Russian President Vladimir Putin has said he is “ready to work further” with the West on security issues to de-escalate tensions over Ukraine, but emphasised the need for the West to heed Russia’s main demands.
His comments were made on Tuesday during a press conference following talks with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz in Moscow.
Scholz said at the briefing that he agrees with Russia’s assessment that there is still a chance to avert war over Ukraine and that “diplomatic options are far from exhausted”.
Meanwhile, some troops in Russia’s military districts adjacent to Ukraine returned to their bases after completing drills, Russia’s defence ministry was quoted by the Interfax news agency as saying, a move that could de-escalate friction between Moscow and the West.
Here are the latest updates:
Biden, Macron to speak on Tuesday: US official
US President Joe Biden and his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron will speak on Tuesday, a US official has said.
Ukraine says it and NATO should determine membership
Only Ukraine and NATO should determine Kyiv’s bid to join the alliance, Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba has said after meeting his Italian counterpart Luigi Di Maio in Kyiv.
“No one but Ukraine and NATO members should have a say in the discussions about Ukraine’s future NATO membership,” Kuleba said.
Blinken, Lavrov holding new call: State Department
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has held a new phone call with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, the State Department has said.
After their last call on Saturday, “they agreed to stay in touch,” a senior State Department official said.
NATO and the Ukraine-Russia crisis: Five key things to know
The future of NATO, the transatlantic security alliance, is at the centre of the standoff between Russia and the West over Ukraine.
Moscow wants guarantees that its neighbour, a former Soviet state, will be permanently barred from joining the United States-led alliance. It has also called for NATO to cease all military activity in Eastern Europe, blaming it for undermining security in the region.
Amid the deadlock, click here for five things you need to know about NATO.
Ukraine has repeatedly stated its intention to become a NATO member state – an objective that is written into the country’s constitution [File: Ints Kalnins/Reuters]
‘Words good, acts even better,’ France tells Russia
France has welcomed a signal from Russia that it was pulling back some forces from close to the border with Ukraine but urged Moscow to translate the undertaking into actions on the ground.
“Words are good. We are waiting for acts. If the acts are there then that would be even better,” Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian told parliament, saying he had taken note of some recent “inflections” by Russian officials indicating openness to dialogue.
Russia’s defence chief arrives in Syria to review naval drills
Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu has travelled to Syria to inspect naval drills involving 15 warships and 30 aircraft in the eastern Mediterranean, the RIA news agency has cited his ministry as saying.
The drills are part of a surge of Russian military activity amid a standoff with the West over security in Europe. Russia said earlier it had deployed fighter jets with hypersonic missiles to its Syrian air base for the naval exercises.
London marine insurers add Russian, Ukrainian waters to high risk list: Circular
London’s marine insurance market has added the Ukrainian and Russian waters around the Black Sea and Sea of Azov to its list of areas deemed high risk, a circular has showed.
Their guidance is watched closely and influences underwriters’ considerations over insurance premiums.
‘NATO on our doorstep’, Putin says
Putin has said at the news conference that a negotiation process should be held over the question of Ukraine’s NATO membership.
“They say that in the coming years, Ukraine will not be in NATO. What does that mean?… For 30 years we have been told that there won’t be any kind of NATO expansion, not one inch eastwards. And today, we see the infrastructure of NATO on our doorstep,” Putin said.
“The whole question of Ukraine joining NATO is raised and they say it won’t be tomorrow. What about the day after tomorrow? What does that actually change for us historically speaking? Absolutely nothing.
“We hear that Ukraine is not ready to join NATO; we know that. At the same time, they say it’s not going to join tomorrow. But by the time they get ready for it, it may be too late for us. So we have to decide this question now, right now, in the very near future; we have to have a negotiation process for this,” Putin said.
Scholz says some points in Russia’s demands are worth discussing
Scholz has said after a meeting with Putin that some aspects of Moscow’s demands are worth considering.
“It was right that NATO and the European Union responded to the letters from Russia, and while Russia does not agree with the response, it is a good sign that it says there are a few good points in it,” Scholz said at a joint news conference.
“Likewise, NATO, the EU, and we do not agree with the demands of Russia, but we believe there are some points in there that are worth discussing,” he said, adding that an eastward expansion of NATO was not currently on the agenda.
Scholz commits to ensuring gas transit works via Ukraine
Scholz has said that he is committed to making sure that the transit of gas through Ukraine functions.
“We are committed to ensuring gas transit in Europe works through Ukraine, Belarus, Poland and Nord Stream 1 according to the agreements we have. And we also want to ensure peaceful development in Europe,” Scholz said at a joint news conference.
Asked about the Nord Stream 2 pipeline, Scholz reiterated that while he was intent on ensuring that a confrontation did not occur in Ukraine and if that were to happen, there would be consequences.
Ukraine’s possible NATO membership must be resolved now: Putin
Putin says that Russia had been told that Ukraine would not join NATO in the near future, but that Moscow did not think that was a good enough assurance and wanted to resolve the matter in its entirety now.
Navalny prosecution ‘incompatible’ with rule of law: Scholz
Scholz has condemned legal proceedings against Putin’s main political opponent, Alexei Navalny, as a new trial against him from inside prison began.
“My position on the Navalny case is very clear: his judgement is incompatible with the principles of the rule of law and I have expressed this view on many occasions,” he said.
Scholz on Nord Stream: ‘We all understand what’s wrong’
Scholz has said that “we all understand what’s wrong” when it comes to the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline, which is finished but has not yet been approved by Germany to go into operation.
“Peaceful development” in Europe was key, Scholz said, adding that if this is not the case, there would be “wide consequences”.
Scholz has in the past refused to say, as allies including the US have done, that the pipeline project should be halted in the event of a Russian invasion of Ukraine.
EU warns against Russian recognition of Ukraine’s breakaway regions
The EU has “strongly” condemned the Russian parliament’s vote on recognising the Donetsk and Luhansk regions of Ukraine as independent.
“The EU strongly condemns the Russian State Duma’s decision to submit a call to President [Vladimir] Putin to recognise the non-government controlled areas of Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts of Ukraine as independent entities,” EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said on Twitter.
He said the decision is “a clear violation” of the Minsk protocol – an agreement that Russia, Ukraine and the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) concluded in 2014 to establish peace in Eastern Ukraine.
“EU support and commitment to Ukraine’s independence, sovereignty, and territorial integrity within its internationally recognised borders remains unwavering”, he said.
Putin describes situation in Donbass as a ‘genocide’
Putin has said that Russia does not want a war in Europe, but described the situation in east Ukraine’s breakaway regions as “genocide” and called for the conflict there to be resolved through the Minsk peace progress.
At a joint news conference Putin said Russia had decided to partially withdraw troops from near Ukraine and saw some room for further discussion with the West on Moscow’s security demands.
He said, however, there had not been a constructive response to Russia’s demands.
‘Lasting security’ in Europe only possible with Russia: Scholz
Scholz has said Russia is a crucial player in maintaining security in Europe.
“For Europeans it is clear that lasting security cannot be achieved against Russia but only with Russia,” he told reporters.
Putin says Russia ‘of course’ does not want war
Putin has said Russia does not want war.
“Do we want this or not? Of course, not. That is exactly why we put forward proposals for a process of negotiations,” Putin told a press conference.
Putin calls for Nord Stream 2 launch
Putin has called for the Nord Stream 2 pipeline to begin operating following talks with Scholz.
The pipeline secures the energy security of Europe, Putin argued, referring to it as a purely economic and environmentally friendly project without “political overtones”.
Diplomatic bid to avert Ukraine war ‘far from exhausted’: Scholz
Scholz has said that he agreed with Russia’s assessment that there is still a chance to avert war over Ukraine through diplomatic negotiations.
“I expressly agree that the diplomatic options are far from exhausted,” he said after talks with Putin.
“It should be possible to find a solution. No matter how difficult and serious the situation seems to be, I refuse to say it is hopeless.”
Russian troop withdrawal announcement a ‘good sign’: Scholz
Scholz has welcomed Russia’s announcement that some troops deployed near Ukraine would be pulled back as a “good sign” toward easing tensions.
“That we are now hearing that some troops are being withdrawn is in any case a good sign,” he told reporters after talks with Putin. “We hope that more follow.”
Russia ready to continue talks with West on missiles: Putin
Putin has said Russia is prepared to continue dialogue on missiles and other security issues with the West, speaking in Moscow with Scholz.
Putin says ‘ready to work further’ with West on security
Putin has said he is ready to continue working with the West on security issues to de-escalate tensions over Ukraine.
“We are ready to work further together. We are ready to go down the negotiations track,” Putin told a press conference following talks with Scholz in Moscow.
Putin says Nord Stream 2 would cement Europe’s energy security
Putin has said after meeting Scholz in Moscow that the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline, which is awaiting regulatory clearance, is a purely commercial project which will strengthen Europe’s energy security.
Putin also reiterated that Russia is ready to continue gas exports to Europe via Ukraine after 2024 when the current transit deal expires.
Putin: Russia ready to discuss confidence-building measures
Putin has said that Moscow is ready for talks with the US and NATO on limits for missile deployments and military transparency.
Speaking after talks with Scholz, Putin said the US 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.
Putin said Russia is ready to engage in talks on limits on the deployment of intermediate range missiles in Europe, transparency of drills and other confidence-building measures but emphasised the need for the West to heed Russia’s main demands.
Russia plans navy drills in Mediterranean: Reports
Russia plans navy drills in the Mediterranean and has moved bombers and hypersonic missile-equipped jets to its base in Syria, Russia’s RIA and TASS news agencies have reported.
The drills will involve several Russian fleets and take part in the eastern part of the Mediterranean, they cited Russia’s defence ministry as saying.
Russia ready to discuss confidence-building measures with US, NATO: Putin
Putin has said Russia is ready to discuss confidence-building measures with US and NATO.
UK threatens to block Russian companies raising money in London
The UK has threatened to block Russian companies from raising capital in London and to expose property and company ownership if Russia invades Ukraine, saying the West must remain united on the cost to Moscow of any conflict.
“We’re…making sure that we take steps, or take even more steps, to unpeel the facade of Russian property holdings whether in this city or elsewhere…, unpeel the facade of Russian ownership of companies,” Prime Minister Boris Johnson said.
“And also take steps to stop Russian companies from raising capital on London financial markets. So that is a very, very tough package.”
London has been a popular destination for Russian firms raising capital.
Slovakia gets offer of Czech troops, defence minister says
Slovakia has got an offer from the Czech Republic to send troops to the country as part of possible deployments of NATO alliance units, Defence Minister Jaroslav Nad has been quoted as saying.
“We are at the start of discussions,” daily Dennik N cited him as saying on its website.
At the end of January, Slovak Foreign Minister Ivan Korcok said the transatlantic alliance was considering deploying some troops in Slovakia along with other countries on its eastern flank in response to the Russian military build-up near Ukraine.
France cautiously welcomes Russia’s announcement
The French government has reacted positively to Russia’s announcement of some troops leaving their stations, but said it is assessing the information closely.
If the withdrawal is confirmed, this would be a good thing and a positive sign of the de-escalation that President Emmanuel Macron wants to achieve, spokesman Gabriel Attal said.
Another exchange between the heads of state involved in diplomatic efforts is planned in the next few hours, he said. Macron has cancelled his participation in another appointment in Paris.
German Foreign Minister demands actions, not words, from Russia
Russia’s announcement that some troops deployed near Ukraine were returning to bases “must be followed by action,” Germany’s Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock has said.
“Every real step of de-escalation would be a reason for hope. For now, there are only announcements and these must now be followed by action,” she said at a press conference following talks with her Spanish counterpart in Madrid.
“It is now up to Russia to embark on the path of de-escalation and underpin it with very concrete steps such as troop withdrawal,” she said.
Partial withdrawal of Russian troops would be ‘excellent news’ if confirmed, Spain says
A partial withdrawal of Russian troops from the Ukranian border would be “excellent news” if confirmed, Spain’s foreign minister has said.
A diplomatic solution is still the way to de-escalate the crisis and there was no defensive reason for Russia to have troops on the border, minister Jose Manuel Albares told a news conference with his German counterpart Annalena Baerbock.
Japan offers Ukraine $100m in loans in show of support
Japan is ready to extend at least $100m in emergency loans to Ukraine, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida told Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the Japanese government has said in a summary of their phone call.
Zelenskyy expressed his gratitude for the offer, according to the written summary of the two leaders’ exchange.
Kishida also told reporters Japan planned to take appropriate steps, including possible sanctions, if Russia invades Ukraine, echoing what his foreign minister, Yoshimasa Hayashi, said earlier.
NATO chief says ‘cautious optimism’ over Ukraine crisis
NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg said indications from Russia it was willing to pursue diplomacy over the Ukraine crisis were positive, but there had been no sign of Moscow pulling back troops from the border.
“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,” Stoltenberg told journalists.
NATO calls on Russia to prove will to de-escalate with actions on the ground
NATO’s chief 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”.
Russia starts navy drills in Barents Sea
More than 20 ships from Russia’s Northern Fleet have started drills in the Barents Sea, the Interfax news agency cited the fleet as saying.
The exercises in the Arctic waters between Russia and Norway are part of broader drills which have prompted fears that Moscow may invade Ukraine. Russia denies such plans.
A Russian army service member gets off an armoured personnel carrier BTR-82 during drills at the Kuzminsky range in the southern Rostov region, Russia [File: Sergey Pivovarov/Reuters]
Russia’s parliament asks Putin to recognise breakaway east Ukrainian regions
Russia’s State Duma lower house of parliament voted to appeal to President Vladimir Putin to recognise two Russian-backed breakaway regions in eastern Ukraine as independent, the speaker of the house said.
Recognition of the two regions could kill off the existing Minsk peace process for east Ukraine to which Russia has said it is committed.
OSCE talks will not replace dialogue with US, NATO, says Russia
Discussing Russia’s security demands within the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) would be interesting but are not a substitute for talks with the United States and NATO, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said.
Without any progress in the latter, OSCE discussions would be pointless, Lavrov said after a meeting with Polish foreign minister and OSCE chairman-in-office Zbigniew Rau in Moscow.
Israel rejects Ukraine’s request to buy Iron Dome, says Israeli journalist
Israel has refused to sell its Iron Dome missile defense system to Ukraine, according to renowned Israeli journalist and author Nadav Eyal.
In a column written for Israeli daily Yedioth Ahronoth, Eyal said Israel’s refusal to supply Ukraine with the technology is to avoid upsetting Russia.
“In an effort to avoid at all cost, Israeli involvement in the crisis between Russia and Ukraine, Israel refused to sell the Iron Dome missile defense system to Kyiv in order not to annoy the Russians,” said the article.
Russia confirms planned pullback of some troops after drills
Russia’s Southern Military District said that its forces have started withdrawing from Crimea and returning to their bases after completing drills on the peninsula which Russia seized from Ukraine, Interfax reported.
Interfax cited the district command as saying that some of the troops were moving to bases in Russia’s southern regions of Dagestan and North Ossetia. Russia annexed Crimea in 2014.
A satellite image shows the armour and artillery loaded on flatcars and a railyard in Yelnya, Russia, about 300km north of the border with Ukraine [File: Maxar Technologies/AP]
Norway adds up to 60 troops to NATO force in Lithuania
Norway will increase its contribution to NATO’s Enhanced Forward Presence forces in Lithuania by between 50 and 60 troops due to the tense security situation in and around Ukraine, the Norwegian defence minister said.
A satellite image shows an overview of helicopter deployments near Lake Donuzlav, Crimea [File: Maxar Technologies/Reuters]
US announces closure of its embassy in Ukraine
The US State Department announced it will close its embassy in Kyiv and move all remaining staff there to a city near the Polish border.
The scene was calm outside the US Embassy in Ukraine after the announcement, despite fears of a potential Russian invasion intensifying.
UK’s Truss says full-scale removal of Russian troops needed
British Foreign Secretary Liz Truss said a full-scale removal of Russian troops from the border with Ukraine was needed after a report that some units were returning to their bases.
Asked about the Interfax report, Truss told LBC Radio she had not seen it and would need to see more details, but added: “The Russians have claimed that they have no plans for an invasion, but we will need to see a full-scale removal of troops to show that is true.”
EU says ready to discuss Russian security concerns
The European Union is ready to discuss Russia’s security concerns, the EU’s top diplomat Josep Borrell has said, as tensions between Russia and Ukraine continue to heighten.
“In order to fulfil 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, Nord Stream 2 would not become operational”, he added.
Russia denies it intends to invade but has massed well over 100,000 troops near the Ukrainian border [File: Efrem Lukatsky/AP]
Germany’s Scholz lands in Moscow
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has landed in Moscow for talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Instead of taking a Russian coronavirus test, Scholz decided to have a doctor from the German embassy carry out the PCR test – a requirement before entering the Kremlin.
Russian health officials have been invited to be present for the test, according to sources from the German delegation.
Germany urges Russia to withdraw troops from Ukrainian border
Germany urged Russia to withdraw its troops from the Ukrainian border and engage in diplomacy for a peaceful solution.
“We believe that it’s clearly Russia’s responsibility to de-escalate the situation,” German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said in a statement, ahead of her visit to NATO ally Spain.
“The government in Moscow should withdraw its troops and provide full transparency about its actions,” she stressed, adding that this is Russia’s obligation as a member of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe.
Baerbock expressed concern over the recent escalation, and reiterated that Germany will continue its diplomatic efforts, together with its EU partners and NATO allies, for a peaceful solution to the crisis.
Some Russian forces near Ukraine returning to bases
Some troops in Russia’s military districts adjacent to Ukraine are returning to their bases after completing drills, Russia’s defence ministry was quoted as saying, a move that could de-escalate frictions between Moscow and the West.
Russia’s Interfax news agency cited the ministry as saying that while large-scale drills across the country continued, some units of the southern and western military districts have completed their exercises and started returning to base.
“Units of the southern and western military districts, having completed their tasks, have already begun loading onto rail and road transport and today they will begin moving to their military garrisons,” a defence ministry spokesman said.
A satellite image provided by Maxar Technologies shows a closer view of a new Su-34 fighter deployment south of the Russian border with Ukraine [File: AP]
European stocks steady on easing Ukraine fears
European stock markets steadied on hopes that Ukraine and Russia will avoid a full-blown conflict.
London’s benchmark FTSE 100 Index edged up 0.1 percent to 7,539.83 points.
In the eurozone, Frankfurt’s DAX index was flat at 15,110.75 points, as was the Paris CAC 40 at 6,853.69.
“There is a certain relief in the Ukraine-Russia crisis as the two sides seem willing to continue their diplomatic efforts to avoid a military action,” noted Swissquote senior analyst Ipek Ozkardeskaya.
Images show new Russian military activity near Ukraine
New commercial satellite images show a flurry of Russian military activity at several locations near Ukraine, the private US company that released the pictures said.
US-based Maxar Technologies, which has been tracking the build-up of Russian forces for weeks, said that images taken on Sunday and Monday captured significant new activity in Belarus, annexed Crimea and western Russia.
The images could not be independently verified.
Maxar pointed to the arrival of several large deployments of troops and attack helicopters as well new deployments of ground attack aircraft and fighter bomber jets to forward locations.
The images also captured the departure of multiple ground forces units from existing garrisons along with other combat units seen in convoy formation, Maxar said.
A satellite image provided by Maxar Technologies shows a battle group departing from a vehicle park in Yelnya, Russia, north of the border with Ukraine [File: AP]
UK’s Truss says Russian invasion of Ukraine could be imminent
A Russian invasion of Ukraine is highly likely, could be imminent and would pose a threat to Europe’s wider stability that emboldens aggressors around the world, Britain’s Foreign Secretary Liz Truss said on Tuesday.
Truss said an invasion could be imminent, and Russian troops could reach Kyiv “very, very quickly”.
“This is … about the wider stability of Europe,” she told Sky News. “And it’s about wider global stability, and the message that we give to aggressors and we have to give the message to Vladimir Putin that there can be no reward for aggression.”
Truss echoed politicians in the United States who have warned that a so-called “false flag” operation could be used by Moscow to trigger a conflict.
“It is still the case that an invasion could be imminent, and it is highly likely,” she said.
People take part in the Unity March to demonstrate Ukrainians’ patriotic spirit amid growing tensions with Russia [File: Valentyn Ogirenko/Reuters]
Russians scoff at Western fears of Ukraine invasion
While the US warns that Russia could invade Ukraine any day, the drumbeat of war is all but unheard in Moscow, where pundits and ordinary people alike do not expect President Vladimir Putin to launch an attack on Russia’s ex-Soviet neighbor.
The Kremlin has cast the US 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.
Speaking to reporters after President Joe Biden’s call with Putin on Saturday, Kremlin foreign affairs adviser Yuri Ushakov bemoaned what he described as US “hysteria” about an allegedly imminent invasion, saying that the situation has “reached the point of absurdity”.
Russian officials have angrily denied any plans to attack Ukraine and dismissed Western concerns about the build-up near the country, arguing that Moscow is free to deploy its troops wherever it likes on its national territory.
India advises citizens to leave Ukraine
The Indian embassy in Ukraine issued an advisory, calling on its nationals, “particularly students whose stay is not essential, to temporarily leave Ukraine” amid fears of an imminent war with Russia.
The embassy also advised Indian nationals against travel to and within Ukraine.
ADVISORY FOR INDIAN NATIONALS IN UKRAINE.@MEAIndia @DrSJaishankar @PIB_India @DDNewslive @IndiainUkraine @IndianDiplomacy @OIA_MEA pic.twitter.com/LZezMhB8pF
— India in Ukraine (@IndiainUkraine) February 15, 2022
Russia to respond if citizens are killed in eastern Ukraine
Russia will “respond” if Russian citizens start being killed anywhere, including in Ukraine’s rebel Donbass region, Russia’s RIA news agency cited Russian envoy to the European Union, Vladimir Chizhov, as saying.
“We will not invade Ukraine unless we are provoked to do that,” Chizhov said. “If the Ukrainians launch an attack against Russia, you shouldn’t be surprised if we counterattack. Or, if they start blatantly killing Russian citizens anywhere – Donbass or wherever.”
Soldiers practise at the Obuz-Lesnovsky training ground during military drills in Belarus [File: AP]
Americans advised to leave Belarus immediately
American citizens should leave Belarus immediately due to the build-up of Russian troops along Belarus’s border with Ukraine, said the US State Department.
Aviation fears grow over Russia fallout from Ukraine crisis
Airlines and the leasing companies that control billions of dollars worth of passenger jets are drawing up contingency plans for a freeze in business with Russia if the standoff on Ukraine’s border boils over into a military conflict.
Aviation bosses are worried about the effect of dealings with Russian companies. Sanctions could disrupt payments to leasing firms, and any retaliatory move by Moscow to restrict access to Russian airspace might throw East-West trade into chaos.
“We are expecting an asymmetrical Russian response,” said a Western source involved in drawing up scenarios, adding the West was unlikely to restrict its own airspace first.
(Al Jazeera)
Scholz flies to Moscow in bid to avert war
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz heads to Moscow to meet President Vladimir Putin in a high-stakes mission to avert war, with Russia’s largest trading partner in Europe warning of far-reaching sanctions if it attacks Ukraine.
The chancellor has said he will hammer home the message from the West that they are open to dialogue about Russia’s security concerns but will impose sanctions if it invades Ukraine.
“We are ready for very far-reaching and effective sanctions in coordination with our allies,” he said in Kyiv on Monday before returning to Berlin.
Warnings of sanctions could hit home harder coming from Germany, Russia’s number one trade partner in Europe and the biggest consumer of Russian natural gas – although that could also limit Scholz’s room for manoeuvre.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz visited Ukraine as part of a flurry of Western diplomacy aimed at heading off a feared Russian invasion [File: AP]
Japan’s Prime Minister Fumio Kishida to call Zelenskyy
Japanese media is reporting that Prime Minister Fumio Kishida will speak to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on the phone later today.
There has been no official confirmation of the call, which the media said would take place in the evening Japanese time.
Kishida has that Japan is “watching the situation with grave concern”.
US offers Ukraine $1bn loan guarantee
The United States is offering Ukraine a sovereign loan guarantee of up to $1bn to help its economy amid pressure from Russia’s military build-up.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken says the offer ”will bolster Ukraine’s ability to ensure economic stability, growth, and prosperity for its people in the face of Russia’s destabilizing behaviour”.
The US issued three separate $1bn sovereign loan guarantees to Ukraine between 2014 and 2016m and has also provided more than $2bn in development assistance to Ukraine since 2014.
Japan warns of sanctions if Russia attacks
Japan could impose sanctions on Russia if it invades Ukraine.
Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi told a regular press conference that while Japan is “strongly seeking” a diplomatic resolution it would take “appropriate steps, including possible sanctions, in response to what has actually happened, and in coordination with the G7 and international community”.
Hello and welcome to Al Jazeera’s continuing coverage of the Ukraine crisis.
You can read all the updates from Monday, February 14 here
