Moscow is ready to seek “diplomatic solutions,” said Russian President Vladimir Putin, following Western reactions to the recognition of Donetsk and Lugansk and the deployment of troops to Ukraine.
“The interests of Russia, the security of our citizens, are not a subject of negotiation for us,” Putin said in a televised address on the occasion of Defender of the Fatherland Day.
#BREAKING Putin says Moscow is ready to look for “diplomatic solutions” amid raging tensions with the West over Ukraine but says “the interests of Russia, the security of our citizens, are non-negotiable for us” pic.twitter.com/nhlpWzhNPS
– AFP News Agency (@AFP) February 23, 2022
Describing Russia as a “loosening of the arms control system” and “NATO military activities” as threats to Russia, Putin reiterated that his country’s concerns remained “unanswered.”
At the same time, it pledged to continue to develop the capabilities of the Russian army and navy with “advanced digital technologies” and artificial intelligence, as well as with “supersonic” weapons.
New development of Russian military vehicles in Belarus – Satellite imagery
Putin may be talking about a return to diplomacy, but satellite images show a new deployment of more than 100 military vehicles and the setting up of dozens of military tents in southern Belarus, near the border with Ukraine, according to Maxar, a US private company.
The images released by the company, which has been systematically monitoring the recent gathering of Russian forces around the Ukrainian border, could not be independently verified by the Reuters news agency.
The company also spoke of a campaign hospital set up next to a camp in western Russia near the Russian-Ukrainian border.
Trucks used to transport heavy vehicles such as tanks, self-propelled guns and other equipment were also seen in the border area, as well as additional military units, according to Maxar.
Russia has in recent years developed supersonic missiles, which it has described as “invincible” as capable of bypassing any existing air defense system. It has also been repeatedly accused of launching widespread cyber-attacks and disinformation campaigns against its opponents.
Yesterday, the Russian parliament gave the green light to launch a military operation in Ukraine.
Fears that a military escalation is imminent in Ukraine, which is said to have 150,000 Russian troops on its doorstep, according to Washington, have escalated after Vladimir Putin on Monday recognized the Lashkar Gah in eastern Ukraine, which are partly in the hands of pro-Russian separatists.
The first sanctions
Western countries have announced the first sanctions against Russia, reacting to the recognition of the separatists with whom the Ukrainian army has been fighting for eight years.
The most spectacular move was announced by Berlin, which froze the giant project of the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline, which would transport even more Russian gas to Ukraine.
In the White House, Joe Biden spoke of “launching an invasion” of Ukraine and introduced a “first package” of sanctions aimed at preventing Moscow from lending to international markets to service its public debt.
The entire Russian banking sector could be targeted if Russia continues to invade Ukraine, a US official has said. “Together with our allies, we have cut off the Russian government, the Russian central bank and the Russian state coffers from any new funding from the US and Europe,” said Dalip Singh, the White House deputy national security adviser.
Blinekn canceled the meeting with Lavrov
For his part, US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken announced that he would cancel his scheduled meeting with his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov tomorrow.
“Now that we see that the invasion has begun and that Russia has clearly rejected diplomacy, a meeting at this stage makes no sense,” Mr Blinken said.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trindade also announced a “series of sanctions” on Russia “until Ukraine’s territorial integrity is restored.”
The EU has earlier approved a package of sanctions that “will hit Russia hard”, European Union Foreign Minister Giuseppe Borrell has said.
The British Prime Minister Boris Johnson also announced sanctions against three oligarchs near the Kremlin and five Russian sanctions, measures that are, however, a minima for London, which is frequented by many Russians with large fortunes.
He also said he was opposed to international sporting events in Russia, such as the Champions League final, which is scheduled to take place in late May in St. Petersburg.
These measures are still in place, but the West warns that they will be expanded in the event of a large-scale invasion.
At the same time, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres was sneering at Moscow, which is extremely rare, reminding us that “the principles of the UN Charter are not an a la carte menu” and that Russia must “fully comply”. to them, as far as Ukraine is concerned, “it cannot apply them selectively”.
Moscow’s recognition of the “so-called independence” of the separatist-held territories is a “violation of Ukraine’s national integrity and national sovereignty,” he added.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, whose government yesterday demanded “weapons” and guarantees for Ukraine’s accession to the EU, said he was considering severing diplomatic relations with Moscow.
“We are not afraid”
The Russian president, who has been setting the pace from the beginning, is shrouding in mystery his intentions and choices: will he invade all of Ukraine? Will it expand the territories under the control of the separatists? Will it seek a new status quo through negotiations?
Imposing an occupation can be costly, and Russia basically wants to pull NATO out of its commitment to withdraw troops from Eastern Europe, especially medium-range missiles, and to end its enlargement policy. Claims that to this stage the West rejects.
For his part, Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksiy Reznikov warned on Tuesday that his country was expecting “difficult trials” and losses.
On Monday night, President Zelensky insisted that Kiev was “not afraid of anything or anyone” and would not cede “even a shred of land” to the country.
At the front, the army and separatists continued exchanging fire yesterday. One Ukrainian soldier was killed and at least six others were injured in what became known as the Cold War.
Kiev denies any wrongdoing, contrary to what Moscow says, claiming that Russia is spreading false news to justify its intervention.
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