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.)

Opinion | Tensions in Eurasia: Will Ukraine become another battleground between US and Russia?

UK PM Boris Johnson on Monday warned Russian president Vladimir Putin on call and said that invasion against Ukraine would be a 'mistake' which would have 'significant consequences'

"The Prime Minister emphasised the UK's commitment to Ukraine's territorial integrity and sovereignty, and warned that any destabilising action would be a strategic mistake that would have significant consequences," a spokesman said.

"He expressed the United Kingdom's deep concern over the build-up of Russian forces on Ukraine's border, and reiterated the importance of working through diplomatic channels to deescalate tensions and identify durable solutions."

There is tension between Russia and Western countries over situation at Ukraine-Russia border. Russia has massed troops at the border and blaming Ukraine for necessitating it. Russia has annexed Ukraine's Crimean peninsula in 2014.

Russia on Monday said that it may deploy nuclear missiles in Europe. The statement has potential to further heighten tensions

Russia's Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov told Russia's RIA news agency in an interview that Moscow would have to take the step if NATO refused to engage with it on preventing such an escalation.

Missiles that Russia has threatened to deploy are Intermediate nuclear missiles.

(With inputs from agencies)

UK PM Boris Johnson on Monday warned Russian president Vladimir Putin on call and said that invasion against Ukraine would be a 'mistake' which would have 'significant consequences' "The Prime Minister emphasised the UK's commitment to Ukraine's territorial integrity and sovereignty, and warned that any destabilising action would be a strategic mistake that would have significant consequences," a spokesman said.

UK PM Boris Johnson on Monday warned Russian president Vladimir Putin on call and said that invasion against Ukraine would be a 'mistake' which would have 'significant consequences' "The Prime Minister emphasised the UK's commitment to Ukraine's territorial integrity and sovereignty, and warned that any destabilising action would be a strategic mistake that would have significant consequences," a spokesman said. "He expressed the United Kingdom's deep concern over the build-up of Russian forces on Ukraine's border, and reiterated the importance of working through diplomatic channels to deescalate tensions and identify durable solutions." There is tension between Russia and Western countries over situation at Ukraine-Russia border. Russia has massed troops at the border and blaming Ukraine for necessitating it. Russia has annexed Ukraine's Crimean peninsula in 2014. Russia on Monday said that it may deploy nuclear missiles in Europe. The statement has potential to further heighten tensions Russia's Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov told Russia's RIA news agency in an interview that Moscow would have to take the step if NATO refused to engage with it on preventing such an escalation. Missiles that Russia has threatened to deploy are Intermediate nuclear missiles. (With inputs from agencies)

Ukraine invasion would be a costly mistake, Boris Johnson warns Putin

Berlin has warned Russia that any increase in tensions in Ukraine can have a direct impact on the much-awaited Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline plan.<o:p></o:p>

Germany's new Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock, on Saturday, said that that Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline will not be allowed to operate at all if there is any kind of new escalation in Ukraine. "In the event of further escalation this gas pipeline could not come into service," Baerbock told German television station ZDF.

<o:p>Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/biden-threatens-russia-with-severe-sanctions-if-ukraine-is-attacked-435291">Biden threatens Russia with 'severe sanctions' if Ukraine is attacked; US troops not to be involved</a></o:p>

Her warning came a little after the new Chancellor Olaf Scholz had also lent support to Ukraine in this situation. "It would be a serious mistake to believe that violating the borders of a European country would remain without consequences," he had warned.<o:p></o:p>

&nbsp;"We will also help Ukraine be a country that will be a major source of renewable energy and the necessary production that results from that. We are in concrete talks around how we can help achieve that," Scholz said.<o:p></o:p>

Meanwhile, Polish Prime Minister, Mateusz Morawiecki, has also urged Germany to suspend the pipeline project. Morawiecki believes that Russia can use this project to later ‘blackmail’ Europe. "It would be better not to allow the opening of&nbsp;Nord&nbsp;Stream 2," Morawiecki said. "I drew the chancellor's attention to the risks linked to the opening of the&nbsp;Nord&nbsp;Stream 2 gas pipeline and sadly the extent to which... these risks for Ukraine could get considerably worse."<o:p></o:p>

The Nord pipeline 2 has backing of Russian President Vladimir Putin and was initially supported by Germany’s previous Chancellor Angela Merkel in the past few years. <o:p></o:p>

Recently, several other western countries warned Germany for being ‘too dependent’ upon Russia. However, Berlin has made sure the country makes it clear that Germany will “do anything” to make sure that Ukraine is not bullied out of being a transit country for Russian gas exports in Europe.<o:p></o:p>

Berlin has warned Russia that any increase in tensions in Ukraine can have a direct impact on the much-awaited Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline plan. Germany's new Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock, on Saturday, said that that Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline will not be allowed to operate at all if there is any kind of new escalation in Ukraine.

Berlin has warned Russia that any increase in tensions in Ukraine can have a direct impact on the much-awaited Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline plan. Germany's new Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock, on Saturday, said that that Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline will not be allowed to operate at all if there is any kind of new escalation in Ukraine. "In the event of further escalation this gas pipeline could not come into service," Baerbock told German television station ZDF. Also read | Biden threatens Russia with 'severe sanctions' if Ukraine is attacked; US troops not to be involved Her warning came a little after the new Chancellor Olaf Scholz had also lent support to Ukraine in this situation. "It would be a serious mistake to believe that violating the borders of a European country would remain without consequences," he had warned. "We will also help Ukraine be a country that will be a major source of renewable energy and the necessary production that results from that. We are in concrete talks around how we can help achieve that," Scholz said. Meanwhile, Polish Prime Minister, Mateusz Morawiecki, has also urged Germany to suspend the pipeline project. Morawiecki believes that Russia can use this project to later ‘blackmail’ Europe. "It would be better not to allow the opening of Nord Stream 2," Morawiecki said. "I drew the chancellor's attention to the risks linked to the opening of the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline and sadly the extent to which... these risks for Ukraine could get considerably worse." The Nord pipeline 2 has backing of Russian President Vladimir Putin and was initially supported by Germany’s previous Chancellor Angela Merkel in the past few years. Recently, several other western countries warned Germany for being ‘too dependent’ upon Russia. However, Berlin has made sure the country makes it clear that Germany will “do anything” to make sure that Ukraine is not bullied out of being a transit country for Russian gas exports in Europe.

Nord Stream pipeline to be suspended if Russia escalates in Ukraine, Germany warns

Why is Europe reluctant to take on Russia over the tensions near Ukraine? The region depends on Russia for a large chunk of its energy supply. Palki Sharma tells you how a war in Ukraine could make Europe's energy crisis worse.

Gravitas: Why Europe is afraid to take on Putin

Joe Biden has ruled out sending American troops into Ukraine. The West is banking on sanctions to deter Vladimir Putin from invading Ukraine. Palki Sharma tells you why sanctions have historically failed to achieve their objectives.

Gravitas: Biden rules out sending US troops to Ukraine

Tensions are escalating near the Ukrainian Border. Russia has threatened retaliation if the West refuses to accept its demands. What is Vladimir Putin's game plan? The Russian President has 4 options to invade Ukraine. Palki Sharma brings you a report.

Gravitas: Ukraine Tensions: Putin has 4 options to invade Ukraine

A Ukrainian soldier shot dead five people and injured another five at a military plant, the country’s interior ministry said Thursday.

The incident took place in the early hours of Thursday at a state-owned machine-building factory in the eastern city of Dnipro when weapons were being issued to the guards at the start of a shift, a police statement said.

The attacker opened fire with a Kalashnikov assault rifle and afterwards fled the scene, the interior ministry said, adding: “As a result, five people died and another five were injured.”

A female soldier was among those who died after succumbing to her injuries. The doctors are “fighting” to save the lives of those injured, Ukraine's Interior Minister Denys Monastyrsky said on Facebook, where he sent his condolences to the victims' family and friends.

The 20-year-old Ukrainian National Guard service-member, who was on the run, was caught around 20 kilometres north of the shooting site.

The plant where the shooting took place works with Ukraine's State Space Agency to produce rocket and airspace technology, including missiles systems and space launch vehicles, according to state news agency Ukrinform.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has ordered a probe into the incident. He called the mass shooting "terrible" and offered condolences to the victims' families and friends.

The attack comes at a time when Ukraine is locked in a tiff with Russia over reports of a military build-up near its borders.

The US and other NATO members have accused Russia of planning an invasion of the country. Kremlin denies the charge.

(With inputs from agencies)

A Ukrainian soldier shot dead five people and injured another five at a military plant, the country’s interior ministry said Thursday. The incident took place in the early hours of Thursday at a state-owned machine-building factory in the eastern city of Dnipro when weapons were being issued to the guards at the start of a shift, a police statement said.

A Ukrainian soldier shot dead five people and injured another five at a military plant, the country’s interior ministry said Thursday. The incident took place in the early hours of Thursday at a state-owned machine-building factory in the eastern city of Dnipro when weapons were being issued to the guards at the start of a shift, a police statement said. The attacker opened fire with a Kalashnikov assault rifle and afterwards fled the scene, the interior ministry said, adding: “As a result, five people died and another five were injured.” A female soldier was among those who died after succumbing to her injuries. The doctors are “fighting” to save the lives of those injured, Ukraine's Interior Minister Denys Monastyrsky said on Facebook, where he sent his condolences to the victims' family and friends. The 20-year-old Ukrainian National Guard service-member, who was on the run, was caught around 20 kilometres north of the shooting site. The plant where the shooting took place works with Ukraine's State Space Agency to produce rocket and airspace technology, including missiles systems and space launch vehicles, according to state news agency Ukrinform. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has ordered a probe into the incident. He called the mass shooting "terrible" and offered condolences to the victims' families and friends. The attack comes at a time when Ukraine is locked in a tiff with Russia over reports of a military build-up near its borders. The US and other NATO members have accused Russia of planning an invasion of the country. Kremlin denies the charge. (With inputs from agencies)

Ukrainian soldier shoots down 5 guards, injures 5 at military plant

Even as tensions are brewing between US and Russia over the Ukraine crisis, it is being reported that President Joe Biden is in talks with natural gas suppliers around the globe should Russia cut off energy supplies to Europe as a consequence of the conflict.

US officials on Tuesday said that they had been negotiating with global suppliers for additional volumes of non-Russian fuel.

“We're in discussions with major natural gas producers around the globe, to understand their capacity and willingness to temporarily surge natural gas supply and to allocate these volumes to European buyers,” a senior administration official was quoted as saying by Reuters.

“We've been working to identify additional volumes of non-Russian natural gas from various areas of the world from North Africa and the Middle East to Asia and the United States," the official said, adding that European energy stockpiles are significantly lower due to reduced Russian supplies over the last few months.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/russia-steps-up-propaganda-war-amid-tensions-with-ukraine-447770" hreflang="en">Russia steps up propaganda war amid tensions with Ukraine</a>

The US and Europe had threatened to impose political and economic sanctions on Russia if it attempts to invade Ukraine. But Kremlin has not overtly discussed the retaliatory measures it would take to counter the sanctions.

Hence, the European leaders feel that Russian President Vladimir Puttin may cut off energy supplies to them in response to those sanctions.

Putin has reportedly deployed around 100,000 troops near Ukraine's border for weeks, sparking a diplomatic crisis for Europe and the United States.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/russia-sends-more-fighter-planes-for-drills-in-belarus-447763" hreflang="en">Russia sends more fighter planes for drills in Belarus</a>

The West has repeatedly claimed that Russia intends to invade Ukraine. However, Putin has called such charges as basil.

Russia has already restricted the flow of natural gas through the pipeline running through Ukraine from about 100m cubic metres a day to 50 MCM, the Guardian reported citing US officials.

Washington now estimates that almost all of that can be replaced quickly if the pipeline is cut deliberately or as a result of the conflict.

(With inputs from agencies)

Even as tensions are brewing between US and Russia over the Ukraine crisis, it is being reported that President Joe Biden is in talks with natural gas suppliers around the globe should Russia cut off energy supplies to Europe as a consequence of the conflict.

Even as tensions are brewing between US and Russia over the Ukraine crisis, it is being reported that President Joe Biden is in talks with natural gas suppliers around the globe should Russia cut off energy supplies to Europe as a consequence of the conflict. US officials on Tuesday said that they had been negotiating with global suppliers for additional volumes of non-Russian fuel. “We're in discussions with major natural gas producers around the globe, to understand their capacity and willingness to temporarily surge natural gas supply and to allocate these volumes to European buyers,” a senior administration official was quoted as saying by Reuters. “We've been working to identify additional volumes of non-Russian natural gas from various areas of the world from North Africa and the Middle East to Asia and the United States," the official said, adding that European energy stockpiles are significantly lower due to reduced Russian supplies over the last few months. Also read | Russia steps up propaganda war amid tensions with Ukraine The US and Europe had threatened to impose political and economic sanctions on Russia if it attempts to invade Ukraine. But Kremlin has not overtly discussed the retaliatory measures it would take to counter the sanctions. Hence, the European leaders feel that Russian President Vladimir Puttin may cut off energy supplies to them in response to those sanctions. Putin has reportedly deployed around 100,000 troops near Ukraine's border for weeks, sparking a diplomatic crisis for Europe and the United States. Also read | Russia sends more fighter planes for drills in Belarus The West has repeatedly claimed that Russia intends to invade Ukraine. However, Putin has called such charges as basil. Russia has already restricted the flow of natural gas through the pipeline running through Ukraine from about 100m cubic metres a day to 50 MCM, the Guardian reported citing US officials. Washington now estimates that almost all of that can be replaced quickly if the pipeline is cut deliberately or as a result of the conflict. (With inputs from agencies)

US negotiating with global suppliers to secure gas for Europe if Russia invades Ukraine: Report

Ukraine has dispatched troops to the Chernobyl exclusion zone to deter any Russian assault, with the highly radioactive site seen as a possible entrance point for Kremlin aggressors.

The Chernobyl exclusion zone in northern Ukraine is regarded as being in danger of being overrun, despite the fact that it is still radioactive and mostly consists of ghost towns and vacant farmland, according to The New York Times.&nbsp;

Because the shortest route between Russia and Kiev would take Putin's soldiers via the isolated zone, this is the case.

Ukrainian forces are presently patrolling the wintry forests and abandoned neighbourhoods of Chernobyl, equipped with Kalashnikov rifles and radiation detection equipment, in preparation for a possible Russian entry into the exclusion zone, which was formed after a nuclear meltdown in 1986.

The Ukrainian border guard service's Lt. Col. Yuri Shakhraichuk told The New York Times: 'It doesn't matter if it's contaminated or if nobody lives here.'&nbsp;

'It is our territory, our country, and we must defend it.'&nbsp;

Ukrainian personnel patrolling the exclusion zone must wear radiation-detecting devices on a lanyard around their necks, with protocols stipulating that if they walk into a highly contaminated region, they must be removed off duty immediately.

Colonel Shakhraichuk told The New York Times that no troops have been exposed to high levels of radiation so far.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)

Ukraine has dispatched troops to the Chernobyl exclusion zone to deter any Russian assault, with the highly radioactive site seen as a possible entrance point for Kremlin aggressors.

Ukraine has dispatched troops to the Chernobyl exclusion zone to deter any Russian assault, with the highly radioactive site seen as a possible entrance point for Kremlin aggressors. The Chernobyl exclusion zone in northern Ukraine is regarded as being in danger of being overrun, despite the fact that it is still radioactive and mostly consists of ghost towns and vacant farmland, according to The New York Times. Because the shortest route between Russia and Kiev would take Putin's soldiers via the isolated zone, this is the case. Ukrainian forces are presently patrolling the wintry forests and abandoned neighbourhoods of Chernobyl, equipped with Kalashnikov rifles and radiation detection equipment, in preparation for a possible Russian entry into the exclusion zone, which was formed after a nuclear meltdown in 1986. The Ukrainian border guard service's Lt. Col. Yuri Shakhraichuk told The New York Times: 'It doesn't matter if it's contaminated or if nobody lives here.' 'It is our territory, our country, and we must defend it.' Ukrainian personnel patrolling the exclusion zone must wear radiation-detecting devices on a lanyard around their necks, with protocols stipulating that if they walk into a highly contaminated region, they must be removed off duty immediately. Colonel Shakhraichuk told The New York Times that no troops have been exposed to high levels of radiation so far. (With inputs from agencies)

Ukraine sends soldiers to defend Chernobyl amid tension at border

As worries of a Russian invasion rise, the UK is withdrawing part of its staff from the Ukraine embassy.

In response to Russia's "increasing threat," the Foreign, Commonwealth, and Development Office (FCDO) has indicated that some personnel in Kiev and their families will begin to leave.

The FCDO guidance stated that "some embassy staff and dependants are being withdrawn from Kyiv in response to the growing threat from Russia,"

"The British Embassy remains open and will continue to carry out essential work."

The build-up of the Russian military has heightened fears of an impending invasion or incursion.

According to the New York Times, Russia has already evacuated family members and some workers from its diplomatic missions in Ukraine.&nbsp; 
 
<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/russia-ukraine-tensions-what-is-really-happening-heres-what-you-should-know-446848">Also read | Russia-Ukraine tensions: What is really happening? Here's what you should know</a>

The announcement comes after the US Embassy in Kiev made a similar announcement late Sunday, saying it had decided to authorise the departure of its staff in Ukraine "out of an abundance of caution due to continued Russian efforts to destabilise the country and undermine the security of Ukrainian citizens."&nbsp;

The announcements by the United States and the United Kingdom to withdraw embassy families follow Western and Ukrainian fears over Russia's military buildup near its border with Ukraine.

In response to invasion fears, NATO declared on Monday that it would send more planes and ships to its Eastern European deployments.

Denmark, for example, will send four F-16 fighter jets to Lithuania, with the United States and other countries also stepping up their support.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)

As worries of a Russian invasion rise, the UK is withdrawing part of its staff from the Ukraine embassy. In response to Russia's "increasing threat," the Foreign, Commonwealth, and Development Office (FCDO) has indicated that some personnel in Kiev and their families will begin to leave.

As worries of a Russian invasion rise, the UK is withdrawing part of its staff from the Ukraine embassy. In response to Russia's "increasing threat," the Foreign, Commonwealth, and Development Office (FCDO) has indicated that some personnel in Kiev and their families will begin to leave. The FCDO guidance stated that "some embassy staff and dependants are being withdrawn from Kyiv in response to the growing threat from Russia," "The British Embassy remains open and will continue to carry out essential work." The build-up of the Russian military has heightened fears of an impending invasion or incursion. According to the New York Times, Russia has already evacuated family members and some workers from its diplomatic missions in Ukraine. Also read | Russia-Ukraine tensions: What is really happening? Here's what you should know The announcement comes after the US Embassy in Kiev made a similar announcement late Sunday, saying it had decided to authorise the departure of its staff in Ukraine "out of an abundance of caution due to continued Russian efforts to destabilise the country and undermine the security of Ukrainian citizens." The announcements by the United States and the United Kingdom to withdraw embassy families follow Western and Ukrainian fears over Russia's military buildup near its border with Ukraine. In response to invasion fears, NATO declared on Monday that it would send more planes and ships to its Eastern European deployments. Denmark, for example, will send four F-16 fighter jets to Lithuania, with the United States and other countries also stepping up their support. (With inputs from agencies)

Ukraine crisis: UK begins evacuation of diplomats from Kiev amid war fears

The Ukraine-Russia tensions continue to rise unabatedly. Now, the UK government has claimed that Russia looks to replace government of Ukraine with a pro-Moscow administration. &nbsp;

It also said that the potential candidate may be former Ukrainian lawmaker Yevheniy Murayev.&nbsp;He heads a small pro-Russian party Nashi. It does not have a single seat in Ukraine's parliament. &nbsp;

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/german-navy-chief-steps-down-after-his-new-delhi-comments-on-putin-ukraine-446810" hreflang="en">German Navy chief steps down after his New Delhi comments on Putin, Ukraine</a>

Several other politicians of Ukraine, who have links with intelligence services of Russia, have been named by Britain's Foreign Office. &nbsp;

It is still unclear how Russia may install a friendly government in Ukraine, as per the UK.

The claim is based on an intelligence assessment and has not been supported by any evidence. &nbsp;

This comes as a war of words continue between the West and Russia over Ukraine. &nbsp;

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/first-part-of-us-defence-aid-arrives-in-ukraine-germany-will-not-supply-weapons-to-kyiv-for-now-446699">US defence aid arrives in Ukraine; Germany will not supply weapons for now</a>

The information "shines a light on the extent of Russian activity designed to subvert Ukraine, and is an insight into Kremlin thinking," UK's Foreign Secretary Liz Truss said. &nbsp;

The foreign secretary urged Russia to "de-escalate, end its campaigns of aggression and disinformation, and pursue a path of diplomacy," and reiterated Britain's view that "any Russian military incursion into Ukraine would be a massive strategic mistake with severe costs." &nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;

The Ukraine-Russia tensions continue to rise unabatedly. Now, the UK government has claimed that Russia looks to replace government of Ukraine with a pro-Moscow administration.

The Ukraine-Russia tensions continue to rise unabatedly. Now, the UK government has claimed that Russia looks to replace government of Ukraine with a pro-Moscow administration. It also said that the potential candidate may be former Ukrainian lawmaker Yevheniy Murayev. He heads a small pro-Russian party Nashi. It does not have a single seat in Ukraine's parliament. Also Read: German Navy chief steps down after his New Delhi comments on Putin, Ukraine Several other politicians of Ukraine, who have links with intelligence services of Russia, have been named by Britain's Foreign Office. It is still unclear how Russia may install a friendly government in Ukraine, as per the UK. The claim is based on an intelligence assessment and has not been supported by any evidence. This comes as a war of words continue between the West and Russia over Ukraine. Also Read: US defence aid arrives in Ukraine; Germany will not supply weapons for now The information "shines a light on the extent of Russian activity designed to subvert Ukraine, and is an insight into Kremlin thinking," UK's Foreign Secretary Liz Truss said. The foreign secretary urged Russia to "de-escalate, end its campaigns of aggression and disinformation, and pursue a path of diplomacy," and reiterated Britain's view that "any Russian military incursion into Ukraine would be a massive strategic mistake with severe costs." (With inputs from agencies)

Russia looks to replace Ukraine govt with pro-Moscow administration, claims UK

In a diplomatic earthquake, German Navy chief VAdm Kay-Achim Schönbach stepped down on Saturday after his comments in New Delhi which called for rapprochement with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukraine can't become a NATO member.

In a diplomatic earthquake, German Navy chief VAdm Kay-Achim Schönbach stepped down on Saturday after his comments in New Delhi which called for rapprochement with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukraine can't become a NATO member. His comments went against the present narrative coming from Europe amid the deteriorating situation in Eastern Europe and buildup by Russian troops at the border with Ukraine. Speaking at think tank IDSA on Friday, he said, "Does Russia really wants small and tiny strip of Ukraine soil, integrate the country. No, this is nonsense. Putin is probably putting pressure because he knows he can do it, and he splits EU opinion. What he really wants is respect. " Ahead of stepping down, he called his comments in Delhi a "mistake". Meanwhile, the Twitter bio of the German Navy chief official handle has been updated to "currently vacant" & the picture of VAdm Kay-Achim Schönbach has been removed. Unbedacht, fehleingeschätzt in der Situation, hätte ich das so nicht tun dürfen. Da gibt es nichts zu deuteln, das war ein klarer Fehler. @BMVg_Bundeswehr #deutschemarine https://t.co/rJhoKqGYUy — chiefdeunavy (@chiefdeunavy) January 22, 2022 × The German Defence Ministry was quick to disown the comments. German newspaper BILD, quoting the German Defence Ministry said, "In terms of content and choice of words, the statements in no way correspond to the position of the Defense ministry. Admiral Schönbach is given the opportunity to make a statement to the Inspector General" Unbedacht, fehleingeschätzt in der Situation, hätte ich das so nicht tun dürfen. Da gibt es nichts zu deuteln, das war ein klarer Fehler. @BMVg_Bundeswehr #deutschemarine https://t.co/rJhoKqGYUy — chiefdeunavy (@chiefdeunavy) January 22, 2022 × And not just in Berlin, the fallout off comments were seen on Ukraine's capital Kyiv. Ukraine's foreign ministry summoned the German envoy to the country over Navy Chief's remarks. In his Delhi comments, the German Navy chief explained that good ties are needed with Russia to rein in China and Crimea being lost now. He explained, "Even we India, Germany we need Russia, We need Russia against China...Having this big country, even if it's not a democracy, as a bilateral partner, giving them a chance. It's easy and keeps Russia away from China because China needs resources of Russia". Russia doesn't want NATO to reach its borders, with countries like Ukraine joining it. It wants "security guarantees" from the west and NATO that Ukraine doesn't join the security block. The number of talks this month between Russia and the US hasn't yielded any results. The comments in Delhi come even as the German navy chief visit was aimed to show Berlin's increased engagement in the Indo Pacific but ended up with his resignation. The visit of the German Navy chief also coincides with the visit of German frigate “Bayern” making a port call in Mumbai, as part of its seven-month deployment to the Indo-Pacific region.

German Navy chief steps down after his New Delhi comments on Putin, Ukraine

As tensions continue to rise between Russia and Ukraine, the first shipment of assistance sent by the United States to Ukraine arrived in Kyiv, the US Embassy informed on Saturday (January 22).&nbsp;

The first shipment of a $200 million security support package includes aid such as ammunition for the front line defenders of Ukraine.&nbsp;

The shipment — and $2.7 billion since 2014 — demonstrates US commitment to helping Ukraine bolster its defences in the "face of growing Russian aggression", said the US Embassy in Kyiv tweeted.&nbsp;

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/russias-checkmate-why-the-orion-combat-drone-is-a-gamechanger-446455">Russia's 'checkmate': Why the Orion combat drone is a gamechanger</a>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
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The first shipment of assistance recently directed by President Biden to Ukraine arrived in Ukraine tonight. This shipment includes close to 
200,000 pounds of lethal aid, including ammunition for the front line defenders of Ukraine. [1/2] <a href="https://t.co/YeYanK0Px6">pic.twitter.com/YeYanK0Px6</a>
— U.S. Embassy Kyiv (@USEmbassyKyiv) <a href="https://twitter.com/USEmbassyKyiv/status/1484709938807070721?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 22, 2022</a></blockquote>
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The aid comes amid the Western countries, including the US are trying to de-escalate the tensions after Russia has massed tens of thousands of troops on its borders with Ukraine.&nbsp;

The Western states fear Moscow is planning a new assault on a country it invaded in 2014. However, Russia denies planning a new military offensive.&nbsp;

The aid has arrived in Ukraine after US Secretary of State Antony Blinken visited Kyiv this week. In reply, Ukraine’s defence minister thanked the United States for the aid.

Germany will not supply weapons to Kyiv

Meanwhile, German Defence Minister Christine Lambrecht has said that Berlin will not deliver arms to Ukraine in the standoff with Russia for now. She said it in an interview published on Saturday, a few days after Britain started supplying Kyiv with anti-tank weapons.

"I can understand the wish to support Ukraine, and that's exactly what we are doing already," Lambrecht told the Welt am Sonntag weekly.

"We have to do everything to de-escalate. Currently, arms deliveries would not be helpful in this respect, there is agreement on this in the German government," Lambrecht said.&nbsp;

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&nbsp;

As tensions continue to rise between Russia and Ukraine, the first shipment of assistance sent by the United States to Ukraine arrived in Kyiv, the US Embassy informed on Saturday (January 22).

As tensions continue to rise between Russia and Ukraine, the first shipment of assistance sent by the United States to Ukraine arrived in Kyiv, the US Embassy informed on Saturday (January 22). The first shipment of a $200 million security support package includes aid such as ammunition for the front line defenders of Ukraine. The shipment — and $2.7 billion since 2014 — demonstrates US commitment to helping Ukraine bolster its defences in the "face of growing Russian aggression", said the US Embassy in Kyiv tweeted. ALSO READ | Russia's 'checkmate': Why the Orion combat drone is a gamechanger The first shipment of assistance recently directed by President Biden to Ukraine arrived in Ukraine tonight. This shipment includes close to 200,000 pounds of lethal aid, including ammunition for the front line defenders of Ukraine. [1/2] pic.twitter.com/YeYanK0Px6 — U.S. Embassy Kyiv (@USEmbassyKyiv) January 22, 2022 × The aid comes amid the Western countries, including the US are trying to de-escalate the tensions after Russia has massed tens of thousands of troops on its borders with Ukraine. The Western states fear Moscow is planning a new assault on a country it invaded in 2014. However, Russia denies planning a new military offensive. The aid has arrived in Ukraine after US Secretary of State Antony Blinken visited Kyiv this week. In reply, Ukraine’s defence minister thanked the United States for the aid. Germany will not supply weapons to Kyiv Meanwhile, German Defence Minister Christine Lambrecht has said that Berlin will not deliver arms to Ukraine in the standoff with Russia for now. She said it in an interview published on Saturday, a few days after Britain started supplying Kyiv with anti-tank weapons. "I can understand the wish to support Ukraine, and that's exactly what we are doing already," Lambrecht told the Welt am Sonntag weekly. "We have to do everything to de-escalate. Currently, arms deliveries would not be helpful in this respect, there is agreement on this in the German government," Lambrecht said. ×

First part of US defence aid arrives in Ukraine; Germany will not supply weapons to Kyiv for now

In an attempt to defuse tensions along the Russian-Ukrainian border, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken met with his Russian colleague, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, on neutral territory in Geneva on Friday.

Both leaders toned down hopes of a breakthrough before the discussions, but they emerged afterward, hinting that diplomacy will continue at the very least.

Blinken said that Lavrov repeated to him today that Russia has no intention of invading Ukraine. 
 
<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/uk-sends-2000-anti-tank-weapons-to-ukraine-amid-fears-of-russian-invasion-446457">Also read | UK sends 2,000 anti-tank weapons to Ukraine amid fears of Russian invasion</a>

Blinken told reporters that he and Lavorov "agreed that it's important for the diplomatic process to continue." He said it was "really up to Russia to decide which path it will pursue."

Many believe that, with an estimated 100,000 Russian troops massed near Ukraine, Moscow is planning an invasion, despite Russia's denials. 
 
ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/russia-china-block-us-bid-to-impose-un-sanctions-on-north-koreans-446312">Russia, China block US bid to impose UN sanctions on North Koreans</a>

The US and its allies are scrambling to put on a united front to prevent this from happening, or to arrange a forceful response if they can't.

The conversations were viewed as a possible last-ditch attempt at communication.

According to Lavrov, the US has promised to deliver written responses to Russian demands on Ukraine and NATO the following week.

This could, at the very least, postpone any impending aggression for a few days.

On the other hand, Lavrov refused to define the pledge. 
 
Watch | Gravitas: Ukraine crisis: Will Russia go to war?

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(With inputs from agencies)

In an attempt to defuse tensions along the Russian-Ukrainian border, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken met with his Russian colleague, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, on neutral territory in Geneva on Friday.

In an attempt to defuse tensions along the Russian-Ukrainian border, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken met with his Russian colleague, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, on neutral territory in Geneva on Friday. Both leaders toned down hopes of a breakthrough before the discussions, but they emerged afterward, hinting that diplomacy will continue at the very least. Blinken said that Lavrov repeated to him today that Russia has no intention of invading Ukraine. Also read | UK sends 2,000 anti-tank weapons to Ukraine amid fears of Russian invasion Blinken told reporters that he and Lavorov "agreed that it's important for the diplomatic process to continue." He said it was "really up to Russia to decide which path it will pursue." Many believe that, with an estimated 100,000 Russian troops massed near Ukraine, Moscow is planning an invasion, despite Russia's denials. ALSO READ | Russia, China block US bid to impose UN sanctions on North Koreans The US and its allies are scrambling to put on a united front to prevent this from happening, or to arrange a forceful response if they can't. The conversations were viewed as a possible last-ditch attempt at communication. According to Lavrov, the US has promised to deliver written responses to Russian demands on Ukraine and NATO the following week. This could, at the very least, postpone any impending aggression for a few days. On the other hand, Lavrov refused to define the pledge. Watch | Gravitas: Ukraine crisis: Will Russia go to war? (With inputs from agencies)

Blinken says Lavrov repeated to him that Russia has no intention of invading Ukraine

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken made a strong statement underlining that NATO was not the aggressor but it was Russia who invaded Ukraine. Russia annexed Ukraine's Crimean peninsula in 2014. Tensions are high between Russia and the West over possibility of another Russian invasion.

Russia, which has tens of thousands of its soldiers stationed along its border with Ukraine has been claiming that it did not want to attack Ukraine. However, statements from Russian camp have mentioned 'security threats' from Ukraine. This is largely seen as attempt to create pretext for invasion. Russia is strongly against inclusion of Ukraine, a former Soviet territory, in NATO.

On Thursday, Blinken spoke with his German counterpart Annalena Baerbock and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz. Blinken is due to meet Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in Geneva to calm situation that observers say was potentially headed for conflict.

Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/usa-approves-baltic-request-to-send-us-made-weapons-to-ukraine-446173">USA approves Baltic request to send US-made weapons to Ukraine</a>

Blinken underlined in his speech that Ukraine wasn't the aggressor in the conflict with Russia.

"Ukraine is just trying to survive. No one should be surprised if Russia instigates a provocation or incident and then tries to use it to justify military intervention, hoping that by the time the world realises the ruse, it'll be too late," Blinken told the audience. "There's been a lot of speculation about President Putin's true intentions, but we don't actually have to guess. He's told us repeatedly. He's laying the groundwork for an invasion because he doesn't believe that Ukraine is a sovereign nation."

He also made clear that the conflict was bigger than a conflict between two states and bigger than between Russia and NATO.

"Russia says the problem is NATO. On its face that's absurd. NATO didn't invade Georgia, NATO didn't invade Ukraine, Russia did," said Blinken.

The United States together with their allies and partners were still prepared to offer a diplomatic path out of the crisis, Blinken added. "That's why I've returned to Europe, Ukraine yesterday, Germany here today, Switzerland tomorrow, where I'll meet with Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov and once again seek diplomatic solutions."

Blinken's tough words came on the same day when US approved request from Baltic countries to supply US-made weapons to Ukraine.

Don't panic, says Ukraine's president

<img alt="Zelensky" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="328bd46b-76d0-438f-bd40-739e5b2134b3" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/zelenskiy.JPG" />

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy sought to boost national morale and asked countrymen to not panic.&nbsp;

Addressing the nation in the video released by the presidential press office, Zelenskiy also said that Ukraine wanted its partners to be more specific in their reaction to war threat.

Ukrainian army held drills near Crimea. Soldiers practised rapid deployment of BM-21 "Grad" multiple rocket launchers during tactical military exercises at a shooting range in the Kherson region. The footage of military drills was released by Ukrainian defence ministry

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken made a strong statement underlining that NATO was not the aggressor but it was Russia who invaded Ukraine. Russia annexed Ukraine's Crimean peninsula in 2014.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken made a strong statement underlining that NATO was not the aggressor but it was Russia who invaded Ukraine. Russia annexed Ukraine's Crimean peninsula in 2014. Tensions are high between Russia and the West over possibility of another Russian invasion. Russia, which has tens of thousands of its soldiers stationed along its border with Ukraine has been claiming that it did not want to attack Ukraine. However, statements from Russian camp have mentioned 'security threats' from Ukraine. This is largely seen as attempt to create pretext for invasion. Russia is strongly against inclusion of Ukraine, a former Soviet territory, in NATO. On Thursday, Blinken spoke with his German counterpart Annalena Baerbock and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz. Blinken is due to meet Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in Geneva to calm situation that observers say was potentially headed for conflict. Also Read | USA approves Baltic request to send US-made weapons to Ukraine Blinken underlined in his speech that Ukraine wasn't the aggressor in the conflict with Russia. "Ukraine is just trying to survive. No one should be surprised if Russia instigates a provocation or incident and then tries to use it to justify military intervention, hoping that by the time the world realises the ruse, it'll be too late," Blinken told the audience. "There's been a lot of speculation about President Putin's true intentions, but we don't actually have to guess. He's told us repeatedly. He's laying the groundwork for an invasion because he doesn't believe that Ukraine is a sovereign nation." He also made clear that the conflict was bigger than a conflict between two states and bigger than between Russia and NATO. "Russia says the problem is NATO. On its face that's absurd. NATO didn't invade Georgia, NATO didn't invade Ukraine, Russia did," said Blinken. The United States together with their allies and partners were still prepared to offer a diplomatic path out of the crisis, Blinken added. "That's why I've returned to Europe, Ukraine yesterday, Germany here today, Switzerland tomorrow, where I'll meet with Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov and once again seek diplomatic solutions." Blinken's tough words came on the same day when US approved request from Baltic countries to supply US-made weapons to Ukraine. Don't panic, says Ukraine's president Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy sought to boost national morale and asked countrymen to not panic. Addressing the nation in the video released by the presidential press office, Zelenskiy also said that Ukraine wanted its partners to be more specific in their reaction to war threat. Ukrainian army held drills near Crimea. Soldiers practised rapid deployment of BM-21 "Grad" multiple rocket launchers during tactical military exercises at a shooting range in the Kherson region. The footage of military drills was released by Ukrainian defence ministry

NATO didn't invade Ukraine, Russia did: Blinken

In a major development, the US has approved requests by Baltic countries to ship US-made weapons to Ukraine as fears of Russian invasion mount, as per officials.

A State Department official in Berlin, where Secretary of State Antony Blinken was holding talks on Ukraine, said that the United States was "expediting authorised transfers of US-origin equipment from other allies."

The news has broken just hours after US President Joe Biden commented about Putin saying "my guess is he will move in". The words of US President are being interpreted by some as an indication of an increased possibility of a Russian attack on Ukraine.

Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/severe-costs-my-guess-is-he-will-move-in-says-biden-on-putins-ukraine-invasion-plan-446058">'Severe costs': My guess is he will move in, says Biden on Putin's Ukraine invasion plan</a>

Russia currently has tens of thousands of its troops stationed along its border with Ukraine. Though in past, Russia has said that it would not invade Ukraine, the Russian statements about Ukraine being a threat to Russia's security are seen as an attempt to create a pretext for invasion. Ukraine, part of the erstwhile Soviet Union has already lost the Crimean peninsula which was annexed by Russia in 2014.

Russia has made it abundantly clear that it is dead against Ukraine joining North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO). Ukraine has till recently shown eagerness to join the military alliance which, at the time of its formation, was aimed against the Russian threat perceived by western powers.

(With inputs from agencies)

In a major development, the US has approved requests by Baltic countries to ship US-made weapons to Ukraine as fears of Russian invasion mount, as per officials.

In a major development, the US has approved requests by Baltic countries to ship US-made weapons to Ukraine as fears of Russian invasion mount, as per officials. A State Department official in Berlin, where Secretary of State Antony Blinken was holding talks on Ukraine, said that the United States was "expediting authorised transfers of US-origin equipment from other allies." The news has broken just hours after US President Joe Biden commented about Putin saying "my guess is he will move in". The words of US President are being interpreted by some as an indication of an increased possibility of a Russian attack on Ukraine. Also Read | 'Severe costs': My guess is he will move in, says Biden on Putin's Ukraine invasion plan Russia currently has tens of thousands of its troops stationed along its border with Ukraine. Though in past, Russia has said that it would not invade Ukraine, the Russian statements about Ukraine being a threat to Russia's security are seen as an attempt to create a pretext for invasion. Ukraine, part of the erstwhile Soviet Union has already lost the Crimean peninsula which was annexed by Russia in 2014. Russia has made it abundantly clear that it is dead against Ukraine joining North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO). Ukraine has till recently shown eagerness to join the military alliance which, at the time of its formation, was aimed against the Russian threat perceived by western powers. (With inputs from agencies)

USA approves Baltic request to send US-made weapons to Ukraine

As tensions continue to rise in the region, Canada has sent a small contingent of special forces operators to Ukraine, reported Global News on Monday. &nbsp;

This comes as security talks last week had ended without a solution to the issues between Russia and Ukraine. &nbsp;

Russia has already deployed over 100,000 troops near the border with Ukraine. &nbsp;&nbsp;

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/germany-will-do-all-to-ensure-ukraines-security-says-foreign-minister-445555" hreflang="en">Germany will do 'all' to ensure Ukraine's security, says foreign minister</a>

On Friday, the United States said that it was concerned that Russia seems to be preparing a pretext to invade if the diplomacy could not fulfill its objectives. &nbsp;

The deployment of Canadian special operations contingent is an attempt to deter Russian aggression in Ukraine by NATO. &nbsp;

It also seems to be able to identify ways to assist the Ukrainian government, the report said, citing unspecified sources. &nbsp;

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/russia-cannot-have-nato-creeping-into-ukraine-anymore-putin-spokesman-says-445283" hreflang="en">Russia cannot have NATO creeping into Ukraine anymore, Putin spokesman says</a>

Not just this, the unit will also help in developing evacuation plans for Canadian diplomatic personnel if a full-scale invasion begins, it said. &nbsp;

However, the Canadian Special Operations Forces Command’s spokesperson could not confirm the report. &nbsp;

Canadian Foreign Minister Melanie Joly is in Kyiv to discuss the efforts to deter "aggressive actions" by Russia. Joly had met Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmygal on Monday. &nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;

As tensions continue to rise in the region, Canada has sent a small contingent of special forces operators to Ukraine, reported Global News on Monday. This comes as security talks last week had ended without a solution to the issues between Russia and Ukraine.

As tensions continue to rise in the region, Canada has sent a small contingent of special forces operators to Ukraine, reported Global News on Monday. This comes as security talks last week had ended without a solution to the issues between Russia and Ukraine. Russia has already deployed over 100,000 troops near the border with Ukraine. Also Read: Germany will do 'all' to ensure Ukraine's security, says foreign minister On Friday, the United States said that it was concerned that Russia seems to be preparing a pretext to invade if the diplomacy could not fulfill its objectives. The deployment of Canadian special operations contingent is an attempt to deter Russian aggression in Ukraine by NATO. It also seems to be able to identify ways to assist the Ukrainian government, the report said, citing unspecified sources. Also Read: Russia cannot have NATO creeping into Ukraine anymore, Putin spokesman says Not just this, the unit will also help in developing evacuation plans for Canadian diplomatic personnel if a full-scale invasion begins, it said. However, the Canadian Special Operations Forces Command’s spokesperson could not confirm the report. Canadian Foreign Minister Melanie Joly is in Kyiv to discuss the efforts to deter "aggressive actions" by Russia. Joly had met Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmygal on Monday. (With inputs from agencies)

To deter Russian aggression, Canada sends special forces operators’ small contingent to Ukraine, says report

German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said on Monday that Germany would do everything in its power to guarantee Ukraine's security. She was on her first visit to Ukraine.

"We will do our all to guarantee Ukraine's security. We will do our all to guarantee Europe's security," she said at a press conference following talks with her Ukrainian counterpart, a day before she is due to meet Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in Moscow.

Russia has deployed tens of thousands of troops and heavy military equipment along its border with Ukraine. Though Russia claims that it does not intend to invade Ukraine, fears of such an attack remain. Ukraine was part of the erstwhile Soviet Union. Russia has already annexed Ukraine Crimean peninsula in 2014. Russia remains fiercely opposed to Ukraine's inclusion in NATO.

Speaking during a visit to Madrid, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said "we expect clear steps from Russia to de-escalate the situation".

"Military aggression against Ukraine would have serious political as well as economic consequences" for Russia, he added at a joint news conference with Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez.

Baerbock's visit to Kyiv comes amid attempts to revive the so-called Normandy Format grouping of Germany, France, Russia and Ukraine whose aim is to de-escalate the conflict.

Her Ukrainian counterpart, Dmytro Kuleba, told reporters following discussions that Ukraine and Germany were "committed to a diplomatic settlement of this conflict".

"Our joint goal is the effective work of the Normandy Format and the holding of a summit of leaders of the Normandy Format," Kuleba said.

He reiterated however Ukraine's intention to receive weapons from the West, after Kyiv in December accused Berlin of blocking the supply of NATO arms.

"Our dialogue with Germany on this issue will continue," Kuleba said.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov is due to hold his first meeting with Baerbock on Tuesday.

(With inputs from agencies)

German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said on Monday that Germany would do everything in its power to guarantee Ukraine's security. She was on her first visit to Ukraine.

German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said on Monday that Germany would do everything in its power to guarantee Ukraine's security. She was on her first visit to Ukraine. "We will do our all to guarantee Ukraine's security. We will do our all to guarantee Europe's security," she said at a press conference following talks with her Ukrainian counterpart, a day before she is due to meet Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in Moscow. Russia has deployed tens of thousands of troops and heavy military equipment along its border with Ukraine. Though Russia claims that it does not intend to invade Ukraine, fears of such an attack remain. Ukraine was part of the erstwhile Soviet Union. Russia has already annexed Ukraine Crimean peninsula in 2014. Russia remains fiercely opposed to Ukraine's inclusion in NATO. Speaking during a visit to Madrid, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said "we expect clear steps from Russia to de-escalate the situation". "Military aggression against Ukraine would have serious political as well as economic consequences" for Russia, he added at a joint news conference with Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez. Baerbock's visit to Kyiv comes amid attempts to revive the so-called Normandy Format grouping of Germany, France, Russia and Ukraine whose aim is to de-escalate the conflict. Her Ukrainian counterpart, Dmytro Kuleba, told reporters following discussions that Ukraine and Germany were "committed to a diplomatic settlement of this conflict". "Our joint goal is the effective work of the Normandy Format and the holding of a summit of leaders of the Normandy Format," Kuleba said. He reiterated however Ukraine's intention to receive weapons from the West, after Kyiv in December accused Berlin of blocking the supply of NATO arms. "Our dialogue with Germany on this issue will continue," Kuleba said. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov is due to hold his first meeting with Baerbock on Tuesday. (With inputs from agencies)

Germany will do 'all' to ensure Ukraine's security, says foreign minister

A senior US official said on Sunday that the US will announce its "next steps" over Ukraine crisis. The statement came after &nbsp;intense diplomacy failed to ease the threat of a new conflict over Ukraine

Amid mounting fears of a Russian invasion of Ukraine, national security advisor Jake Sullivan said the US was "ready either way."&nbsp;

"We're in close touch with our allies and partners, including the Ukrainians," the top advisor to President Joe Biden told CBS. "We're coordinating closely on next steps. And we'll have more to share in terms of the next steps into the diplomacy early next week."

"But the key point here is that we're ready either way. If Russia wants to move forward with diplomacy, we are absolutely ready to do that in lockstep with our allies and partners.

"If Russia wants to go down the path of invasion and escalation, we're ready for that too, with a robust response."

Russia has massed tens of thousands of troops along its border with Ukraine. Though Russia claims that it does not plan to invade Ukraine, tensions are high.

The Kremlin again insisted on Sunday that it did not want to lead "a military action," even while warning of unnamed "counter actions" if NATO rejects Moscow's demands to lessen its military presence in Eastern Europe.

Meantime, officials in Kiev said Sunday they had proof that Moscow was involved in what they called a "massive cyberattack on government websites" in Ukraine.&nbsp;

The Kremlin has denied any involvement.

(With inputs from agencies)

A senior US official said on Sunday that the US will announce its "next steps" over Ukraine crisis. The statement came after intense diplomacy failed to ease the threat of a new conflict over Ukraine Amid mounting fears of a Russian invasion of Ukraine, national security advisor Jake Sullivan said the US was "ready either way.

A senior US official said on Sunday that the US will announce its "next steps" over Ukraine crisis. The statement came after intense diplomacy failed to ease the threat of a new conflict over Ukraine Amid mounting fears of a Russian invasion of Ukraine, national security advisor Jake Sullivan said the US was "ready either way." "We're in close touch with our allies and partners, including the Ukrainians," the top advisor to President Joe Biden told CBS. "We're coordinating closely on next steps. And we'll have more to share in terms of the next steps into the diplomacy early next week." "But the key point here is that we're ready either way. If Russia wants to move forward with diplomacy, we are absolutely ready to do that in lockstep with our allies and partners. "If Russia wants to go down the path of invasion and escalation, we're ready for that too, with a robust response." Russia has massed tens of thousands of troops along its border with Ukraine. Though Russia claims that it does not plan to invade Ukraine, tensions are high. The Kremlin again insisted on Sunday that it did not want to lead "a military action," even while warning of unnamed "counter actions" if NATO rejects Moscow's demands to lessen its military presence in Eastern Europe. Meantime, officials in Kiev said Sunday they had proof that Moscow was involved in what they called a "massive cyberattack on government websites" in Ukraine. The Kremlin has denied any involvement. (With inputs from agencies)

Ukraine crisis: US 'ready either way', says Biden aide

Russia launched its military buildup along the Ukrainian border because it could no longer "tolerate" NATO's eastward expansion and "gradual invasion" of Ukraine, according to a spokesman for Russian President Vladimir Putin.

"We have seen the gradual invasion of NATO into the Ukrainian territory with its infrastructure, with its instructors, with supplies of defensive and offensive weapons, teaching the Ukrainian military and so forth. That brought us to the red line, a situation where we couldn’t tolerate it anymore," he said.

Participating in a television program, Putin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said, "The stage for the current border crisis was set decades ago, in the 1990s."

Nearly 100,000 Russian troops have recently gathered near Ukraine, raising fears that Russia may invade the country shortly.&nbsp; 
 
<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/what-will-happen-if-russian-troops-invade-ukraine-431684">Pictures: What will happen if Russian troops invade Ukraine?</a>

"When Germany was reunited and when the then-Soviet Union and Soviet Union leader Mikhail Gorbachev said OK to that, there was a promise by American side.Unfortunately, not fixed in a juridical, in a legally binding guaranteeing document, but it — there was a guarantee that NATO would never ... expand its military infrastructure or political infrastructure eastwards, " Peskov said.&nbsp;

"Unfortunately, the opposite thing started to happen since then, and NATO's military infrastructure started to get closer and closer to the borders of the Russian Federation," he added, saying that recent actions by the U.S. military led Russia to feel that its national security was being "endangered." 
 
Watch | Ukraine crisis continues to escalate with Russia &amp; the US harden stances in talks

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According to Peskov, a professional diplomat and veteran Putin spokesman, NATO is a "weapon of confrontation," not a "dove of peace."

Russia has asked for an assurance that Ukraine will not join NATO, which it believes would pose a serious threat to its security.&nbsp;

If security discussions with the US and NATO fail, Russia will not consider military action, but it will be ready to respond if its concerns are disregarded, according to Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov.&nbsp;

Some of the red lines, according to Peskov, are NATO's reluctance to guarantee not to admit Ukraine as a member, put offensive weapons on its soil, or halt advancing military facilities to the Russian border.He stated that the Kremlin wanted NATO to begin considering its concerns.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)

Russia launched its military buildup along the Ukrainian border because it could no longer "tolerate" NATO's eastward expansion and "gradual invasion" of Ukraine, according to a spokesman for Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Russia launched its military buildup along the Ukrainian border because it could no longer "tolerate" NATO's eastward expansion and "gradual invasion" of Ukraine, according to a spokesman for Russian President Vladimir Putin. "We have seen the gradual invasion of NATO into the Ukrainian territory with its infrastructure, with its instructors, with supplies of defensive and offensive weapons, teaching the Ukrainian military and so forth. That brought us to the red line, a situation where we couldn’t tolerate it anymore," he said. Participating in a television program, Putin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said, "The stage for the current border crisis was set decades ago, in the 1990s." Nearly 100,000 Russian troops have recently gathered near Ukraine, raising fears that Russia may invade the country shortly. Pictures: What will happen if Russian troops invade Ukraine? "When Germany was reunited and when the then-Soviet Union and Soviet Union leader Mikhail Gorbachev said OK to that, there was a promise by American side.Unfortunately, not fixed in a juridical, in a legally binding guaranteeing document, but it — there was a guarantee that NATO would never ... expand its military infrastructure or political infrastructure eastwards, " Peskov said. "Unfortunately, the opposite thing started to happen since then, and NATO's military infrastructure started to get closer and closer to the borders of the Russian Federation," he added, saying that recent actions by the U.S. military led Russia to feel that its national security was being "endangered." Watch | Ukraine crisis continues to escalate with Russia & the US harden stances in talks According to Peskov, a professional diplomat and veteran Putin spokesman, NATO is a "weapon of confrontation," not a "dove of peace." Russia has asked for an assurance that Ukraine will not join NATO, which it believes would pose a serious threat to its security. If security discussions with the US and NATO fail, Russia will not consider military action, but it will be ready to respond if its concerns are disregarded, according to Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov. Some of the red lines, according to Peskov, are NATO's reluctance to guarantee not to admit Ukraine as a member, put offensive weapons on its soil, or halt advancing military facilities to the Russian border.He stated that the Kremlin wanted NATO to begin considering its concerns. (With inputs from agencies)

Russia cannot have NATO creeping into Ukraine anymore, Putin spokesman says

Even as talks between Russia and US &amp; its NATO allies over Ukraine have hit a dead-end, Poland’s foreign minister has warned that Europe might dragged into war if the tensions are not defused soon.

Without naming Russia in his address to envoys from the 57 members of the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), Zbigniew Rau said that tensions in Ukraine, Georgia, Armenia and Moldova, have active or frozen conflicts where Kremlin is alleged to be a party.

“It seems that the risk of war in the OSCE area is now greater than ever before in the last 30 years,” Poland’s foreign minister Zbigniew Rau, who currently chairs the Vienna-based intergovernmental body, said on Thursday during the latest round of talks on Russia.&nbsp;

Rau reported no breakthrough at the Vienna meeting, which followed Russia-US&nbsp;talks in Geneva on Monday and a Russia-NATO conference in Brussels on Wednesday.

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Meanwhile, the White House claimed that the threat of a Russian invasion of Ukraine remained high with some 100,000 Russian troops deployed.

Michael Carpenter, US Ambassador to the OSCE, said the United States would make public within 24 hours intelligence suggesting that Russia might launch another invasion on Ukraine.

“The drumbeat of war is sounding loud, and the rhetoric has gotten rather shrill,” Carpenter said after talks with Russia in Vienna.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/biden-enlists-meteorologists-to-predict-russias-ukraine-invasion-plan-report-444048">Biden enlists meteorologists to predict Russia's Ukraine invasion plan: Report</a>

Russia, however, junked the reports that it is going to invade Ukraine.

“There is no reason to fear some kind of escalatory scenario,” Russian deputy foreign minister Sergei A Ryabkov told reporters after the meeting.

“The talks were difficult, long, very professional, deep, concrete, without attempts to gloss over some sharp edges,” Ryabkov said.

“We had the feeling that the American side took the Russian proposals very seriously and studied them deeply.”

(With inputs from agencies)

Even as talks between Russia and US & its NATO allies over Ukraine have hit a dead-end, Poland’s foreign minister has warned that Europe might dragged into war if the tensions are not defused soon.

Even as talks between Russia and US & its NATO allies over Ukraine have hit a dead-end, Poland’s foreign minister has warned that Europe might dragged into war if the tensions are not defused soon. Without naming Russia in his address to envoys from the 57 members of the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), Zbigniew Rau said that tensions in Ukraine, Georgia, Armenia and Moldova, have active or frozen conflicts where Kremlin is alleged to be a party. “It seems that the risk of war in the OSCE area is now greater than ever before in the last 30 years,” Poland’s foreign minister Zbigniew Rau, who currently chairs the Vienna-based intergovernmental body, said on Thursday during the latest round of talks on Russia. Rau reported no breakthrough at the Vienna meeting, which followed Russia-US talks in Geneva on Monday and a Russia-NATO conference in Brussels on Wednesday. Also read | Amid Ukraine tensions, Russia unveils ‘White Swan’ strategic bomber Meanwhile, the White House claimed that the threat of a Russian invasion of Ukraine remained high with some 100,000 Russian troops deployed. Michael Carpenter, US Ambassador to the OSCE, said the United States would make public within 24 hours intelligence suggesting that Russia might launch another invasion on Ukraine. “The drumbeat of war is sounding loud, and the rhetoric has gotten rather shrill,” Carpenter said after talks with Russia in Vienna. Also read | Biden enlists meteorologists to predict Russia's Ukraine invasion plan: Report Russia, however, junked the reports that it is going to invade Ukraine. “There is no reason to fear some kind of escalatory scenario,” Russian deputy foreign minister Sergei A Ryabkov told reporters after the meeting. “The talks were difficult, long, very professional, deep, concrete, without attempts to gloss over some sharp edges,” Ryabkov said. “We had the feeling that the American side took the Russian proposals very seriously and studied them deeply.” (With inputs from agencies)

With no breakthrough between US and Russia over Ukraine, Poland warns of risk of war

The United States has sent a written response to Russia's demands in eastern Europe. While it offered a "principled and pragmatic evaluation" of the Kremlin's concerns, the US has upheld North Atlantic Treaty Organisation's (NATO) 'open-door' policy. This policy refers to NATO's openness to new member countries. Ukraine is keen to be part of NATO, something Russia is fiercely against.

The written response to Russia's demands was delivered in person by US ambassador in Moscow.

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&nbsp;

Russia has demanded NATO pull back troops and weapons from eastern Europe and bar its neighbour Ukraine, a former Soviet state, from ever joining. Washington and its NATO allies reject that position but say they are ready to discuss other topics such as arms control and confidence-building measures.

"Putting things in writing is ... a good way to make sure we're as precise as possible, and the Russians understand our positions, our ideas, as clearly as possible. Right now, the document is with them and the ball is in their court," said US Secretary of State Antony Blinken.

Whether President Vladimir Putin is prepared to accept Washington and its allies' agenda will determine the next phase of the crisis, in which Moscow has massed around 100,000 troops near the border with Ukraine while denying it plans to invade.

NATO says it is putting forces on standby and reinforcing eastern Europe with more ships and fighter jets, while the US, Britain and others are providing weapons to help Ukraine defend against Russia's much larger army.

Asked how much time Russia would need to study NATO's response, Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko told Interfax news agency: "We will read it. Study it. The partners studied our project for almost a month and a half."

Dialogue

In Paris, diplomats from Russia, Ukraine, France and Germany held more than eight hours of talks on ending a separatist conflict in eastern Ukraine, part of the wider crisis between Moscow and Kyiv that risks becoming a full-scale war.

The so-called "Normandy" talks were a good signal from Russia and a step toward defusing broader tensions, though major differences remained with further talks planned in Berlin in two weeks, a French official said.

Western-Russian differences were on full display on Tuesday with U.S. President Joe Biden saying he would consider imposing sanctions personally on Putin if he invades Ukraine, part of an attempt by Washington to convince Moscow that any new action against Ukraine would bring massive costs.

(With inputs from agencies)

The United States has sent a written response to Russia's demands in eastern Europe. While it offered a "principled and pragmatic evaluation" of the Kremlin's concerns, the US has upheld North Atlantic Treaty Organisation's (NATO) 'open-door' policy.

The United States has sent a written response to Russia's demands in eastern Europe. While it offered a "principled and pragmatic evaluation" of the Kremlin's concerns, the US has upheld North Atlantic Treaty Organisation's (NATO) 'open-door' policy. This policy refers to NATO's openness to new member countries. Ukraine is keen to be part of NATO, something Russia is fiercely against. The written response to Russia's demands was delivered in person by US ambassador in Moscow. × Russia has demanded NATO pull back troops and weapons from eastern Europe and bar its neighbour Ukraine, a former Soviet state, from ever joining. Washington and its NATO allies reject that position but say they are ready to discuss other topics such as arms control and confidence-building measures. "Putting things in writing is ... a good way to make sure we're as precise as possible, and the Russians understand our positions, our ideas, as clearly as possible. Right now, the document is with them and the ball is in their court," said US Secretary of State Antony Blinken. Whether President Vladimir Putin is prepared to accept Washington and its allies' agenda will determine the next phase of the crisis, in which Moscow has massed around 100,000 troops near the border with Ukraine while denying it plans to invade. NATO says it is putting forces on standby and reinforcing eastern Europe with more ships and fighter jets, while the US, Britain and others are providing weapons to help Ukraine defend against Russia's much larger army. Asked how much time Russia would need to study NATO's response, Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko told Interfax news agency: "We will read it. Study it. The partners studied our project for almost a month and a half." Dialogue In Paris, diplomats from Russia, Ukraine, France and Germany held more than eight hours of talks on ending a separatist conflict in eastern Ukraine, part of the wider crisis between Moscow and Kyiv that risks becoming a full-scale war. The so-called "Normandy" talks were a good signal from Russia and a step toward defusing broader tensions, though major differences remained with further talks planned in Berlin in two weeks, a French official said. Western-Russian differences were on full display on Tuesday with U.S. President Joe Biden saying he would consider imposing sanctions personally on Putin if he invades Ukraine, part of an attempt by Washington to convince Moscow that any new action against Ukraine would bring massive costs. (With inputs from agencies)

Ukraine crisis: US responds to Russian demands, upholds NATO's 'open-door' policy

Senior Russian and Ukrainian officials met in Paris along with French and German counterparts. The talks lasted eight hours and all parties agreed to a ceasefire in Eastern Ukraine.

Four Way Normandy Talks: Moscow, Kyiv agree to ceasefire in East Ukraine

In the early years of Vladimir Putin’s tenure as Russia’s leader, the country’s military was a hollowed-out but nuclear-armed shell.

It struggled to keep submarines afloat in the Arctic and an outgunned insurgency at bay in Chechnya. Senior officers sometimes lived in moldy, rat-infested tenements. And instead of socks, poorly trained soldiers often wrapped their feet in swaths of cloth, the way their Soviet and Tsarist predecessors had.

Two decades later, it is a far different fighting force that has massed near the border with Ukraine. Under Putin’s leadership, it has been overhauled into a modern sophisticated army, able to deploy quickly and with lethal effect in conventional conflicts, military analysts said. It features precision-guided weaponry, a newly streamlined command structure and well-fed and professional soldiers. And they still have the nuclear weapons.

The modernized military has emerged as a key tool of Putin’s foreign policy: capturing Crimea, intervening in Syria, keeping the peace between Armenia and Azerbaijan and, just this month, propping up a Russia-friendly leader in Kazakhstan. Now it is in the middle of its most ambitious — and most ominous — operation yet: using threats and potentially, many fear, force, to bring Ukraine back into Moscow’s sphere of influence.

“The mobility of the military, its preparedness and its equipment are what allow Russia to pressure Ukraine and to pressure the West,” said Pavel Luzin, a Russian security analyst. “Nuclear weapons are not enough.”

Without firing a shot, Putin has forced the Biden administration to shelve other foreign policy priorities and contend with Kremlin grievances the White House has long dismissed — in particular reversing Ukraine’s Westward lean in the post-Soviet period.

It is Putin’s highest-stakes use of the military to muscle Russia back into the global relevance it lost with the ending of the Cold War. Putin laid out that doctrine in 2018, when he used his annual state-of-the-nation speech to unveil new nuclear weapons that could fly 20 times the speed of sound.

“No one listened to us,” Putin said in his address, which included a video simulation showing a Russian missile heading toward the United States. “Listen to us now.”

Today, it is the overhaul of the conventional forces that has provided leverage in the Ukraine crisis.

The T-72B3 tanks amassed on Ukraine’s border have a new thermal optics system for nighttime fighting as well as guided missiles with twice the range of other tanks, according to Robert Lee, a U.S. Marine Corps veteran and Ph.D. candidate at King’s College in London, who is a Russian military expert. Kalibr cruise missiles deployed on ships and submarines in the Black Sea and Iskander-M rockets arrayed along the border can hit targets just about anywhere inside Ukraine, Lee said.

In the past decade, the Russian air force has acquired more than 1,000 new aircraft, according to a 2020 article by Alexei Krivoruchko, a deputy defense minister. This includes the country’s most advanced fighters, the SU-35S; a squadron of these has been deployed to Belarus before joint military exercises next month.

The new capabilities were evident in Russia’s intervention in Syria in 2015. They were not only effective, but caught some in the U.S. military off guard.

“I’m embarrassed to admit, I was surprised a few years ago when Kalibr missiles came flying out of the Caspian Sea, hitting targets in Syria,” said Lt. Gen. Ben Hodges, the former commander of the U.S. Army in Europe. “That was a surprise to me, not only the capability, but I didn’t even know they were there.”

Kremlin thinking has also evolved over the size of the armed forces. The military relies less on a dwindling number of conscripts and more on a slimmed-down, well-trained core of roughly 400,000 contract soldiers.

These soldiers receive better treatment. Visiting the Defense Ministry in December, Putin boasted that the average lieutenant now made just over the equivalent of $1,000 per month, better than the average salary in other sectors. The federal government, he added, was spending about $1.5 billion on subsidizing private housing for service members.

And all Russian soldiers are now required to be deployed with thick, military issued socks.

What is new is not just Russia’s upgraded equipment, but the evolving theory of how the Kremlin uses it. The military has honed an approach that Dmitry Adamsky, a scholar of international security at Reichman University in Israel, calls “cross-domain coercion” — blending the real or threatened use of force with diplomacy, cyberattacks and propaganda to achieve political aims.

That blended strategy is playing out in the current crisis around Ukraine. Russia is pushing for immediate wide-ranging concessions from the West. Russian troop movements into allied Belarus put a potential invasion force within 100 miles of Kyiv, the Ukrainian capital. Russian state media is warning that Ukrainian forces are the ones preparing acts of aggression.

And on Jan. 14, hackers brought down dozens of Ukrainian government websites and posted a message on one stating, “Be afraid and expect the worst.”

“You see some cyber, you see diplomacy, you see military exercises,” Adamsky said. “They are all related by design.”

Not all the forces arrayed along the Ukrainian border are Russia’s most advanced. The ones amassed in the north have older weaponry and are mostly there to intimidate and stretch Ukrainian resources, said Oleksiy Arestovych, a former Ukrainian military intelligence officer who is now a political and military analyst.

The more well-equipped and modernized units, he said, have moved into the area close to two breakaway provinces in Ukraine’s east, where Russia instigated a separatist war in 2014 that continues today.

Russia’s military modernization is also, increasingly, meant to send a message to the United States, projecting power beyond Eastern Europe, frustrating and sometimes surprising U.S. officials.

It took Russia’s military transport planes only hours, for instance, to start ferrying about 2,000 Russian peacekeeping troops, along with heavy armor, to the Southern Caucasus after Putin brokered an end to the 2020 war between Azerbaijan and Armenia.

In Syria, where Russia intervened in 2015 using devastating airstrikes and limited ground troops to protect President Bashar Assad, Russia’s advancements showed it could effectively deploy precision-guided weaponry, long an edge that Western armed forces had held over Russia.

Russia used the war in Syria, experts say, as a laboratory to refine tactics and weaponry, and to gain combat experience for much of its force. More responsibility was delegated to lower-level officers, a degree of autonomy that contrasts with the civilian government structure in the Putin era. Defense Minister Sergei K. Shoigu said last month that all ground troop commanders, 92% of air force pilots and 62% of the navy had combat experience.

“They showed to themselves and the whole world they are able to wage large-scale operations with precision weapons, and long-range weapons, and intelligence capability to support it,” Adamsky, the expert based in Israel, said.

For all its strides in recent years, Russia’s military retains a critical weakness of its Soviet predecessor: the civilian side of the country’s economy, nearly devoid of high-tech manufacturing and corporate investment in research and development. Army expenditures amount to a far higher percentage of the gross domestic product than in most European countries, starving other sectors.

When Ukraine’s military shot down Russian reconnaissance drones, for example, they discovered electronics and motors bought from hobby drone companies in Western Europe, according to a report published in November by Conflict Armament Research, a company based in Britain that specializes in tracing weaponry.

Russia possesses few new weapons systems fully created from the ground up, analysts say. Much of its modernization consists of refurbishments of older equipment.

But individual weapons systems are less important than the military’s innovative use of knowledge gained in each of the engagements of Putin’s tenure, said Gen. Philip M. Breedlove, who was NATO commander when war broke out in Ukraine in 2014.

“The compliment that we have to pay to Russia is that they are a learning and adaptive force,” Breedlove said. “Every time we see them in conflict, they get a little better and a little better.”

Putin was only a few months into his first presidential term when he faced a military catastrophe. On Aug. 12, 2000, a torpedo exploded inside the nuclear submarine Kursk, sending it to the Barents Sea floor with 118 sailors. The Russian navy’s failed rescue mission, leading to the deaths of all aboard and an uncharacteristic mea culpa from Putin, underscored the military’s ineptitude.

The sinking came to define Putin’s first term, along with a vicious and bloody war in Chechnya where the Russian military struggled for years to quash an Islamic insurgency.

A major turning point came in 2008 when a long-simmering conflict over disputed territories in the Republic of Georgia exploded into war.

Russian forces quickly overwhelmed their much smaller Georgian neighbors, but the war uncovered deep deficiencies in the Russian military. Ground troops were not in radio contact with the air force, leading to several serious friendly fire attacks. Communications were so bad that some officers had to use their personal cellphones. Tanks and armored personnel carriers broke down frequently.

The failures prompted a massive shake-up of the Russian armed forces. The Soviet military’s prowess at land warfare was revived, with improvements such as revamped artillery technology, according to Mathieu Boulègue, a research fellow in the Russia and Eurasia program at Chatham House in London.

Just over a decade later, Russia’s tools of electronic warfare, which can be used to intercept or jam enemy communications and knock drones off course and out of the sky, are believed far superior to the U.S. military’s, analysts said.

“We’re playing catch-up now,” Hodges said. “For the last 20 years, we were focused on iPhones or cellphones and terrorist networks, while they continued to develop substantial, powerful jamming and intercept capabilities.”

There have been some setbacks for Moscow, including unsettling weapons failures. In 2019, a prototype of a nuclear-propelled cruise missile — hailed by Putin as the centerpiece of a new arms race with the United States — blew up during a test, killing at least seven people and spewing radiation for miles.

But as the Kremlin’s rhetoric increasingly cast Russia as locked in an existential conflict with the West, little expense was spared. The investment in the military was accompanied by a militarization of Russian society under Putin, entrenching the concept of a motherland surrounded by enemies and the possibility of a coming war.

All those developments, analysts say, make it hard for the West to stop Putin from attacking Ukraine, if he is determined.

“There’s very little we can do to deny Russia’s ability to wage further warfare against Ukraine,” Boulègue said. “We can’t deter a worldview.”

In the early years of Vladimir Putin’s tenure as Russia’s leader, the country’s military was a hollowed-out but nuclear-armed shell. It struggled to keep submarines afloat in the Arctic and an outgunned insurgency at bay in Chechnya.

In the early years of Vladimir Putin’s tenure as Russia’s leader, the country’s military was a hollowed-out but nuclear-armed shell. It struggled to keep submarines afloat in the Arctic and an outgunned insurgency at bay in Chechnya. Senior officers sometimes lived in moldy, rat-infested tenements. And instead of socks, poorly trained soldiers often wrapped their feet in swaths of cloth, the way their Soviet and Tsarist predecessors had. Two decades later, it is a far different fighting force that has massed near the border with Ukraine. Under Putin’s leadership, it has been overhauled into a modern sophisticated army, able to deploy quickly and with lethal effect in conventional conflicts, military analysts said. It features precision-guided weaponry, a newly streamlined command structure and well-fed and professional soldiers. And they still have the nuclear weapons. The modernized military has emerged as a key tool of Putin’s foreign policy: capturing Crimea, intervening in Syria, keeping the peace between Armenia and Azerbaijan and, just this month, propping up a Russia-friendly leader in Kazakhstan. Now it is in the middle of its most ambitious — and most ominous — operation yet: using threats and potentially, many fear, force, to bring Ukraine back into Moscow’s sphere of influence. “The mobility of the military, its preparedness and its equipment are what allow Russia to pressure Ukraine and to pressure the West,” said Pavel Luzin, a Russian security analyst. “Nuclear weapons are not enough.” Without firing a shot, Putin has forced the Biden administration to shelve other foreign policy priorities and contend with Kremlin grievances the White House has long dismissed — in particular reversing Ukraine’s Westward lean in the post-Soviet period. It is Putin’s highest-stakes use of the military to muscle Russia back into the global relevance it lost with the ending of the Cold War. Putin laid out that doctrine in 2018, when he used his annual state-of-the-nation speech to unveil new nuclear weapons that could fly 20 times the speed of sound. “No one listened to us,” Putin said in his address, which included a video simulation showing a Russian missile heading toward the United States. “Listen to us now.” Today, it is the overhaul of the conventional forces that has provided leverage in the Ukraine crisis. The T-72B3 tanks amassed on Ukraine’s border have a new thermal optics system for nighttime fighting as well as guided missiles with twice the range of other tanks, according to Robert Lee, a U.S. Marine Corps veteran and Ph.D. candidate at King’s College in London, who is a Russian military expert. Kalibr cruise missiles deployed on ships and submarines in the Black Sea and Iskander-M rockets arrayed along the border can hit targets just about anywhere inside Ukraine, Lee said. In the past decade, the Russian air force has acquired more than 1,000 new aircraft, according to a 2020 article by Alexei Krivoruchko, a deputy defense minister. This includes the country’s most advanced fighters, the SU-35S; a squadron of these has been deployed to Belarus before joint military exercises next month. The new capabilities were evident in Russia’s intervention in Syria in 2015. They were not only effective, but caught some in the U.S. military off guard. “I’m embarrassed to admit, I was surprised a few years ago when Kalibr missiles came flying out of the Caspian Sea, hitting targets in Syria,” said Lt. Gen. Ben Hodges, the former commander of the U.S. Army in Europe. “That was a surprise to me, not only the capability, but I didn’t even know they were there.” Kremlin thinking has also evolved over the size of the armed forces. The military relies less on a dwindling number of conscripts and more on a slimmed-down, well-trained core of roughly 400,000 contract soldiers. These soldiers receive better treatment. Visiting the Defense Ministry in December, Putin boasted that the average lieutenant now made just over the equivalent of $1,000 per month, better than the average salary in other sectors. The federal government, he added, was spending about $1.5 billion on subsidizing private housing for service members. And all Russian soldiers are now required to be deployed with thick, military issued socks. What is new is not just Russia’s upgraded equipment, but the evolving theory of how the Kremlin uses it. The military has honed an approach that Dmitry Adamsky, a scholar of international security at Reichman University in Israel, calls “cross-domain coercion” — blending the real or threatened use of force with diplomacy, cyberattacks and propaganda to achieve political aims. That blended strategy is playing out in the current crisis around Ukraine. Russia is pushing for immediate wide-ranging concessions from the West. Russian troop movements into allied Belarus put a potential invasion force within 100 miles of Kyiv, the Ukrainian capital. Russian state media is warning that Ukrainian forces are the ones preparing acts of aggression. And on Jan. 14, hackers brought down dozens of Ukrainian government websites and posted a message on one stating, “Be afraid and expect the worst.” “You see some cyber, you see diplomacy, you see military exercises,” Adamsky said. “They are all related by design.” Not all the forces arrayed along the Ukrainian border are Russia’s most advanced. The ones amassed in the north have older weaponry and are mostly there to intimidate and stretch Ukrainian resources, said Oleksiy Arestovych, a former Ukrainian military intelligence officer who is now a political and military analyst. The more well-equipped and modernized units, he said, have moved into the area close to two breakaway provinces in Ukraine’s east, where Russia instigated a separatist war in 2014 that continues today. Russia’s military modernization is also, increasingly, meant to send a message to the United States, projecting power beyond Eastern Europe, frustrating and sometimes surprising U.S. officials. It took Russia’s military transport planes only hours, for instance, to start ferrying about 2,000 Russian peacekeeping troops, along with heavy armor, to the Southern Caucasus after Putin brokered an end to the 2020 war between Azerbaijan and Armenia. In Syria, where Russia intervened in 2015 using devastating airstrikes and limited ground troops to protect President Bashar Assad, Russia’s advancements showed it could effectively deploy precision-guided weaponry, long an edge that Western armed forces had held over Russia. Russia used the war in Syria, experts say, as a laboratory to refine tactics and weaponry, and to gain combat experience for much of its force. More responsibility was delegated to lower-level officers, a degree of autonomy that contrasts with the civilian government structure in the Putin era. Defense Minister Sergei K. Shoigu said last month that all ground troop commanders, 92% of air force pilots and 62% of the navy had combat experience. “They showed to themselves and the whole world they are able to wage large-scale operations with precision weapons, and long-range weapons, and intelligence capability to support it,” Adamsky, the expert based in Israel, said. For all its strides in recent years, Russia’s military retains a critical weakness of its Soviet predecessor: the civilian side of the country’s economy, nearly devoid of high-tech manufacturing and corporate investment in research and development. Army expenditures amount to a far higher percentage of the gross domestic product than in most European countries, starving other sectors. When Ukraine’s military shot down Russian reconnaissance drones, for example, they discovered electronics and motors bought from hobby drone companies in Western Europe, according to a report published in November by Conflict Armament Research, a company based in Britain that specializes in tracing weaponry. Russia possesses few new weapons systems fully created from the ground up, analysts say. Much of its modernization consists of refurbishments of older equipment. But individual weapons systems are less important than the military’s innovative use of knowledge gained in each of the engagements of Putin’s tenure, said Gen. Philip M. Breedlove, who was NATO commander when war broke out in Ukraine in 2014. “The compliment that we have to pay to Russia is that they are a learning and adaptive force,” Breedlove said. “Every time we see them in conflict, they get a little better and a little better.” Putin was only a few months into his first presidential term when he faced a military catastrophe. On Aug. 12, 2000, a torpedo exploded inside the nuclear submarine Kursk, sending it to the Barents Sea floor with 118 sailors. The Russian navy’s failed rescue mission, leading to the deaths of all aboard and an uncharacteristic mea culpa from Putin, underscored the military’s ineptitude. The sinking came to define Putin’s first term, along with a vicious and bloody war in Chechnya where the Russian military struggled for years to quash an Islamic insurgency. A major turning point came in 2008 when a long-simmering conflict over disputed territories in the Republic of Georgia exploded into war. Russian forces quickly overwhelmed their much smaller Georgian neighbors, but the war uncovered deep deficiencies in the Russian military. Ground troops were not in radio contact with the air force, leading to several serious friendly fire attacks. Communications were so bad that some officers had to use their personal cellphones. Tanks and armored personnel carriers broke down frequently. The failures prompted a massive shake-up of the Russian armed forces. The Soviet military’s prowess at land warfare was revived, with improvements such as revamped artillery technology, according to Mathieu Boulègue, a research fellow in the Russia and Eurasia program at Chatham House in London. Just over a decade later, Russia’s tools of electronic warfare, which can be used to intercept or jam enemy communications and knock drones off course and out of the sky, are believed far superior to the U.S. military’s, analysts said. “We’re playing catch-up now,” Hodges said. “For the last 20 years, we were focused on iPhones or cellphones and terrorist networks, while they continued to develop substantial, powerful jamming and intercept capabilities.” There have been some setbacks for Moscow, including unsettling weapons failures. In 2019, a prototype of a nuclear-propelled cruise missile — hailed by Putin as the centerpiece of a new arms race with the United States — blew up during a test, killing at least seven people and spewing radiation for miles. But as the Kremlin’s rhetoric increasingly cast Russia as locked in an existential conflict with the West, little expense was spared. The investment in the military was accompanied by a militarization of Russian society under Putin, entrenching the concept of a motherland surrounded by enemies and the possibility of a coming war. All those developments, analysts say, make it hard for the West to stop Putin from attacking Ukraine, if he is determined. “There’s very little we can do to deny Russia’s ability to wage further warfare against Ukraine,” Boulègue said. “We can’t deter a worldview.”

Putin overhauled Russia's hollowed-out forces, modernizing the military

Civilian employees in Russia have started to take part in military training to defend their country against Russian invasion.

Ukraine civilians undergo military training to defend against Russian invasion

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