As Russia continues joint military exercises with Belarus, in five exercise fields, four air bases and “various locations” on the border with Ukraine, a senior Russian military official says Moscow is ready to open fire on foreign ships and submarines, if they enter its territorial waters illegally, diplomatic fever prevails at the international level in order to prevent even the paragliding Russian invasion of Ukraine.
One after another, Western leaders are calling on Moscow for dialogue while voicing their support for Kiev, while Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov is reportedly trying to persuade Vladimir Putin to continue dialogue with the West, despite the fact that Russia has so far received answers from the West on the issue of security guarantees is not considered satisfactory for it.
“I must say that there is always a chance that the problems that need to be resolved will be resolved,” Lavrov said, adding that opportunities for dialogue “have not been exhausted.”
In this context, he reportedly proposed not only to continue but also to expand Russia’s negotiations with the West, stressing, however, that these can not be continued indefinitely.
Soltz calls for dialogue
At the same time, German Chancellor Olaf Solz, who is in Kiev today and will visit Moscow tomorrow, called on Russia to seize the “offers for dialogue” in order to de-escalate the Ukrainian crisis.
“Russia’s military activities on the border with Ukraine are incomprehensible. There are no reasonable reasons for such military development. “And we urge Russia to seize the existing opportunities for dialogue,” he said, adding that Germany would “resolutely” continue to provide financial assistance to Ukraine.
Biden-Johnson Telephone Contact
In the meantime, at 7.30 p.m. In Greece, US President Joe Biden will have a telephone conversation with British Prime Minister Boris Johnson on the Ukrainian issue, as the US president seeks international unity in the face of a possible Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Earlier, Boris Johnson said there were “clear indications that serious preparations are being made” for an invasion of Ukraine by Russian troops, adding that “something could be planned that could be done within the next 48 hours.”
He described the situation as “extremely dangerous” and said: “We are on the brink of collapse, but there is still time for President Putin to step back.”
He said an invasion would be a “catastrophic mistake, catastrophic for Russia” and that President Putin must realize that there would be a great political and economic price to pay.
The British Prime Minister also called for a united front of the West against Russia in terms of economic sanctions, stressing that Western countries must get rid of “the subcutaneous serum of Russian hydrocarbons” and turn to alternative energy sources.
At the same time, a Downing Street spokesman said there was no evidence that Russia was escalating tensions. He added that there was a “serious possibility” of an invasion of Ukraine this week.
However, the spokesman noted that “all diplomatic channels will continue to be explored.”
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