Russia Ukraine News: Soldiers from the US Army’s 82nd Airborne Division walk out at dusk to a transport plane bound for Europe, at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, US. They are among soldiers the Department of Defense is sending in a demonstration of American commitment to NATO allies worried at the prospect of Russia invading Ukraine. (Reuters photo)Ukraine Crisis Live: Amid reports that Kremlin is pulling back some troops from the border, NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg on Tuesday said there was “cautious optimism” over Russia signals on Ukraine, but no sign of de-escalation. “So far, we have not seen any de-escalation on the ground, not seen any signs of reduced Russian military presence on the borders of Ukraine, but we will continue to monitor. Everything is now in place for a new attack but Russia still has time to step back from the brink: stop preparing for war and start preparing for a peaceful solution,” NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg told reporters, the Guardian reported.
Earlier, Russia’s defence ministry spokesperson on Tuesday said the country was pulling back some of its forces near the Ukrainian border to their bases. The Kremlin has also confirmed that troops are being pulled back, news agency AFP reported. Moscow had massed well over 1,30,000 troops near the Ukrainian borders.
Meanwhile, the Indian embassy in Kyiv issued a statement Tuesday asking citizens whose stay in Ukraine is non-essential to consider leaving the country “temporarily”. It said that the embassy will continue to function normally.
Members of Ukraine's Territorial Defense Forces, volunteer military units of the Armed Forces, train in a city park in Kyiv, Ukraine, January 22, 2022. (AP)
Russian President Vladimir Putin said Tuesday that Moscow is ready for talks with the U.S. and NATO on limits for missile deployments and military transparency, in a new sign of easing East-West tensions. The statement came after Russia announced it is pulling back some troops from exercises that have raised fears of a potential invasion of Ukraine.
Speaking after talks with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, Putin said the U.S. and NATO rejected Moscow’s demand to keep Ukraine and other ex-Soviet nations out of NATO, halt weapons deployments near Russian borders and roll back alliance forces from Eastern Europe.
But the U.S. and NATO have agreed to discuss a range of security measures that Russia had previously proposed.
Putin said Russia is ready to engage in talks on limiting the deployment of intermediate range missiles in Europe, transparency of drills and other confidence-building measures but emphasized the need for the West to heed Russia’s main demands. (AP)
UK PM Boris Johnson says, “There are signs of a diplomatic opening with Russia, but the intelligence we are seeing today is not encouraging. We have a tough package of sanctions ready if Russia chooses war. We maintain that diplomacy and de-escalation is the only way forward.”
Here are some pictures which capture the tense moments of the Russia-Ukraine crisis. See full gallery here.
Russia's lower house of parliament voted on Tuesday to ask President Vladimir Putin to recognise two Russian-backed breakaway regions in eastern Ukraine as independent, the house speaker said.
The move by the State Duma, if approved, could further inflame a wider standoff over a Russian military build-up near Ukraine that has fuelled Western fears that Moscow could attack. Russia denies any invasion plans and has accused the West of hysteria. Recognition of the self-declared Donetsk and Luhansk People's Republics could kill off the Minsk peace process in east Ukraine, where a conflict between government forces and Moscow-backed separatists has killed 15,000 people.
"Kyiv is not observing the Minsk agreements. Our citizens and compatriots who live in Donbass need our help and support," Vyacheslav Volodin, the State Duma speaker, wrote on social media. (Reuters)
NATO's chief on Tuesday welcomed signals that Russia may be looking for a diplomatic solution amid a military build-up on Ukraine's border but urged Moscow to demonstrate its will to act.
'There are signs from Moscow that diplomacy should continue. This gives grounds for cautious optimism. But so far we have not seen any sign of de-escalation on the ground from the Russian side', NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg told reporters ahead of a two-day meeting of the alliance's defence ministers in Brussels.
'Russia has amassed a fighting force in and around Ukraine unprecedented since the cold war. Everything is now in place for a new attack. But Russia still has time to step back from the brink, stop preparing for war and start working for a peaceful solution', Stoltenberg said, calling the current situation the 'most serious security crisis we have faced in Europe for decades'. (Reuters)
NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg warned Moscow on Tuesday against recognising the self-declared Donetsk and Luhansk People's Republics in eastern Ukraine.
"If that happens, that will be a blatant violation of Ukraine's territorial integrity and sovereignty once again, because there is no doubt that Donetsk and Luhansk are part of Ukraine within internationally recognised borders," Stoltenberg told reporters in Brussels.
"So such a recognition would be a violation of international law and territorial integrity and sovereignty of Ukraine. Not only that, it will also be a violation of the Minsk agreements, so it will make it even harder to find a political solution based on the Minsk agreements", he added. Russia's lower house of parliament had voted on Tuesday to ask President Vladimir Putin to recognise two Russian-backed breakaway regions in eastern Ukraine as independent, the house speaker said. (Reuters)
Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba says, “On Russian statements regarding withdrawal of some forces from the Ukrainian border. We in Ukraine have a rule: we don’t believe what we hear, we believe what we see. If a real withdrawal follows these statements, we will believe in the beginning of a real de-escalation.”
NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg on Tuesday said there was 'cautious optimism' over Russia signals on Ukraine, but no sign of de-escalation.
“So far, we have not seen any de-escalation on the ground, not seen any signs of reduced Russian military presence on the borders of Ukraine, but we will continue to monitor. Everything is now on place for a new attack but Russia still has time to step back from the brink: stop preparing for war and start preparing for a peaceful solution,” NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg told reporters, the Guardian reported.
Poland, the largest European Union nation to border Ukraine, is making preparations to accept Ukrainian refugees in the event of another Russian attack on that country. But the Polish government hopes that worst-case scenario can be averted.
Similar preparations are being made across the region, particularly in those nations which share borders with Ukraine.
As other countries draw down their diplomatic missions in Ukraine, Poland says it is for now keeping its diplomatic operations in place in case they are needed to facilitate a large-scale exit of Ukrainians.
Poland, which has welcomed large numbers of Ukrainian economic migrants in recent years, particularly after Russia's incursions into Ukraine in 2014, has been making plans for weeks to accept refugees if it comes to that, said Marcin Przydacz, a deputy foreign minister.
Przydacz said in a radio interview on Monday that Poland hopes the situation in Ukraine won't escalate, but that the country was preparing for any possibility, including the possibility of large numbers of refugees.
“In this worst-case scenario, we are not talking about hundreds or thousands, but much larger numbers," Przydacz said on Radio Plus. He added that the Interior Ministry has been preparing “internal scenarios, infrastructure and plans” for many weeks. The plans would include housing refugees in hostels, dormitories, sports facilities and other venues. (AP)
The plane of Brazil’s President Jair Bolsonaro took off Monday evening headed to Russia despite Western warnings the country could soon invade Ukraine — frustrating those who have suggested he cancel the trip, including the U.S. government and members of his own Cabinet.
The trip was planned well before the Ukraine crisis arose and Bolsonaro’s focus is bilateral trade; Russia is a key source of fertilizers for South America’s agricultural powerhouse.
But even some of his allies fear Bolsonaro could make damaging comments on the crisis or that his presence could be seen as tacit support for a Russian invasion of its neighbor.
Two top officials from Brazil’s Foreign Ministry told The Associated Press that they have received messages from U.S. officials saying the trip’s timing is inopportune and conveys Brazilian indifference to threats of invasion. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity for lack of authorization to speak publicly. (AP)
Australia’s prime minister on Tuesday urged China to denounce Russian threats against Ukraine, as the crisis between the U.S.-led allies and Moscow raises the specter of a broader conflict.
Scott Morrison noted that Beijing and Moscow had announced they were pursuing closer relations since more than 100,000 Russian troops were sent to the Ukrainian border.
“We would expect all nations, all governments around the world, to be denouncing what is taking place with the threats of violence against Ukraine,” Morrison told Parliament.
“I do note that the Chinese government, together with the Russian government, have been banding together on this issue and that the Chinese government has not denounced what is occurring in Ukraine,” he said.
He called on all federal lawmakers to join the Australian government in “urging the Chinese government to denounce those actions and to allow an appropriate response through the United Nations rather than resisting that being done” through its membership of the U.N. Security Council.
Morrison’s criticisms of China will further strain a tattered bilateral relationship between Australia and its most important trading partner. (AP)
Lithuanian diplomat and former minister Linas Linkevicius says, “Ukraine is not a member of NATO or the EU, but it has been fighting Russia’s tyranny alone for 8 years and now ready to pay ultimate price defending not just their sovereign choice but also European values and honor.”
While the U.S. warns that Russia could invade Ukraine any day, the drumbeat of war is all but unheard in Moscow, where pundits and ordinary people alike don't expect President Vladimir Putin to launch an attack on its ex-Soviet neighbor.
The Kremlin has cast the U.S. warnings of an imminent attack as “hysteria” and “absurdity,” and many Russians believe that Washington is deliberately stoking panic and fomenting tensions to trigger a conflict for domestic reasons.
Putin's angry rhetoric about NATO's plans to expand to Russia's “doorstep” and its refusal to hear Moscow's concerns has struck a chord with the public, tapping into a sense of betrayal by the West after the end of the Cold War and widespread suspicion about Western designs.
Speaking to reporters after President Joe Biden's call with Putin on Saturday, Kremlin foreign affairs adviser Yuri Ushakov bemoaned what he described as U.S. “hysteria" about an allegedly imminent invasion, saying that the situation has "reached the point of absurdity.”
The U.S. says that Russia has concentrated over 130,000 troops east, north and south of Ukraine and has the necessary firepower to launch an attack at any moment.
Russian officials have angrily denied any plans to attack Ukraine and dismissed Western concerns about the buildup near the country, arguing that Moscow is free to deploy its troops wherever it likes on its national territory.
“We don’t understand why they are spreading clearly false information about Russian intentions,” Ushakov said about the U.S. warnings of an imminent attack. (AP)
Russia said Tuesday that some units participating in military exercises would begin returning to their bases, adding to glimmers of hope that the Kremlin may not be planning to invade Ukraine imminently, though it gave no details on the pullback.
The announcement came a day after Russia's foreign minister indicated the country was ready to keep talking about the security grievances that led to the Ukraine crisis — changing the tenor after weeks of rising tensions. Still, Western officials continued to warn that an invasion could come at any moment and said some forces and military hardware were moving toward the border, muddying the picture.
It wasn’t immediately clear where exactly the troops that the Russian Defense Ministry said were pulling back were deployed or how many were leaving, making it hard to understand the significance. The announcement pushed world markets and the ruble up, but Ukraine's leaders expressed skepticism.
“Russia constantly makes various statements," Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said. "That’s why we have the rule: We won’t believe when we hear, we’ll believe when we see. When we see troops pulling out, we’ll believe in de-escalation.”
Russia has massed more than 130,000 troops near Ukraine, sparking the fears of an invasion. Russia denies it has any plans to invade Ukraine, despite placing troops on Ukraine’s borders to the north, south and east and launching massive military drills nearby.
The new glimmers of hope accompanied a flurry of diplomacy. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz planned to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow, a day after he sat down with Ukraine's leader in Kyiv. Foreign Minister Zbigniew Rau of Poland, one of Russia's most strident European critics, was also in Moscow on Tuesday to meet Lavrov, while Ukraine's foreign minister hosted his Italian counterpart. (AP)
European stocks recovered some lost ground on Tuesday, following reports that some Russian troops near Ukraine were returning to their bases, while some positive corporate updates also boosted sentiment.
After opening marginally lower, the pan-European STOXX 600 index rose 1.1% after ending Monday 1.8% lower. Stocks rallied on report that some Russian troops military districts adjacent to Ukraine are returning to their bases after completing drills, a move that could de-escalate frictions between Moscow and the West.
"The gains reflect some modest easing of tensions at the Ukrainian border, with Russian troops apparently returning to base for the time being," said Danni Hewson, financial analyst at AJ Bell. Investors were rattled by fears of a Russian invasion of Ukraine, driving up volatility gauges and equities sharply lower on Monday.
A common gauge of volatility in euro zone equities fell to 27.2 points after hitting a three-week high of 33.95. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz heads to Moscow on Tuesday to meet President Vladimir Putin in a high-stakes mission to avert war. "There is an immediate risk in the next few days depending on how all this evolves," said Punit Patel, senior equity fund manager at London and Capital." (Reuters)
The Biden administration has once again warned Russia of “severe consequences” in case its forces invade Ukraine and said that the path for diplomacy remains available if the Kremlin chooses to engage constructively.
White House Principal Deputy Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters on Monday that the US is actively working to reach a diplomatic solution to de-escalate the crisis.
“Over the weekend, as you all know, the President (Joe Biden) spoke with President (Vladimir) Putin, and we remain engaged with the Russian government in full coordination with our allies and partners,” she said.
Russia has amassed an estimated 100,000 troops near the border with Ukraine. The move has brought increasingly strong warnings from the West that Moscow intends to invade. However, Russia has repeatedly denied that it plans to invade Ukraine.
The path for diplomacy remains available if Russia chooses to engage constructively, Jean-Pierre said. “However, we are clear-eyed about the prospects of that, given the steps Russia is taking on the ground,” she said, as President Biden reached out to British Prime Minister Boris Johnson to discuss the situation.
The White House said in a readout that Biden and Johnson discussed their recent diplomatic engagements with Ukraine and Russia. (PTI)
India Tuesday advised its citizens, especially students, to leave Ukraine temporarily amid ‘uncertainties’ and also asked them to avoid non-essential travel to and within the country.
A statement from the Embassy of India in Kyiv read: “In view of the uncertainties of the current situation in Ukraine, Indian nationals in Ukraine, particularly students whose stay is not essential, may consider leaving temporarily. Indian nationals are also advised to avoid all non-essential travel to and within Ukraine.
But why did the embassy issue the advisory? Read Shubhajit Roy’s explainer
The European Union is ready to discuss Russia's security concerns, the EU's top diplomat Josep Borrell said Tuesday, as tensions between Russia and Ukraine continued.
"In order to fulfill the concerns of everybody, the only way is speaking on the table and discuss," Borrell told BBC Radio 4. "If there is a war between Russia and Ukraine, Nordstream 2 would not become operational", he added.
Nordstream 2 is a 1,200 km pipeline that will run from Ust-Luga in Russia to Greifswald in Germany and will carry 55 billion cubic metres of gas per year. The under-construction pipeline will run along with the already-completed Nord Stream 1 system, and the two together will supply an aggregate of 110 billion cubic metres of gas to Germany per year. (Reuters)
Increasing hostilities with Ukraine and the West is advantageous to Russia given the tattered relationship between the USA and its European allies, the domestic support for such an endeavour and Putin’s need for a popularity boost ahead of the 2024 Russian Presidential elections. But how do the Ukrainians perceive the current state of affairs, and what they are prepared to do in order to protect their national sovereignty? Read the research piece by Mira Patel
A doctor from the German embassy in Moscow will conduct a coronavirus test on Olaf Scholz on his arrival in Russia, a German government source said, ahead of a meeting between the German chancellor and Russian President Vladimir Putin.
The PCR test will be carried out on board the plane, which has landed in Moscow, the source said, adding that the chancellery had offered Russia the opportunity to send someone to observe the procedure.
French President Emmanuel Macron last week refused a Kremlin request that he take a Russian Covid-19 test when he arrived to see Putin, to prevent the chance of Russia getting hold of Macron's DNA, two sources in Macron's entourage told Reuters. As a result, the visiting French head of state was kept at a distance from the Russian leader during lengthy talks on the Ukraine crisis. (Reuters)