Russia getting ready for war in Ukraine now this is a question that has been worrying the west as of now and there has been a massive true build up along Ukraine's borders but if you go by what Vladimir Putin says his words say that Moscow doesn't want any kind of conflict with Ukraine according to the Russian president Moscow is trying to avoid any conflicts with both Ukraine and the West.

'Ball is in their court,' Putin blames West for growing Ukraine tensions | Annual Press conference

Russian Foreign Minister said he expects negotiations with the US to begin in January next year. Watch this report for more.

Russia agrees to begin security talks with the US next year amid rising tensions over Ukraine

Russian President Vladimir Putin is holding an annual press conference. The focus primarily will be on the Russia-Ukraine border conflict and crackdown against political opponents and media.

Russian President Vladimir Putin holds annual press conference

Stepping onto a podium in heavy boots and military fatigues at a ceremony outside Moscow, six teenagers accepted awards for an increasingly important discipline in Russia: patriotism.

For days, students from around the country had competed in activities like map-reading, shooting and history quizzes. The contest was funded in part by the Kremlin, which has been making “military-patriotic” education a priority.

“Parents and children understand that this aggressive shell around us, it is tightening, it is hardening,” said Svyatoslav Omelchenko, a special forces veteran of the KGB who founded Vympel, the group running the event. “We are doing all we can to make sure that children are aware of that and to get them ready to go and serve.”

Over the past eight years, the Russian government has promoted the idea that the motherland is surrounded by enemies, filtering the concept through national institutions like schools, the military, the news media and the Orthodox Church. It has even raised the possibility that the country might again have to defend itself as it did against the Nazis in World War II.

Now, as Russia masses troops on the Ukrainian border, spurring Western fears of an impending invasion, the steady militarization of Russian society under President Vladimir Putin suddenly looms large, and appears to have inured many to the idea that a fight could be coming.

“The authorities are actively selling the idea of war,” Dmitry Muratov, the Russian newspaper editor who shared the Nobel Peace Prize this year, said in his acceptance speech in Oslo, Norway, this month. “People are getting used to the thought of its permissibility.”

Speaking to Russian military leaders Tuesday, Putin insisted that Russia did not want bloodshed but was prepared to respond with “military-technical measures” to what he described as the West’s aggressive behaviour in the region.

While there is no surging war fever taking hold, there are plenty of signs that the government has been nurturing a readiness for conflict. A $185 million four-year program started by the Kremlin this year aims to drastically increase Russians’ “patriotic education,” including a plan to attract at least 600,000 children as young as 8 to join the ranks of a uniformed Youth Army. Adults get their inculcation from state television, where political shows — one is called “Moscow. Kremlin. Putin.” — drive home the narrative of a fascist coup in Ukraine and a West bent on Russia’s destruction.

And all are united by the near-sacred memory of Soviet victory in World War II — one that the state has seized upon to shape an identity of a triumphal Russia that must be ready to take up arms once more.

Alexei Levinson, head of sociocultural research at the Levada Center, an independent Moscow pollster, calls the trend the “militarization of the consciousness” of Russians. In the center’s regular surveys, the army in 2018 became the country’s most trusted institution, surpassing even the president. This year, the share of Russians saying they feared a world war hit the highest level recorded in surveys dating to 1994 — 62%.

This does not mean, Levinson cautioned, that Russians would welcome a bloody territorial conquest of Ukraine. But it does mean, he said, that many have been conditioned to accept that Russia is locked in an existential rivalry with other powers in which the use of force is a possibility.

Celebration of the Soviet Union’s victory over Nazi Germany in World War II — referred to as the Great Patriotic War in Russia — has played the most important role in that conditioning. Rather than promoting only a culture of remembrance of Soviet heroism and 27 million lives lost, the Kremlin applies the World War II narrative to the present day, positioning Russia as once again threatened by enemies bent on its destruction.

In his annual Victory Day speech this year after a monumental military parade, Putin tore into unnamed present-day enemies of Russia who were redeploying the Nazis’ “delusional theory of their exclusivity.” On state TV last week, a news show host ridiculed sanctions threats against Russia from those “who have no idea how to scare a people that lost more than 20 million of its men, its women and its elderly and kids in the last war.”

A popular World War II bumper sticker reads, “We can do it again.”

“There’s a transposition taking place of this victory” — in World War II — “into the present-day confrontation with the NATO bloc,” Levinson said.

One hour west of Moscow, the grand Cathedral of the Russian Armed Forces opened last year. Its exterior is army green and its floors are made from weapons and tanks seized from the German Wehrmacht. Arched stained glass windows feature insignia and medals.

On a recent Sunday, the church and its accompanying museum and park were full of visitors. A group of fifth-graders from the Suvorov Military School in Tver, wearing their uniforms, filed out in two lines before marching to the museum. Their instructor said it was fundamentally important for the students, in their first year of military school, to learn about their predecessors.

“We’re doing a bit of propaganda, too,” the section leader quipped, declining to give his name.

Beyond the church grounds, visitors walked among snow-covered trenches in a simulated front line. Further afield, under the towering dome of the church, children could ride around a go-kart like track in a miniature replica of a battle tank.

“All children should come here and develop an interest in history from an early age,” said Alina Grengolm, as her 2-year-old son scrambled up an icy tank with his father’s assistance.

In Moscow recently, more than 600 people from across Russia gathered for a government-sponsored forum aimed at promoting patriotism among youth. Sergei Kiriyenko, Putin’s powerful deputy chief of staff, praised the attendees for doing “sacred work.”

At the conference, two “victory volunteers” spoke about their plans for teaching high school students about the Russian World War II victory at a regional event the following week.

In a Levada poll published last week, 39% of Russians said war between Russia and Ukraine was either inevitable or very likely. Half said the United States and NATO were to blame for the recent rise in tensions, and no more than 4% — across all age groups — said Russia was at fault.

The conviction across society that Russia is not the aggressor reflects a core ideology dating to Soviet times: that the country only fights defensive wars. The government has even earmarked money for movies that explore that theme. In April, the Culture Ministry decreed that “Russia’s historical victories” and “Russia’s peacekeeping mission” were among the priority topics for film producers seeking government funding.

“Right now, the idea is being pushed that Russia is a peace-loving country permanently surrounded by enemies,” said Anton Dolin, a Russian film critic. “This is contradicted by some facts, but if you show it at the movies and translate that idea into the time of the Great Patriotic War, we all instantly get a scheme familiar to everyone from childhood.”

On Russian state television, the narrative of a Ukraine controlled by neo-Nazis and used as a staging ground for Western aggression has been a common trope since the pro-Western revolution in Kyiv in 2014. After the revolution, Russia annexed the Ukrainian peninsula of Crimea, fomented a war in Ukraine’s east and sharpened its messaging about Russia as a “besieged fortress.”

Some analysts fear that the escalating rhetoric is laying the foundation for what Russia would cast as a defensive intervention to protect its security and Russian speakers in Ukraine. Yevgeny Popov, a newly elected member of parliament and a host of a popular political show on state TV, said in an interview that his ratings were up in recent weeks — “the tension is rising,” he said.

“I think that most people in Russia would only be in favour if we defended Russian people who live in these territories,” Popov said, referring to the separatist territories in Ukraine where hundreds of thousands have received Russian citizenship.

The effectiveness of the state’s militarized messaging is up for debate. Polls show that young people have a more positive view of the West than older Russians, and the pro-Kremlin sentiment prompted by the Crimea annexation appears to have dissipated amid economic stagnation.

But the Kremlin is doubling down. Its drive to increase “patriotic education” includes funding for groups like Vympel. The “military-patriotic” organization has some 100 chapters around the country, and it organized the recent skills competition in the city of Vladimir that ended Thursday.

Veronika Osipova, 17, from the city of Rostov-on-Don near Ukraine’s border, won the award for best female student. For years, she played the harp, graduating with honours from an elite music school. But in 2015, she started learning how to shoot a machine gun and throw grenades. She resolved to join the Russian military to protect the country against its enemies.

“I follow the example of girls who, under bullets and grenades, went to fight during the Great Patriotic War,” Osipova said. “They had no choice, but we do have it, and I choose the army.”

Stepping onto a podium in heavy boots and military fatigues at a ceremony outside Moscow, six teenagers accepted awards for an increasingly important discipline in Russia: patriotism.

Stepping onto a podium in heavy boots and military fatigues at a ceremony outside Moscow, six teenagers accepted awards for an increasingly important discipline in Russia: patriotism. For days, students from around the country had competed in activities like map-reading, shooting and history quizzes. The contest was funded in part by the Kremlin, which has been making “military-patriotic” education a priority. “Parents and children understand that this aggressive shell around us, it is tightening, it is hardening,” said Svyatoslav Omelchenko, a special forces veteran of the KGB who founded Vympel, the group running the event. “We are doing all we can to make sure that children are aware of that and to get them ready to go and serve.” Over the past eight years, the Russian government has promoted the idea that the motherland is surrounded by enemies, filtering the concept through national institutions like schools, the military, the news media and the Orthodox Church. It has even raised the possibility that the country might again have to defend itself as it did against the Nazis in World War II. Now, as Russia masses troops on the Ukrainian border, spurring Western fears of an impending invasion, the steady militarization of Russian society under President Vladimir Putin suddenly looms large, and appears to have inured many to the idea that a fight could be coming. “The authorities are actively selling the idea of war,” Dmitry Muratov, the Russian newspaper editor who shared the Nobel Peace Prize this year, said in his acceptance speech in Oslo, Norway, this month. “People are getting used to the thought of its permissibility.” Speaking to Russian military leaders Tuesday, Putin insisted that Russia did not want bloodshed but was prepared to respond with “military-technical measures” to what he described as the West’s aggressive behaviour in the region. While there is no surging war fever taking hold, there are plenty of signs that the government has been nurturing a readiness for conflict. A $185 million four-year program started by the Kremlin this year aims to drastically increase Russians’ “patriotic education,” including a plan to attract at least 600,000 children as young as 8 to join the ranks of a uniformed Youth Army. Adults get their inculcation from state television, where political shows — one is called “Moscow. Kremlin. Putin.” — drive home the narrative of a fascist coup in Ukraine and a West bent on Russia’s destruction. And all are united by the near-sacred memory of Soviet victory in World War II — one that the state has seized upon to shape an identity of a triumphal Russia that must be ready to take up arms once more. Alexei Levinson, head of sociocultural research at the Levada Center, an independent Moscow pollster, calls the trend the “militarization of the consciousness” of Russians. In the center’s regular surveys, the army in 2018 became the country’s most trusted institution, surpassing even the president. This year, the share of Russians saying they feared a world war hit the highest level recorded in surveys dating to 1994 — 62%. This does not mean, Levinson cautioned, that Russians would welcome a bloody territorial conquest of Ukraine. But it does mean, he said, that many have been conditioned to accept that Russia is locked in an existential rivalry with other powers in which the use of force is a possibility. Celebration of the Soviet Union’s victory over Nazi Germany in World War II — referred to as the Great Patriotic War in Russia — has played the most important role in that conditioning. Rather than promoting only a culture of remembrance of Soviet heroism and 27 million lives lost, the Kremlin applies the World War II narrative to the present day, positioning Russia as once again threatened by enemies bent on its destruction. In his annual Victory Day speech this year after a monumental military parade, Putin tore into unnamed present-day enemies of Russia who were redeploying the Nazis’ “delusional theory of their exclusivity.” On state TV last week, a news show host ridiculed sanctions threats against Russia from those “who have no idea how to scare a people that lost more than 20 million of its men, its women and its elderly and kids in the last war.” A popular World War II bumper sticker reads, “We can do it again.” “There’s a transposition taking place of this victory” — in World War II — “into the present-day confrontation with the NATO bloc,” Levinson said. One hour west of Moscow, the grand Cathedral of the Russian Armed Forces opened last year. Its exterior is army green and its floors are made from weapons and tanks seized from the German Wehrmacht. Arched stained glass windows feature insignia and medals. On a recent Sunday, the church and its accompanying museum and park were full of visitors. A group of fifth-graders from the Suvorov Military School in Tver, wearing their uniforms, filed out in two lines before marching to the museum. Their instructor said it was fundamentally important for the students, in their first year of military school, to learn about their predecessors. “We’re doing a bit of propaganda, too,” the section leader quipped, declining to give his name. Beyond the church grounds, visitors walked among snow-covered trenches in a simulated front line. Further afield, under the towering dome of the church, children could ride around a go-kart like track in a miniature replica of a battle tank. “All children should come here and develop an interest in history from an early age,” said Alina Grengolm, as her 2-year-old son scrambled up an icy tank with his father’s assistance. In Moscow recently, more than 600 people from across Russia gathered for a government-sponsored forum aimed at promoting patriotism among youth. Sergei Kiriyenko, Putin’s powerful deputy chief of staff, praised the attendees for doing “sacred work.” At the conference, two “victory volunteers” spoke about their plans for teaching high school students about the Russian World War II victory at a regional event the following week. In a Levada poll published last week, 39% of Russians said war between Russia and Ukraine was either inevitable or very likely. Half said the United States and NATO were to blame for the recent rise in tensions, and no more than 4% — across all age groups — said Russia was at fault. The conviction across society that Russia is not the aggressor reflects a core ideology dating to Soviet times: that the country only fights defensive wars. The government has even earmarked money for movies that explore that theme. In April, the Culture Ministry decreed that “Russia’s historical victories” and “Russia’s peacekeeping mission” were among the priority topics for film producers seeking government funding. “Right now, the idea is being pushed that Russia is a peace-loving country permanently surrounded by enemies,” said Anton Dolin, a Russian film critic. “This is contradicted by some facts, but if you show it at the movies and translate that idea into the time of the Great Patriotic War, we all instantly get a scheme familiar to everyone from childhood.” On Russian state television, the narrative of a Ukraine controlled by neo-Nazis and used as a staging ground for Western aggression has been a common trope since the pro-Western revolution in Kyiv in 2014. After the revolution, Russia annexed the Ukrainian peninsula of Crimea, fomented a war in Ukraine’s east and sharpened its messaging about Russia as a “besieged fortress.” Some analysts fear that the escalating rhetoric is laying the foundation for what Russia would cast as a defensive intervention to protect its security and Russian speakers in Ukraine. Yevgeny Popov, a newly elected member of parliament and a host of a popular political show on state TV, said in an interview that his ratings were up in recent weeks — “the tension is rising,” he said. “I think that most people in Russia would only be in favour if we defended Russian people who live in these territories,” Popov said, referring to the separatist territories in Ukraine where hundreds of thousands have received Russian citizenship. The effectiveness of the state’s militarized messaging is up for debate. Polls show that young people have a more positive view of the West than older Russians, and the pro-Kremlin sentiment prompted by the Crimea annexation appears to have dissipated amid economic stagnation. But the Kremlin is doubling down. Its drive to increase “patriotic education” includes funding for groups like Vympel. The “military-patriotic” organization has some 100 chapters around the country, and it organized the recent skills competition in the city of Vladimir that ended Thursday. Veronika Osipova, 17, from the city of Rostov-on-Don near Ukraine’s border, won the award for best female student. For years, she played the harp, graduating with honours from an elite music school. But in 2015, she started learning how to shoot a machine gun and throw grenades. She resolved to join the Russian military to protect the country against its enemies. “I follow the example of girls who, under bullets and grenades, went to fight during the Great Patriotic War,” Osipova said. “They had no choice, but we do have it, and I choose the army.”

How the Kremlin is militarizing Russian society

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and Russian President Vladimir Putin discussed security issues in their first telephone call on Tuesday.

Olaf Scholz, Vladimir Putin discuss security issues

Relations between Russia and Ukraine are currently at an all-time low and it seems that the country might invade Ukraine and at a time like this, sources say that Russia might be preparing teenagers.

Russia promotes 'military patriotism' in schools | Russia-Ukraine border crisis

The United States says it continues to monitor developments since mid-November. The US has been warning allies that Russia could be planning a large scale attack on Ukraine.

Tensions run high between Russia and West over Ukraine; no in-person meet between Biden, Putin

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, Russian President Vladimir Putin conduct security talks

Russian President Vladimir Putin held his first telephone conversation with the newly elected German chancellor Olaf Scholz. The conversation surrounded the rising tensions between Russia and Ukraine.

Vladimir Putin calls German chancellor Olaf Scholz for 'serious' security talks| Russia-Ukraine News

The Latest Russian submarine has successfully launched a Kalibr cruise missile from the Sea of Japan at a target more than 1,000 kilometres (621 miles) away, located at a Russian training ground onshore.

Russia test-fires new Kalibr cruise missiles fired off from their new diesel submarine

Tensions are simmering at the Ukraine border and in the latest remark, Russian president Vladimir Putin has blamed the West for escalating tensions across Europe and has stated that Russia will respond adequately to any western aggression.

'Will respond to aggression,' Putin blames West for escalating tensions | Russia-Ukraine tensions

Amid the ongoing border conflict with Ukraine and Russia, Moscow sought security guarantees from the US. However, the US says some of Moscow's demands are unacceptable.

Russia seeks security guarantees from US amid Ukraine conflict

Amid ongoing showdown over Ukraine invasion threats, Russia demands talks with US and NATO alliance to ease tensions.

Russia demands talks with US & NATO amid showdown over Ukraine

Russia releases security proposal to 'ease tensions' amid showdown with Ukraine

Amid high tensions between Russia and the West on Ukraine, United States expressed its interest to hold talks with Russia but warned of massive consequences of any aggression.

Russia-Ukraine border crisis: US ready for 'dialogue with Russia'

Ukraine's ambassador to Israel said that Kyiv could recognise Jerusalem as Israel's capital. Kyiv also plans to open an embassy branch there to promote bilateral ties.

Kyiv could open an embassy branch in Jerusalem after recognising it as Israel's capital

Tensions continue to simmer between Russia and the West, amid possibilities of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. In the latest, the Western allies rejected Russia's attempt at thwarting Ukraine's ambition of joining the NATO alliance. WION's Susan Tehrani brings in more on this.

Russia-Ukraine tensions | Moscow proposes talks with West, US says no talks without 'EU allies'

Amid the ongoing Ukraine invasion threat from Russia, the US expressed a desire to hold talks with Moscow. This comes days virtual meet between President Biden and Putin.

The US expressed a desire to hold talks with Russia amid the ongoing Ukraine invasion threat

A Ukrainian soldier deployed to the frontline in country's east said on Wednesday that he didn't think that Russians would invade Ukraine. Soldiers said they remained calm but were ready for worst case scenario.

Serviceman Serhiy, who serves in the village of Travneve in the Donetsk region, told Reuters he doubts the Russians will invade Ukrainian territory.

Serhiy's fellow soldier, who identified himself by nom-de-guerre Camomile, said the army is ready to repel any attack.

A senior Ukrainian security official said on Wednesday that Russia has made no move to withdraw troops it has amassed at the border with Ukraine but there is no sign that a Russian invasion is imminent.

Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/west-rejects-russian-attempts-to-thwart-ukraines-nato-ambitions-437531">West rejects Russian attempts to thwart Ukraine's NATO ambitions</a>

Oleksiy Danilov, Secretary of Ukraine's Security and Defence Council, told Reuters in an interview that Russia had 92,000 troops at the frontier but would need many more if it were to invade Ukraine.

Russia says it suspects Ukraine of gearing up to take back the breakaway regions by force, which Kyiv in turn denies.

Ukrainian government forces have been fighting Russian-backed separatists since 2014.

Ukraine and the West have periodically accused Moscow, despite its denials, of sending weapons and servicemen to support the separatists.

(With inputs from agencies)

A Ukrainian soldier deployed to the frontline in country's east said on Wednesday that he didn't think that Russians would invade Ukraine. Soldiers said they remained calm but were ready for worst case scenario.

A Ukrainian soldier deployed to the frontline in country's east said on Wednesday that he didn't think that Russians would invade Ukraine. Soldiers said they remained calm but were ready for worst case scenario. Serviceman Serhiy, who serves in the village of Travneve in the Donetsk region, told Reuters he doubts the Russians will invade Ukrainian territory. Serhiy's fellow soldier, who identified himself by nom-de-guerre Camomile, said the army is ready to repel any attack. A senior Ukrainian security official said on Wednesday that Russia has made no move to withdraw troops it has amassed at the border with Ukraine but there is no sign that a Russian invasion is imminent. Also Read | West rejects Russian attempts to thwart Ukraine's NATO ambitions Oleksiy Danilov, Secretary of Ukraine's Security and Defence Council, told Reuters in an interview that Russia had 92,000 troops at the frontier but would need many more if it were to invade Ukraine. Russia says it suspects Ukraine of gearing up to take back the breakaway regions by force, which Kyiv in turn denies. Ukrainian government forces have been fighting Russian-backed separatists since 2014. Ukraine and the West have periodically accused Moscow, despite its denials, of sending weapons and servicemen to support the separatists. (With inputs from agencies)

Unlikely that Russians will advance, says Ukrainian soldier in east

As tensions between Russia and Ukraine reached all-time high EU leaders focused on preventing a Russian invasion of Ukraine. They threatened Moscow of unprecedented sanctions.

EU leaders warns of sanctions against Russia amid rising tensions at Ukraine border

Tensions continue to simmer between Russia and the West, amid possibilities of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. In the latest, the Western allies rejected Russia's attempt at thwarting Ukraine's ambition of joining the NATO alliance.

Russia: Response from West not promising | Russia-Ukraine tensions simmer

European Union threatens Russia with sanctions as it demands 4-way talks between Paris, Berlin, Kyiv and Moscow amid Ukraine invasion fears.

EU wants 4-way talks between Paris, Berlin, Kyiv & Moscow as it threatens Russia with sanctions

Tensions at the Russia-Ukraine border are showing no signs of diminishing and the prolonged crisis has angered the west. In the latest, France has sent warnings to Russia. In case Ukraine is attacked, The Emmanuel Macron government has threatened strategic consequences.

France warns Russia of ‘consequences’ over Ukraine

Russia has submitted draft documents outlining security arrangements it wants to negotiate with the United States and its NATO allies amid spiraling tensions over Ukraine.

Russia hands draft security pact to US, expects talks

Amid the ongoing crisis between Ukraine and Russia, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has said that he was ready for any format of talks with Russia but would like to see a strong western sanctions policy against Moscow to avoid further escalation.

Ukraine President Zelensky says it is ready for talks with Russia but favours sanctions

Ukraine was ready for any format of talks with Russia but would like to see a strong western sanctions policy against Moscow to avoid further escalation, Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskiy stated during a summit in Brussels.

Ukraine ready for any format of talks with Russia but favours sanctions

Western countries offered 'unwavering' support to Ukraine's sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity in the United Nations in Geneva.

Situation at border between Ukraine and Russia is tense as there are specuklations of Russian invasion.

"We are gravely concerned by evidence that Russia has developed plans to take further aggressive action against Ukraine," Patrick Elliot, a human rights officer at the US mission in Geneva, told the council.

"We are unwavering in our support of Ukraine's sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity."&nbsp;

British Ambassador Simon Manley also voiced alarm at the "pattern of destabilising activity and military buildups on Ukraine's border", warning that "Russia's activity poses a threat to Ukraine's and international security."

Ukraine and its Western allies have accused Moscow of massing tens of thousands of troops near its border with Ukraine in preparation for an invasion.&nbsp;

Kiev's military command believes a possible escalation could come at the end of January.&nbsp;

Moscow has said the troop build-up is part of routine deployments, saying it has the right to do what it wants on its territory.

Ukrainian Ambassador Yevheniia Filipenko warned the rights council Wednesday that "the impact of possible invasion will have disastrous consequences for the security, humanitarian and human rights situation in my country and well beyond."

The comments came after UN deputy rights chief Nada Al-Nashif presented the council with an update on the rights situation across Ukraine. 
She did not touch on the feared Russian buildup at the border.

But she did decry significant restrictions of the freedom of expression and assembly in the Crimean peninsula, which was annexed by Russia in 2014, and in eastern regions where Kiev has been fighting a pro-Russian insurgency since then.

Al-Nashif also highlighted rights concerns in areas under the control of the Ukrainian government, including the "lack of accountability" for threats and violence targeting rights defenders, media workers and women and gay rights activists, among others.

Russian representative Yaroslave Eremin seized onto that criticism, slamming Kiev for "maintaining an atmosphere of impunity" exploited by the far right.&nbsp;

He also urged UN rights office to "stop including in their reports (on Ukraine), matters related to Russian regions" -- referring to Crimea.

(With inputs from agencies)

Western countries offered 'unwavering' support to Ukraine's sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity in the United Nations in Geneva. Situation at border between Ukraine and Russia is tense as there are specuklations of Russian invasion.

Western countries offered 'unwavering' support to Ukraine's sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity in the United Nations in Geneva. Situation at border between Ukraine and Russia is tense as there are specuklations of Russian invasion. "We are gravely concerned by evidence that Russia has developed plans to take further aggressive action against Ukraine," Patrick Elliot, a human rights officer at the US mission in Geneva, told the council. "We are unwavering in our support of Ukraine's sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity." British Ambassador Simon Manley also voiced alarm at the "pattern of destabilising activity and military buildups on Ukraine's border", warning that "Russia's activity poses a threat to Ukraine's and international security." Ukraine and its Western allies have accused Moscow of massing tens of thousands of troops near its border with Ukraine in preparation for an invasion. Kiev's military command believes a possible escalation could come at the end of January. Moscow has said the troop build-up is part of routine deployments, saying it has the right to do what it wants on its territory. Ukrainian Ambassador Yevheniia Filipenko warned the rights council Wednesday that "the impact of possible invasion will have disastrous consequences for the security, humanitarian and human rights situation in my country and well beyond." The comments came after UN deputy rights chief Nada Al-Nashif presented the council with an update on the rights situation across Ukraine. She did not touch on the feared Russian buildup at the border. But she did decry significant restrictions of the freedom of expression and assembly in the Crimean peninsula, which was annexed by Russia in 2014, and in eastern regions where Kiev has been fighting a pro-Russian insurgency since then. Al-Nashif also highlighted rights concerns in areas under the control of the Ukrainian government, including the "lack of accountability" for threats and violence targeting rights defenders, media workers and women and gay rights activists, among others. Russian representative Yaroslave Eremin seized onto that criticism, slamming Kiev for "maintaining an atmosphere of impunity" exploited by the far right. He also urged UN rights office to "stop including in their reports (on Ukraine), matters related to Russian regions" -- referring to Crimea. (With inputs from agencies)

Nations declare 'unwavering support' to Ukraine at UN

Russian President Vladimir Putin is all set to meet his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping, their second virtual session this year, days after both the countries were left out of a democracy summit organised by US president Joe Biden.

Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping to hold talks amid Ukraine border crisis

Russia ups the hostile rhetoric as it threatens to deploy nuclear missiles in Europe amid invasion fears in Ukraine. UK PM Boris Johnson asks Putin to de-escalate tensions.

Russia ups the hostile rhetoric | Threatens to deploy nuclear missiles in Europe

Russia on Monday said that it may be forced to deploy nuclear missiles in Europe as a reaction to what it perceives as NATO's plan to do the same.&nbsp;

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.

The comments may heighten tensions as West sees Russia to be preparing for an invasion in Ukraine. The US and its allies are warning Moscow against it.&nbsp;

Missiles that Russia has threatened to deploy are Intermediate nuclear missiles.

Intermediate-range nuclear forces (INF) in Europe were banned under a 1987 treaty agreed between Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev and U.S. President Ronald Reagan in what was hailed at the time as a major easing of Cold War tensions. Washington quit the pact in 2019 after complaining for years of alleged Russian violations.

Ryabkov said there were "indirect indications" that NATO was moving closer to re-deploying INF, including its restoration last month of the 56th Artillery Command which operated nuclear-capable Pershing missiles during the Cold War.

'COMPLETE LACK OF TRUST'

"Lack of progress towards a political and diplomatic solution to this problem will lead to our response being of a military and technical military nature," he said.

"That is, it will be a confrontation, this will the next round, the appearance of such resources on our side. Right now there aren't any, we have a unilateral moratorium. We call for NATO and the U.S. to join this moratorium."

NATO says there will be no new US missiles in Europe and it is ready to deter new Russian missiles with a "measured" response that would only involve conventional weapons.

But Ryabkov said Russia had a "complete lack of trust" in NATO.

"They don't permit themselves to do anything that could somehow increase our security - they believe they can act as they need, to their advantage, and we simply have to swallow all this and deal with it. This is not going to continue."

Russian President Vladimir Putin and U.S. President Joe Biden held two hours of talks last week on the Ukraine crisis and Moscow's demand for what it calls legally binding security guarantees from the West.

(With inputs from agencies)

Russia on Monday said that it may be forced to deploy nuclear missiles in Europe as a reaction to what it perceives as NATO's plan to do the same. 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.

Russia on Monday said that it may be forced to deploy nuclear missiles in Europe as a reaction to what it perceives as NATO's plan to do the same. 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. The comments may heighten tensions as West sees Russia to be preparing for an invasion in Ukraine. The US and its allies are warning Moscow against it. Missiles that Russia has threatened to deploy are Intermediate nuclear missiles. Intermediate-range nuclear forces (INF) in Europe were banned under a 1987 treaty agreed between Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev and U.S. President Ronald Reagan in what was hailed at the time as a major easing of Cold War tensions. Washington quit the pact in 2019 after complaining for years of alleged Russian violations. Ryabkov said there were "indirect indications" that NATO was moving closer to re-deploying INF, including its restoration last month of the 56th Artillery Command which operated nuclear-capable Pershing missiles during the Cold War. 'COMPLETE LACK OF TRUST' "Lack of progress towards a political and diplomatic solution to this problem will lead to our response being of a military and technical military nature," he said. "That is, it will be a confrontation, this will the next round, the appearance of such resources on our side. Right now there aren't any, we have a unilateral moratorium. We call for NATO and the U.S. to join this moratorium." NATO says there will be no new US missiles in Europe and it is ready to deter new Russian missiles with a "measured" response that would only involve conventional weapons. But Ryabkov said Russia had a "complete lack of trust" in NATO. "They don't permit themselves to do anything that could somehow increase our security - they believe they can act as they need, to their advantage, and we simply have to swallow all this and deal with it. This is not going to continue." Russian President Vladimir Putin and U.S. President Joe Biden held two hours of talks last week on the Ukraine crisis and Moscow's demand for what it calls legally binding security guarantees from the West. (With inputs from agencies)

May deploy nuclear missiles in Europe, says Russia

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