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

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

The Kremlin denounced US "peak hysteria" surrounding the Ukraine conflict but said Russian President Vladimir Putin and US leader Joe Biden had agreed to continue dialogue.

Kremlin denounces US 'peak hysteria' after Putin-Biden phone call

French President Emmanuel Macron on Tuesday said that the leaders of both Russia and Ukraine had committed to honouring the Minsk accord.

French President Emmanuel Macron says Putin & Zelensky committed to Minsk accord

French President Emmanuel Macron arrived in Kyiv after an epic misfire in Moscow. The Kremlin has rejected Macron's claims that Putin agreed to 'no escalation'. Can Macron salvage his diplomatic mission with a win in Kyiv? Palki Sharma tells you.

Gravitas Ukraine Direct: Putin uses 'rape joke' to insult Ukraine

French President Emmanuel Macron met Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow. Macron then met Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Kyiv. Macron is trying to be the peacemaker. What's in it for him? Palki Sharma brings you a report.

Gravitas Ukraine Direct: Ukraine, Russia crisis: Why is Macron playing the peacemaker?

Are Emmanuel Macron's efforts to dial down tensions in Ukraine working? Do stakeholders expect diplomacy to deliver? WION's Executive Editor Palki Sharma decodes the possibilities with correspondents from Moscow, Washington D.C. & London.

Gravitas Ukraine Direct: Russia Vs Ukraine: Can diplomacy deliver?

Vladimir Putin has hinted at a nuclear response if NATO attacks Russia. But can the Russian economy sustain a war? Has Putin calibrated his economy to fund conflicts? Palki Sharma tells you.

Gravitas Ukraine Direct: Putin hints at nuclear response if NATO attacks

Does Vladimir Putin want a war or a face saver? What kind of concessions is he looking for? Romoeo Kokriatski, Managing Editor at The New Voice of Ukraine & foreign policy expert Svitlana Zalischuk decode his intentions in an exclusive conversation with Palki Sharma.

Gravitas Ukraine Direct: Ukraine Conflict: What does Putin really want?

Expressing concern over increasing tensions between Russia and Ukraine, Pope Francis hoped that the talks between the two countries, adding that a war in the eastern European country “would be madness”.

Speaking at his Wednesday general audience, Francis thanked those who took part in his January 26 international day of prayer for peace in Ukraine.

“Let us continue to beg the God of peace so that the tensions and threats of war can be overcome through a serious dialogue and that the Normandy Format talks can contribute to this aim,” he said, referring to negotiations involving Russia and Ukraine, facilitated by Germany and France.

“And let's not forget. War is madness,” he said.

Russia has reportedly gathered troops near the Ukraine borders, stoking fears of an invasion. But Kremlin has reputedly denied the accusations made by the West and maintained that it doesn’t intend to repeat the 2014 skirmish that led to the annexation of Crimea.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/ukraine-crisis-macron-pushes-for-peace-as-russian-warships-head-to-the-black-sea-for-drills-451586" hreflang="en">Ukraine row: Macron pushes for peace as Russian warships get ready for drills</a>

Most Ukrainians follow Orthodox Christianity, but the country is also home to its own branch of the Catholic Church, which practices an eastern rite similar to Orthodox worship while proclaiming loyalty to the Pope in Rome.

Earlier in the day, French President Emmanuel Macron, who is in Moscow to meet his counterpart Vladimir Putin, said that he was assured that Kremlin would not escalate the Ukrainian crisis.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/it-would-be-wise-for-americans-to-leave-ukraine-says-biden-451453">It 'would be wise' for Americans to leave Ukraine, says Biden</a>

Macron also said it would take time to find a diplomatic solution to the rising tensions, which represent the biggest security crisis between Russia and the West since the Cold War.

His remarks on a visit to Kyiv came as the Kremlin denied reports that he and Putin struck a deal on de-escalating the crisis.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that “in the current situation, Moscow and Paris can’t be reaching any deals.”

(With inputs from agencies)

Expressing concern over increasing tensions between Russia and Ukraine, Pope Francis hoped that the talks between the two countries, adding that a war in the eastern European country “would be madness”.

Expressing concern over increasing tensions between Russia and Ukraine, Pope Francis hoped that the talks between the two countries, adding that a war in the eastern European country “would be madness”. Speaking at his Wednesday general audience, Francis thanked those who took part in his January 26 international day of prayer for peace in Ukraine. “Let us continue to beg the God of peace so that the tensions and threats of war can be overcome through a serious dialogue and that the Normandy Format talks can contribute to this aim,” he said, referring to negotiations involving Russia and Ukraine, facilitated by Germany and France. “And let's not forget. War is madness,” he said. Russia has reportedly gathered troops near the Ukraine borders, stoking fears of an invasion. But Kremlin has reputedly denied the accusations made by the West and maintained that it doesn’t intend to repeat the 2014 skirmish that led to the annexation of Crimea. Also read | Ukraine row: Macron pushes for peace as Russian warships get ready for drills Most Ukrainians follow Orthodox Christianity, but the country is also home to its own branch of the Catholic Church, which practices an eastern rite similar to Orthodox worship while proclaiming loyalty to the Pope in Rome. Earlier in the day, French President Emmanuel Macron, who is in Moscow to meet his counterpart Vladimir Putin, said that he was assured that Kremlin would not escalate the Ukrainian crisis. Also read | It 'would be wise' for Americans to leave Ukraine, says Biden Macron also said it would take time to find a diplomatic solution to the rising tensions, which represent the biggest security crisis between Russia and the West since the Cold War. His remarks on a visit to Kyiv came as the Kremlin denied reports that he and Putin struck a deal on de-escalating the crisis. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that “in the current situation, Moscow and Paris can’t be reaching any deals.” (With inputs from agencies)

‘War is madness’: Pope Francis backs for talks between Ukraine and Russia

A new report has claimed that Russia can earn $13 billion annually by regulating cryptocurrency.

Published by Moscow-based news outlet 'The Bell,' the report suggests that taxes should imposed on exchanges and intermediaries, as well as income from investments.

A piece of similar advice was given by Finance Ministry official Ivan Chebeskov who said Russia should regulate the crypto market, not ban it.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/how-much-tax-is-imposed-on-cryptocurrency-in-different-countries-worldwide-449585">Also see |&nbsp;How much tax is imposed on cryptocurrency in different countries worldwide?</a>

President Vladimir Putin has asked Russian politicians and the central bank to reach consensus, following a clash over how much control is needed on cryptocurrencies as they gain traction in Russia.

Russia has argued for years against cryptocurrencies, saying they could be used in money laundering or to finance terrorism. It eventually gave them legal status in 2020 but banned their use as a means of payment.

The central bank last week said financial stability, citizens' wellbeing and its monetary policy sovereignty were all under threat.

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/russia-proposes-ban-on-crypto-use-mining-446390/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

The bank proposed preventing financial institutions from carrying out any operations with cryptocurrencies and said mechanisms should be developed to block transactions aimed at buying or selling cryptocurrencies for fiat currencies.

The central bank said it would work with regulators in countries where crypto exchanges are registered to collect information about the operations of Russian clients. It pointed to steps taken in other countries, such as China, to curb cryptocurrency activity.

In September last year, China intensified its crackdown on cryptocurrencies with a blanket ban on all crypto transactions and mining, hitting bitcoin and other major coins and pressuring crypto and blockchain-related stocks.

Kremlin had estimated the Russian cryptocurrency market at more than 16.5 trillion rubles ($214 billion), which is around 12 per cent of the total value of global crypto market capitalisation.

Russia is the world's third-largest player in bitcoin mining, behind the United States and Kazakhstan, though the latter may see a miner exodus over fears of tightening regulation following unrest earlier this month.

Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies are "mined" by powerful computers that compete against others hooked up to a global network to solve complex mathematical puzzles, a process that requires heavy use of electricity.

This year, Russia plans to test a digital rouble to facilitate payments for individuals and businesses and try to make its currency more global in the face of Western sanctions.

(With inputs from agencies)

A new report has claimed that Russia can earn $13 billion annually by regulating cryptocurrency. Published by Moscow-based news outlet 'The Bell,' the report suggests that taxes should imposed on exchanges and intermediaries, as well as income from investments.

A new report has claimed that Russia can earn $13 billion annually by regulating cryptocurrency. Published by Moscow-based news outlet 'The Bell,' the report suggests that taxes should imposed on exchanges and intermediaries, as well as income from investments. A piece of similar advice was given by Finance Ministry official Ivan Chebeskov who said Russia should regulate the crypto market, not ban it. Also see | How much tax is imposed on cryptocurrency in different countries worldwide? President Vladimir Putin has asked Russian politicians and the central bank to reach consensus, following a clash over how much control is needed on cryptocurrencies as they gain traction in Russia. Russia has argued for years against cryptocurrencies, saying they could be used in money laundering or to finance terrorism. It eventually gave them legal status in 2020 but banned their use as a means of payment. The central bank last week said financial stability, citizens' wellbeing and its monetary policy sovereignty were all under threat. The bank proposed preventing financial institutions from carrying out any operations with cryptocurrencies and said mechanisms should be developed to block transactions aimed at buying or selling cryptocurrencies for fiat currencies. The central bank said it would work with regulators in countries where crypto exchanges are registered to collect information about the operations of Russian clients. It pointed to steps taken in other countries, such as China, to curb cryptocurrency activity. In September last year, China intensified its crackdown on cryptocurrencies with a blanket ban on all crypto transactions and mining, hitting bitcoin and other major coins and pressuring crypto and blockchain-related stocks. Kremlin had estimated the Russian cryptocurrency market at more than 16.5 trillion rubles ($214 billion), which is around 12 per cent of the total value of global crypto market capitalisation. Russia is the world's third-largest player in bitcoin mining, behind the United States and Kazakhstan, though the latter may see a miner exodus over fears of tightening regulation following unrest earlier this month. Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies are "mined" by powerful computers that compete against others hooked up to a global network to solve complex mathematical puzzles, a process that requires heavy use of electricity. This year, Russia plans to test a digital rouble to facilitate payments for individuals and businesses and try to make its currency more global in the face of Western sanctions. (With inputs from agencies)

How Russia can earn $13 billion annually by regulating cryptocurrency?

French President Emmanuel Macron on Tuesday said that steps could be taken to de-escalate the Ukraine crisis and suggested both sides to stay calm. Macron shuttled from Moscow to Kyiv in an attempt to mediate a settlement and avoid war.

Ukraine Crisis: Macron calls for calm, meets both countries' presidents

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

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

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

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

French President Emmanuel Macron is in Kyiv for talks with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, seeking a breakthrough in the East-West deadlock over Ukraine. Macron said that "My aim was to freeze the game, to prevent an escalation and open up new perspectives, this objective for me is fulfilled."

Emmanuel Macron says his objective 'was to freeze the game'

French President Emmanuel Macron met Russian Vladimir Putin in Moscow in an attempt to de-escalate the Ukraine standoff.

Ever since reports have come out that Russia has amassed over 100,000 troops near the Ukraine borders, hectic diplomatic parlays have been taking place to defuse the tense situation.

Even though the meeting took place in the backdrop of a war-like situation with the US and Russia exchanging warnings over the Ukraine crisis, an image of the two released by the state media certainly raised eyebrows of the netizens.

The image drew a lot of attention.&nbsp;Not because of the issues discussed during the meeting, rather the way they were seated left the twitteraits in splits.&nbsp;&nbsp;

The netizens couldn’t help but notice how far Macron was sitting over a gigantic table from Putin.

Soon, memes started to pour in on how two were “committed” to keep their distance.

&nbsp;

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Will Putin and Macron do face painting after? <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Ukraine?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Ukraine</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/pointless?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#pointless</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/lipservice?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#lipservice</a> <a href="https://t.co/hi9agrWzmZ">pic.twitter.com/hi9agrWzmZ</a>
— Tarquin (@Tarquin_Helmet) <a href="https://twitter.com/Tarquin_Helmet/status/1490792897599488002?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 7, 2022</a></blockquote>
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ये दूरियाँ… 
video call ही कर लेते 😐 <a href="https://t.co/1Xmvgs2GUm">pic.twitter.com/1Xmvgs2GUm</a>
— Palki Sharma (@palkisu) <a href="https://twitter.com/palkisu/status/1490788275929370629?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 7, 2022</a></blockquote>
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— Credo MacKenzie (@CredoMacKenzie) <a href="https://twitter.com/CredoMacKenzie/status/1490845637578874881?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 8, 2022</a></blockquote>
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Putin VS Macron... <a href="https://t.co/ZhXkBvmrTN">pic.twitter.com/ZhXkBvmrTN</a>
— Franjolittle (@Franjorodowski) <a href="https://twitter.com/Franjorodowski/status/1490793941163298817?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 7, 2022</a></blockquote>
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Macron flew into Moscow at the start of a week of&nbsp;intense Western diplomacy aimed at easing fears of a Russian invasion&nbsp;of its pro-Western neighbour.

Sitting across a long table from Putin at the Kremlin, Macron said he was in Moscow to address the "critical situation" in Europe.

Macron told reporters the coming days would be "decisive" and "require intensive discussions which we will pursue together".

(With inputs from agencies)

French President Emmanuel Macron met Russian Vladimir Putin in Moscow in an attempt to de-escalate the Ukraine standoff. Ever since reports have come out that Russia has amassed over 100,000 troops near the Ukraine borders, hectic diplomatic parlays have been taking place to defuse the tense situation.

French President Emmanuel Macron met Russian Vladimir Putin in Moscow in an attempt to de-escalate the Ukraine standoff. Ever since reports have come out that Russia has amassed over 100,000 troops near the Ukraine borders, hectic diplomatic parlays have been taking place to defuse the tense situation. Even though the meeting took place in the backdrop of a war-like situation with the US and Russia exchanging warnings over the Ukraine crisis, an image of the two released by the state media certainly raised eyebrows of the netizens. The image drew a lot of attention. Not because of the issues discussed during the meeting, rather the way they were seated left the twitteraits in splits. The netizens couldn’t help but notice how far Macron was sitting over a gigantic table from Putin. Soon, memes started to pour in on how two were “committed” to keep their distance. Will Putin and Macron do face painting after? #Ukraine #pointless #lipservice pic.twitter.com/hi9agrWzmZ — Tarquin (@Tarquin_Helmet) February 7, 2022 × ये दूरियाँ… video call ही कर लेते 😐 pic.twitter.com/1Xmvgs2GUm — Palki Sharma (@palkisu) February 7, 2022 × pic.twitter.com/6FVXFQ4prU — Ed Pogue 🖖🏻 (@Buttwasted) February 8, 2022 × pic.twitter.com/iCoaEdj53s — Credo MacKenzie (@CredoMacKenzie) February 8, 2022 × Putin VS Macron... pic.twitter.com/ZhXkBvmrTN — Franjolittle (@Franjorodowski) February 7, 2022 × Macron flew into Moscow at the start of a week of intense Western diplomacy aimed at easing fears of a Russian invasion of its pro-Western neighbour. Sitting across a long table from Putin at the Kremlin, Macron said he was in Moscow to address the "critical situation" in Europe. Macron told reporters the coming days would be "decisive" and "require intensive discussions which we will pursue together". (With inputs from agencies)

Putin-Macron meet, sitting across long table, triggers meme fest, netizens have a field day

French President Emmanuel Macron leads talks to dissuade Russia from invading Ukraine. Macron offers concrete ‘security guarantees’ to Moscow, details of which not yet known.

French President Emmanuel Macron offers concrete ‘security guarantees’ to Moscow

Russian President Vladimir Putin held talks with his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron in a bid to calm tensions over Ukraine. Macron told Putin that he seeks to avoid war and build trust.

Vladimir Putin holds talks with Emmanuel Macron for 5 hours in a bid to calm tensions over Ukraine

French President Emmanuel Macron is set to hold talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow in a bid to help de-escalate the tense situation around Ukraine.

French President Emmanuel Macron heads to Russia to try to ease Ukraine tensions

Imran Khan will be the first Pakistani prime&nbsp;minister in 23 years to embark on a bilateral visit to Russia, diplomatic sources in Pakistan have revealed. Khan's visit to Russia this month is taking place&nbsp;on the invitation of Russian President Vladimir Putin.

The visit, which is being looked at as a game changer owing to regional geo-strategic realignments, has greater optical significance. On the agenda of the visit would be bilateral ties, Afghanistan situation, including talks of defence cooperation and commitments to take forward the north-south gas pipeline of length of over 1100 kilometers. Setting up of the pipeline is aimed at facilitating transfer of imported gas from the port city of Karachi to the load center in Pakistani Punjab province.

The visit, which will be held in the second half of February 2022, will be closely watched out by other countries in the region. US President Joe Biden has not held a telephonic discussion with Pakistan PM Imran Khan after the former assumed office. In this light, Imran Khan's Russia visit will be looked at in a possible context of regional re-alignment on the part of the Pakistani government.

Last time an elected Pakistani prime minister visited Russia on a bilateral visit was in March 1999 during the tenure of former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif. In 2003, Pakistani military dictator Pervez Musharraf had visited Russia. In 2011, then Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari paid a visit to Russia.

In 2017, Pakistani Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan visited Sochi in Russia to attend a multilateral conference, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization Summit (SCO). The last formal bilateral meeting between a Pakistani prime minister and Russian president was held between former Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and Russian President Vladimir Putin on the sidelines of the SCO summit in Astana, Kazakhstan in June 2017.

Since then, there have been multiple informal pull-aside meetings between Russian president and Pakistani prime minister at different forums. The two were scheduled to meet on the sidelines of the SCO summit last year in Tajikistan but the meeting was called off due to Covid-19 outbreak in President Putin’s inner circle.&nbsp;

The two have exchanged multiple telephone calls in recent times as well. The Pakistani prime minister will be accompanied by a high-level delegation of senior ministers from his cabinet. Sources say that details of this visit will be released in due course of time by the Pakistani Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Relations between Pakistan and Russia in the past had not been at an ideal level following the country’s involvement in collapse of the USSR.&nbsp;However,&nbsp;a new dimension of the relationship was seen when the former Pakistani Army chief General Raheel Sharif visited Russia in 2015 and laid another foundation of military diplomacy that eventually lead to be being converted in exchanges of formal diplomatic contacts and high-level visits, including one by the Pakistani National Security Advisor Moeed Yusuf in December last year. The Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov too visited Pakistan in April 2021.

Imran Khan will be the first Pakistani prime minister in 23 years to embark on a bilateral visit to Russia, diplomatic sources in Pakistan have revealed. Khan's visit to Russia this month is taking place on the invitation of Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Imran Khan will be the first Pakistani prime minister in 23 years to embark on a bilateral visit to Russia, diplomatic sources in Pakistan have revealed. Khan's visit to Russia this month is taking place on the invitation of Russian President Vladimir Putin. The visit, which is being looked at as a game changer owing to regional geo-strategic realignments, has greater optical significance. On the agenda of the visit would be bilateral ties, Afghanistan situation, including talks of defence cooperation and commitments to take forward the north-south gas pipeline of length of over 1100 kilometers. Setting up of the pipeline is aimed at facilitating transfer of imported gas from the port city of Karachi to the load center in Pakistani Punjab province. The visit, which will be held in the second half of February 2022, will be closely watched out by other countries in the region. US President Joe Biden has not held a telephonic discussion with Pakistan PM Imran Khan after the former assumed office. In this light, Imran Khan's Russia visit will be looked at in a possible context of regional re-alignment on the part of the Pakistani government. Last time an elected Pakistani prime minister visited Russia on a bilateral visit was in March 1999 during the tenure of former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif. In 2003, Pakistani military dictator Pervez Musharraf had visited Russia. In 2011, then Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari paid a visit to Russia. In 2017, Pakistani Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan visited Sochi in Russia to attend a multilateral conference, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization Summit (SCO). The last formal bilateral meeting between a Pakistani prime minister and Russian president was held between former Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and Russian President Vladimir Putin on the sidelines of the SCO summit in Astana, Kazakhstan in June 2017. Since then, there have been multiple informal pull-aside meetings between Russian president and Pakistani prime minister at different forums. The two were scheduled to meet on the sidelines of the SCO summit last year in Tajikistan but the meeting was called off due to Covid-19 outbreak in President Putin’s inner circle. The two have exchanged multiple telephone calls in recent times as well. The Pakistani prime minister will be accompanied by a high-level delegation of senior ministers from his cabinet. Sources say that details of this visit will be released in due course of time by the Pakistani Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Relations between Pakistan and Russia in the past had not been at an ideal level following the country’s involvement in collapse of the USSR. However, a new dimension of the relationship was seen when the former Pakistani Army chief General Raheel Sharif visited Russia in 2015 and laid another foundation of military diplomacy that eventually lead to be being converted in exchanges of formal diplomatic contacts and high-level visits, including one by the Pakistani National Security Advisor Moeed Yusuf in December last year. The Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov too visited Pakistan in April 2021.

In first bilateral visit by a Pak PM, Imran Khan to go to Russia this month

Senior Biden administration officials told lawmakers this past week that they believed the Russian military had assembled 70% of the forces it would need to mount a full invasion of Ukraine, painting the most ominous picture yet of the options that Russia’s president, Vladimir Putin, has created for himself in recent weeks.

During six hours of closed meetings with House and Senate lawmakers Thursday, the officials warned that if Putin chose the most aggressive of his options, he could quickly surround or capture Kyiv, the capital, and remove the country’s democratically elected president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy. They also warned that the invasion could prompt an enormous refugee crisis on the European continent, sending millions fleeing.

The officials stressed that U.S. intelligence analysts still did not assess that Putin had made a final decision to invade. But satellite imagery, communications among Russian forces and images of Russian equipment on the move show that he has assembled everything he would need to undertake what the officials said would constitute the largest military operation on land in Europe since 1945.

They also warned of enormous possible human costs if Putin went ahead with a full invasion, including the potential deaths of 25,000 to 50,000 civilians, 5,000 to 25,000 members of the Ukrainian military and 3,000 to 10,000 members of the Russian military. The invasion, they said, could also result in 1 million to 5 million refugees, with many of them pouring into Poland.

Should Putin decide to invade, U.S. officials believe he is not likely to move until the second half of February. By that point, more ground will have frozen, making it easier to move heavy vehicles and equipment, and the Winter Olympics in Beijing will have ended or be winding down, which could help Putin avoid antagonizing President Xi Jinping of China, a critical ally for the Russian president.

The grim briefings were the latest salvo in weeks of grave messaging from the Biden administration about Putin’s plans. On the same day as the briefings, the administration also publicly warned that Russia may try to stage a false-flag operation suggesting that Russian-speaking populations are being attacked, which could create a pretext for an overt military operation. The drumbeat of warnings is part of a concerted campaign by the administration to expose Putin’s maneuvers in an attempt to build international pressure on him and make clear to him the risks to Russia of escalating the situation further.

Whether Putin decides to go through with a maximalist approach or a more scaled-down version is the question with which American, European and Ukrainian officials are all grappling.

For example, European officials, examining the same evidence, suggest that Putin could start smaller and test the reaction — with cyberattacks to paralyze Ukraine’s electric grid and communications, an invasion limited to the Russian-speaking territory in eastern Ukraine or an effort to cut the country in half, roughly along the Dnieper River. U.S. officials have acknowledged the possibility, especially if Putin wants to see if a smaller military action would create more divisions within Europe over whether to impose the most crushing economic sanctions.

Western intelligence officials also say they have picked up chatter suggesting Russian military leaders are confident they could take Ukraine in a blitzkrieg attack, but worry that they may not be able to hold on to the country, especially if the invasion sets off a significant insurgency. That has prompted speculation inside the NATO alliance that Putin might invade, seek to change the Ukrainian government and then partly withdraw his forces.

The briefings to Congress on Thursday were led by Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin; Secretary of State Antony Blinken; Avril Haines, director of national intelligence; and Gen. Mark Milley, chair of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

The U.S. officials described to lawmakers five options that Putin could take, depending on the scope of his ambitions and his calculations about whether he would rather try to take the whole country quickly, no matter the human and economic cost to Russia, or attack it in pieces, in hopes of dividing Europe and NATO allies.

The options include a coup that would depose Zelenskyy; a limited incursion into eastern Ukraine similar to what Putin did when he annexed Crimea in 2014; an incursion into the Donbas region in eastern Ukraine accompanied by a Russian declaration of Donbas as an independent republic; or a Donbas incursion followed by an invasion and annexation of all of the eastern part of the country.

The worst-case assessment is that Putin is preparing to take the entire country — the scenario that would most likely produce the greatest casualties and, presumably, prompt the harshest sanctions from the United States and Europe.

Putin, Milley told lawmakers, is putting in the “military capability to do any and all, building himself a set of options.”

The unclassified parts of the briefings to lawmakers were described to The New York Times by officials in the room, who spoke on the condition of anonymity. Diplomats and intelligence officials from three other countries involved in seeking to deter a Russian invasion confirmed the broad outlines of the status of Russian forces, although they disagreed about the importance of certain elements.

After hearing from administration officials, Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., told reporters that a Russian invasion was a “near certainty.” He added that “if we now live in an era where someone can move into a country and just take it over and claim it as their own, I don’t think it’s going to stop at Ukraine,” echoing the fear that Putin may be trying to redraw the map of the continent to return to the days of the Soviet Union.

Increased planning in Russia’s military apparatus began last fall, Biden administration officials told lawmakers. The expansiveness of the effort alarmed intelligence analysts, who assessed that Putin had concluded that he would need some 150,000 troops from 110 battalion tactical groups to conquer Ukraine, which the Russian president views as a part of Russia.

The officials said that, as of this past week, Putin had amassed about 70% of the forces he would need to pull off a large-scale invasion to take the entire country, with more than 110,000 troops at the border with Ukraine from 83 battalion tactical groups. Some 14 additional groups were in transit to the border, the officials said.

They said Russian troops had been positioned in a manner that suggested a pincer movement, in which Russia would invade the country from three sides. Thirty thousand troops, according to U.S. and NATO estimates, are now in Belarus, which borders Ukraine to the north.

Ballistic missiles in Belarus, and to the east inside Russian territory, have captured British and Ukrainian attention in recent days. The Iskander-M missiles are mounted on mobile launchers, meaning they can be rolled closer to the border in short order, and they have a range of about 300 miles. That suggests that Putin, if he chose, could begin attacking cities and military emplacements before he moved any troops over the border.

Austin and Milley described to lawmakers a bristling array of additional Russian military assets that have encircled Ukraine. They include 11 amphibious assault ships, in the Black Sea and in the Mediterranean, with the capacity to carry five battalions of Russian marines who could land in Ukraine from the south, the officials said. In addition, Putin has deployed a number of submarines to the Black Sea, the defense officials told lawmakers.

Putin has also deployed Special Operations forces — about 1,500 troops — near and even inside the Ukrainian border, the officials told lawmakers. Those troops, they said, work closely with the Russian military intelligence agency, the GRU, which has in the past directed cyber and other attacks on foes.

European officials tend to be more skeptical that Putin would try to take the country in a large-scale invasion. Some believe that he would seek to take the Donbas region of eastern Ukraine, where a grinding proxy war has been underway since 2014.

Another theory is that Putin could expand that operation in an effort to annex all of eastern Ukraine, up to the Dnieper River. Along the way he could try to decimate Ukrainian troops in that part of the country, roughly half of the Ukrainian military. That could incite panic in the western part of Ukraine — where resistance to Russia might be highest — and prompt people to flee the country. Over time, that could lead top government officials to flee or to try to rule from exile.

U.S. and European officials have made clear that a physical attack over the borders of Ukraine would lead to enormous sanctions on Russia’s banks, trade restrictions on semiconductors and other high-tech items and the freezing of the accounts of Russian oligarchs and leaders. But there is far less unanimity, as President Joe Biden himself has acknowledged, about how to respond to a “minor incursion.” Or even what a minor incursion might be.

European and U.S. officials worry that Putin might try to stage a coup in Kyiv. Another possibility is a cyberattack devised by Russia that tries to bring down parts or all of Ukraine’s electric and communications infrastructure, similar to the 2015 and 2016 attacks on parts of the country’s electric grid.

European officials say it is unclear how the Western allies would respond to such an attack. If they believed that the cyberoperations were a face-saving way for Putin to act and then retreat, they note, there might be a temptation to de-escalate and not seek to impose major sanctions, especially if there were few human casualties. On the other hand, a cyberattack could be a prelude to a full invasion, essentially cutting off Ukraine’s ability to communicate or track where Russian forces were coming from.

Senior Biden administration officials told lawmakers this past week that they believed the Russian military had assembled 70% of the forces it would need to mount a full invasion of Ukraine, painting the most ominous picture yet of the options that Russia’s president, Vladimir Putin, has created for himself in recent weeks.

Senior Biden administration officials told lawmakers this past week that they believed the Russian military had assembled 70% of the forces it would need to mount a full invasion of Ukraine, painting the most ominous picture yet of the options that Russia’s president, Vladimir Putin, has created for himself in recent weeks. During six hours of closed meetings with House and Senate lawmakers Thursday, the officials warned that if Putin chose the most aggressive of his options, he could quickly surround or capture Kyiv, the capital, and remove the country’s democratically elected president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy. They also warned that the invasion could prompt an enormous refugee crisis on the European continent, sending millions fleeing. The officials stressed that U.S. intelligence analysts still did not assess that Putin had made a final decision to invade. But satellite imagery, communications among Russian forces and images of Russian equipment on the move show that he has assembled everything he would need to undertake what the officials said would constitute the largest military operation on land in Europe since 1945. They also warned of enormous possible human costs if Putin went ahead with a full invasion, including the potential deaths of 25,000 to 50,000 civilians, 5,000 to 25,000 members of the Ukrainian military and 3,000 to 10,000 members of the Russian military. The invasion, they said, could also result in 1 million to 5 million refugees, with many of them pouring into Poland. Should Putin decide to invade, U.S. officials believe he is not likely to move until the second half of February. By that point, more ground will have frozen, making it easier to move heavy vehicles and equipment, and the Winter Olympics in Beijing will have ended or be winding down, which could help Putin avoid antagonizing President Xi Jinping of China, a critical ally for the Russian president. The grim briefings were the latest salvo in weeks of grave messaging from the Biden administration about Putin’s plans. On the same day as the briefings, the administration also publicly warned that Russia may try to stage a false-flag operation suggesting that Russian-speaking populations are being attacked, which could create a pretext for an overt military operation. The drumbeat of warnings is part of a concerted campaign by the administration to expose Putin’s maneuvers in an attempt to build international pressure on him and make clear to him the risks to Russia of escalating the situation further. Whether Putin decides to go through with a maximalist approach or a more scaled-down version is the question with which American, European and Ukrainian officials are all grappling. For example, European officials, examining the same evidence, suggest that Putin could start smaller and test the reaction — with cyberattacks to paralyze Ukraine’s electric grid and communications, an invasion limited to the Russian-speaking territory in eastern Ukraine or an effort to cut the country in half, roughly along the Dnieper River. U.S. officials have acknowledged the possibility, especially if Putin wants to see if a smaller military action would create more divisions within Europe over whether to impose the most crushing economic sanctions. Western intelligence officials also say they have picked up chatter suggesting Russian military leaders are confident they could take Ukraine in a blitzkrieg attack, but worry that they may not be able to hold on to the country, especially if the invasion sets off a significant insurgency. That has prompted speculation inside the NATO alliance that Putin might invade, seek to change the Ukrainian government and then partly withdraw his forces. The briefings to Congress on Thursday were led by Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin; Secretary of State Antony Blinken; Avril Haines, director of national intelligence; and Gen. Mark Milley, chair of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. The U.S. officials described to lawmakers five options that Putin could take, depending on the scope of his ambitions and his calculations about whether he would rather try to take the whole country quickly, no matter the human and economic cost to Russia, or attack it in pieces, in hopes of dividing Europe and NATO allies. The options include a coup that would depose Zelenskyy; a limited incursion into eastern Ukraine similar to what Putin did when he annexed Crimea in 2014; an incursion into the Donbas region in eastern Ukraine accompanied by a Russian declaration of Donbas as an independent republic; or a Donbas incursion followed by an invasion and annexation of all of the eastern part of the country. The worst-case assessment is that Putin is preparing to take the entire country — the scenario that would most likely produce the greatest casualties and, presumably, prompt the harshest sanctions from the United States and Europe. Putin, Milley told lawmakers, is putting in the “military capability to do any and all, building himself a set of options.” The unclassified parts of the briefings to lawmakers were described to The New York Times by officials in the room, who spoke on the condition of anonymity. Diplomats and intelligence officials from three other countries involved in seeking to deter a Russian invasion confirmed the broad outlines of the status of Russian forces, although they disagreed about the importance of certain elements. After hearing from administration officials, Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., told reporters that a Russian invasion was a “near certainty.” He added that “if we now live in an era where someone can move into a country and just take it over and claim it as their own, I don’t think it’s going to stop at Ukraine,” echoing the fear that Putin may be trying to redraw the map of the continent to return to the days of the Soviet Union. Increased planning in Russia’s military apparatus began last fall, Biden administration officials told lawmakers. The expansiveness of the effort alarmed intelligence analysts, who assessed that Putin had concluded that he would need some 150,000 troops from 110 battalion tactical groups to conquer Ukraine, which the Russian president views as a part of Russia. The officials said that, as of this past week, Putin had amassed about 70% of the forces he would need to pull off a large-scale invasion to take the entire country, with more than 110,000 troops at the border with Ukraine from 83 battalion tactical groups. Some 14 additional groups were in transit to the border, the officials said. They said Russian troops had been positioned in a manner that suggested a pincer movement, in which Russia would invade the country from three sides. Thirty thousand troops, according to U.S. and NATO estimates, are now in Belarus, which borders Ukraine to the north. Ballistic missiles in Belarus, and to the east inside Russian territory, have captured British and Ukrainian attention in recent days. The Iskander-M missiles are mounted on mobile launchers, meaning they can be rolled closer to the border in short order, and they have a range of about 300 miles. That suggests that Putin, if he chose, could begin attacking cities and military emplacements before he moved any troops over the border. Austin and Milley described to lawmakers a bristling array of additional Russian military assets that have encircled Ukraine. They include 11 amphibious assault ships, in the Black Sea and in the Mediterranean, with the capacity to carry five battalions of Russian marines who could land in Ukraine from the south, the officials said. In addition, Putin has deployed a number of submarines to the Black Sea, the defense officials told lawmakers. Putin has also deployed Special Operations forces — about 1,500 troops — near and even inside the Ukrainian border, the officials told lawmakers. Those troops, they said, work closely with the Russian military intelligence agency, the GRU, which has in the past directed cyber and other attacks on foes. European officials tend to be more skeptical that Putin would try to take the country in a large-scale invasion. Some believe that he would seek to take the Donbas region of eastern Ukraine, where a grinding proxy war has been underway since 2014. Another theory is that Putin could expand that operation in an effort to annex all of eastern Ukraine, up to the Dnieper River. Along the way he could try to decimate Ukrainian troops in that part of the country, roughly half of the Ukrainian military. That could incite panic in the western part of Ukraine — where resistance to Russia might be highest — and prompt people to flee the country. Over time, that could lead top government officials to flee or to try to rule from exile. U.S. and European officials have made clear that a physical attack over the borders of Ukraine would lead to enormous sanctions on Russia’s banks, trade restrictions on semiconductors and other high-tech items and the freezing of the accounts of Russian oligarchs and leaders. But there is far less unanimity, as President Joe Biden himself has acknowledged, about how to respond to a “minor incursion.” Or even what a minor incursion might be. European and U.S. officials worry that Putin might try to stage a coup in Kyiv. Another possibility is a cyberattack devised by Russia that tries to bring down parts or all of Ukraine’s electric and communications infrastructure, similar to the 2015 and 2016 attacks on parts of the country’s electric grid. European officials say it is unclear how the Western allies would respond to such an attack. If they believed that the cyberoperations were a face-saving way for Putin to act and then retreat, they note, there might be a temptation to de-escalate and not seek to impose major sanctions, especially if there were few human casualties. On the other hand, a cyberattack could be a prelude to a full invasion, essentially cutting off Ukraine’s ability to communicate or track where Russian forces were coming from.

US warns of grim toll if Putin pursues full invasion of Ukraine

While China spent billions to showcase its power and Beijing's return to the global stage after the pandemic, the tensions in Ukraine have overshadowed the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics. Watch this report by Palki Sharma from Kyiv.

Ukraine crisis overshadows the Beijing Winter Olympics

Russian President Vladimir Putin met Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing. US has warned Ukraine of a false flag attack. Turkey has proposed to host a Russia, Ukraine summit. Palki Sharma brings you the latest on Ukraine crisis direct from Kyiv.

Gravitas: Ukraine, Russia crisis: Putin, Xi send joint message to NATO

Russian President Vladimir Putin appeared to fall asleep when a contingent of Ukraine athletes made their way into the Bird’s Nest Stadium in Beijing during the opening ceremony of the games on Friday.

With more than 100,000 troops reportedly stationed near the Ukrainian borders, Putin attended the opening ceremony even as many western nations announced diplomatic boycott over human rights in Xinjian province, clampdown on democracy in Hong Kong and Covid origins.

Putin, who wasn’t wearing any masks while being seated in the VIP area, was seen closing his eyes and sitting with his arms folded as the team from Russia’s neighbour entered the arena.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/example-of-dignified-relationship-ahead-of-winter-olympic-ceremony-putin-meets-xi-in-beijing-450383">Also read | 'Example of dignified relationship': Ahead of Winter Olympic ceremony, Putin meets Xi in Beijing</a>

However, he was soon wide awake by the time the Russian Olympic Committee arrived. Putin even waved and gestured to the Russian athletes as they marched around the stadium.

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Putin fell asleep during the opening ceremony of the Olympics. <a href="https://t.co/Eplkr6QThd">pic.twitter.com/Eplkr6QThd</a>
— MRCTV (@mrctv) <a href="https://twitter.com/mrctv/status/1489585499253755907?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 4, 2022</a></blockquote>
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Russian athletes have been banned for from participating in the Olympics from 2019 on doping charges.

As a result, Russian athletes are competing as the Russian Olympic Committee. Which means that the athletes cannot use their flag or national anthem played during the games.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/russia-recognises-taiwan-as-part-of-china-opposes-islands-independence-450437" hreflang="en">Russia recognises Taiwan as part of China, opposes island's independence</a>

Earlier in the day, Putin met China’s leader Xi Jinping, and signed a joint statement that called on NATO to rule out expansion in eastern Europe, denounced the formation of security blocs in the&nbsp;Asia Pacific&nbsp;region, and criticised the AUKUS trilateral security pact between the US, UK and Australia.

The two countries also pledged to step up cooperation to thwart “colour revolutions” and external interference and vowed to further deepen “back-to-back” strategic coordination.

(With inputs from agencies)

Russian President Vladimir Putin appeared to fall asleep when a contingent of Ukraine athletes made their way into the Bird’s Nest Stadium in Beijing during the opening ceremony of the games on Friday.

Russian President Vladimir Putin appeared to fall asleep when a contingent of Ukraine athletes made their way into the Bird’s Nest Stadium in Beijing during the opening ceremony of the games on Friday. With more than 100,000 troops reportedly stationed near the Ukrainian borders, Putin attended the opening ceremony even as many western nations announced diplomatic boycott over human rights in Xinjian province, clampdown on democracy in Hong Kong and Covid origins. Putin, who wasn’t wearing any masks while being seated in the VIP area, was seen closing his eyes and sitting with his arms folded as the team from Russia’s neighbour entered the arena. Also read | 'Example of dignified relationship': Ahead of Winter Olympic ceremony, Putin meets Xi in Beijing However, he was soon wide awake by the time the Russian Olympic Committee arrived. Putin even waved and gestured to the Russian athletes as they marched around the stadium. Putin fell asleep during the opening ceremony of the Olympics. pic.twitter.com/Eplkr6QThd — MRCTV (@mrctv) February 4, 2022 × Russian athletes have been banned for from participating in the Olympics from 2019 on doping charges. As a result, Russian athletes are competing as the Russian Olympic Committee. Which means that the athletes cannot use their flag or national anthem played during the games. Also read | Russia recognises Taiwan as part of China, opposes island's independence Earlier in the day, Putin met China’s leader Xi Jinping, and signed a joint statement that called on NATO to rule out expansion in eastern Europe, denounced the formation of security blocs in the Asia Pacific region, and criticised the AUKUS trilateral security pact between the US, UK and Australia. The two countries also pledged to step up cooperation to thwart “colour revolutions” and external interference and vowed to further deepen “back-to-back” strategic coordination. (With inputs from agencies)

Putin falls asleep as Ukraine athletes enter Beijing stadium during Olympics opening ceremony

China and Russia put up a united front as Ukraine war threat hangs over the 2022 Beijing Winter Games opening. Will Vladimir Putin burst Xi Jinping's Olympic dream? Palki Sharma brings you more perspective from Kyiv.

Ukraine war threat hangs over the Beijing winter games opening

Joe Biden is deploying 3,000 soldiers to Europe as Russia prepares for a massive military drill with Belarus. Will Putin use the drills to mount an invasion? Is the window for diplomacy shrinking? Molly Gambhir tells you.

Gravitas: US deploys 3,000 soldiers to Europe

President Vladimir Putin hailed the relationship between China and Russia as he met with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping ahead of the opening ceremony of the Beijing Winter Olympics 2022.

Putin-Xi Meet in Beijing: Russian President hails close ties with China

US President Joe Biden has approved sending additional forces to Eastern Europe amid the ongoing fear of Russian invasion of Ukraine. The Moscow has denounced the step as “destructive”.

US troop deployment to Eastern Europe a destructive step, says Russia

Russian President Vladimir Putin has said the West has ignored Moscow's key security requests amid tensions over Ukraine's possible membership in NATO.

NATO yet to adequately address Russia's security demands, says Vladimir Putin

Fears of an imminent Russian incursion in Ukraine have grown in recent days and as tensions continue to rise, Russian President Vladimir Putin and his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron held a telephonic call to discuss the Ukraine border situation and concerns over security in Europe.&nbsp;

In a statement, Kremlin said, "The leaders expressed their views on the situation regarding Ukraine as well as issues related to providing Russia with long-term and legally-binding security guarantees."&nbsp;

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/russia-will-face-swift-and-severe-consequences-biden-to-putin-at-unsc-over-ukraine-449332">Russia will 'face swift and severe consequences': Biden to Putin at UNSC over Ukraine</a>

The French presidency said that the telephonic conversation was part of Macron's efforts to de-escalate tensions both the leaders welcomed "positive progress" following talks between Russian, French, German and Ukrainian representatives.&nbsp;

They have also supported further dialogue to implement Ukraine ceasefire agreements brokered in 2015 and the Kremlin added that both the leader have discussed the possibility of a face-to-face meeting.&nbsp;

Amid a war-like situation, Macron reaffirmed France's solidarity with Ukraine in a phone call on Friday with President Volodymyr Zelensky.&nbsp;

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/unsc-session-on-ukraine-crisis-who-said-what-449326">UNSC session on Ukraine crisis: Who said what</a>

However, he has been vouching for diplomatic ways of solving the highly sensitive border crisis, that will have its impact across Europe.&nbsp;

Macron has reiterated his determination to preserve Ukraine's territorial integrity and sovereignty but in an earlier phone call, Macron and Putin had agreed on the need to "de-escalate" the situation.&nbsp;

A couple of days ago, Zelensky had urged the Western countries to remain "vigilant" and "firm" in talks. After his phone call with Macron late on Friday that intensive international negotiations reduced "the chance of escalation" in Kyiv's stand-off with Moscow.&nbsp;

In one of his tweets, he had said, "As long as conditions are conducive, we must meet &amp; talk."&nbsp;

Western countries, especially the United States accused Russia of amassing thousands of troops, however, Russia's UN ambassador recently said there was "no proof" Moscow was planning military action and that Russia had never confirmed the West's assertion that it had amassed 100,000 troops near its neighbour.&nbsp;

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Fears of an imminent Russian incursion in Ukraine have grown in recent days and as tensions continue to rise, Russian President Vladimir Putin and his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron held a telephonic call to discuss the Ukraine border situation and concerns over security in Europe.

Fears of an imminent Russian incursion in Ukraine have grown in recent days and as tensions continue to rise, Russian President Vladimir Putin and his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron held a telephonic call to discuss the Ukraine border situation and concerns over security in Europe. In a statement, Kremlin said, "The leaders expressed their views on the situation regarding Ukraine as well as issues related to providing Russia with long-term and legally-binding security guarantees." ALSO READ | Russia will 'face swift and severe consequences': Biden to Putin at UNSC over Ukraine The French presidency said that the telephonic conversation was part of Macron's efforts to de-escalate tensions both the leaders welcomed "positive progress" following talks between Russian, French, German and Ukrainian representatives. They have also supported further dialogue to implement Ukraine ceasefire agreements brokered in 2015 and the Kremlin added that both the leader have discussed the possibility of a face-to-face meeting. Amid a war-like situation, Macron reaffirmed France's solidarity with Ukraine in a phone call on Friday with President Volodymyr Zelensky. ALSO READ | UNSC session on Ukraine crisis: Who said what However, he has been vouching for diplomatic ways of solving the highly sensitive border crisis, that will have its impact across Europe. Macron has reiterated his determination to preserve Ukraine's territorial integrity and sovereignty but in an earlier phone call, Macron and Putin had agreed on the need to "de-escalate" the situation. A couple of days ago, Zelensky had urged the Western countries to remain "vigilant" and "firm" in talks. After his phone call with Macron late on Friday that intensive international negotiations reduced "the chance of escalation" in Kyiv's stand-off with Moscow. In one of his tweets, he had said, "As long as conditions are conducive, we must meet & talk." Western countries, especially the United States accused Russia of amassing thousands of troops, however, Russia's UN ambassador recently said there was "no proof" Moscow was planning military action and that Russia had never confirmed the West's assertion that it had amassed 100,000 troops near its neighbour. ×

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No bilateral meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan will be taking place next week in Beijing.

Both leaders will be in the city for the start of the Winter Olympics, diplomatically boycotted by the West. Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov to Russia's TASS said, "I would like to reiterate that there are no bilateral meetings on President Putin’s schedule, except for full-scale talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping". President Putin will be in China on February 4 and also hold summit-level talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping.&nbsp;

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/pakistan-pm-says-inflation-keeps-him-awake-at-night-slams-opposition-for-trying-to-destabilise-his-govt-447065" hreflang="en">Pakistan PM slams opposition for trying to destabilise his government</a>

The controversial mega sporting event in China will see many world leaders attending the opening. Leaders of all 5 Central Asian countries, Monaco, Papua New Guinea, Mongolia, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, UAE are among the world leaders to attend the opening of the Beijing Winter Olympics.

According to Pakistani sources, both sides were quite keen that the meeting happens in China but owing to covid-19 protocols and restrictions, the in-person meeting is not being held. Peskov as quoted by Tass said&nbsp;"Ceremony’s organizers have to impose a number of severe restrictions both on athletes and guests, including officials", explaining, "so the Russian president’s schedule for the Beijing trip does not include any bilateral meetings for obvious reasons".

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/supporting-taiwans-independence-can-lead-to-military-conflict-between-us-and-china-qin-gang-448720">China’s ambassador to US warns of possible military conflict over Taiwan</a>

Earlier this month Pakistani PM had spoken to the Russian President. According to the Kremlin readout, "the discussion focused on the development of Russian-Pakistani ties in different areas, including trade, the economy, energy, and the humanitarian sphere, as well as combatting the spread of the coronavirus infection."

This is the second time plans for a bilateral has not come to fruition. Imran Khan and Vladimir Putin were to meet at the sidelines of the SCO Summit in Dushanbe in September 2021 but the meeting could not take place in person because the Russian President pulled out of the summit last minute following a COVID-19 case outbreak in his inner circle.

No bilateral meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan will be taking place next week in Beijing. Both leaders will be in the city for the start of the Winter Olympics, diplomatically boycotted by the West.

No bilateral meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan will be taking place next week in Beijing. Both leaders will be in the city for the start of the Winter Olympics, diplomatically boycotted by the West. Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov to Russia's TASS said, "I would like to reiterate that there are no bilateral meetings on President Putin’s schedule, except for full-scale talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping". President Putin will be in China on February 4 and also hold summit-level talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping. Also read | Pakistan PM slams opposition for trying to destabilise his government The controversial mega sporting event in China will see many world leaders attending the opening. Leaders of all 5 Central Asian countries, Monaco, Papua New Guinea, Mongolia, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, UAE are among the world leaders to attend the opening of the Beijing Winter Olympics. According to Pakistani sources, both sides were quite keen that the meeting happens in China but owing to covid-19 protocols and restrictions, the in-person meeting is not being held. Peskov as quoted by Tass said "Ceremony’s organizers have to impose a number of severe restrictions both on athletes and guests, including officials", explaining, "so the Russian president’s schedule for the Beijing trip does not include any bilateral meetings for obvious reasons". Also read | China’s ambassador to US warns of possible military conflict over Taiwan Earlier this month Pakistani PM had spoken to the Russian President. According to the Kremlin readout, "the discussion focused on the development of Russian-Pakistani ties in different areas, including trade, the economy, energy, and the humanitarian sphere, as well as combatting the spread of the coronavirus infection." This is the second time plans for a bilateral has not come to fruition. Imran Khan and Vladimir Putin were to meet at the sidelines of the SCO Summit in Dushanbe in September 2021 but the meeting could not take place in person because the Russian President pulled out of the summit last minute following a COVID-19 case outbreak in his inner circle.

No Putin-Imran Khan bilateral meeting in Beijing

Vladimir Putin has two options: Risk massive casualties by attacking Ukraine or announce a humiliating retreat. How did Putin squander his early advantage in the military stand-off? Did the president overplay his hand? Palki Sharma tells you.

Gravitas: Has Putin overplayed his hand?

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