Secretary of State Antony Blinken has mentioned america is but to see any proof of a major Russian withdrawal of its army forces from close to Ukraine’s frontiers, regardless of claims from Moscow {that a} pullback is beneath method.
Talking to the US broadcaster MSNBC on Wednesday, Blinken mentioned “important models” had been the truth is persevering with to maneuver “towards the border, not away from the border”.
However the Russian defence ministry mentioned its forces had been retreating after workouts within the nation’s southern and western army districts.
In the meantime, Ukrainians had been marking a “day of unity” referred to as for by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
Listed below are the newest updates:
NATO commanders to attract up plans for potential new battlegroups
NATO has tasked its commanders to work out particulars for a deployment of battlegroups to the alliance’s southeastern flank, Secretary-Basic Jens Stoltenberg mentioned.
“Ministers determined to develop choices to additional strengthen NATO’s deterrence and defence, together with to think about establishing new NATO battlegroups in central and jap and southeastern Europe,” Stoltenberg advised reporters at a two-day assembly of the alliance’s defence ministers in Brussels.
“Our army commanders will now work on the small print and report again inside weeks,” he added.
Biden to carry cellphone talks with Germany’s Scholz
US President Joe Biden will conduct phone talks with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz in a while Wednesday, at about 19:30 GMT, the White Home says.
The cellphone name comes after Scholz visited Moscow on Tuesday for talks over the Ukraine disaster with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
‘No one is excited about struggle’
Al Jazeera’s Dorsa Jabbari, reporting from Moscow, says the sense within the Russian capital is that the US and NATO are utilizing the Ukraine disaster as a ploy to “get Moscow to again off from its safety calls for”.
“It is a feeling that’s shared by numerous officers in addition to most people, they imagine that no one is excited about struggle and definitely Putin has made it very clear that he’s not going to invade Ukraine,” she mentioned.
“However he does need to have a dialog with Biden concerning the safety issues that Moscow has concerning NATO.”
Russians going in opposition to Putin in Ukraine
When struggle broke out in Ukraine’s east in 2014, 1000’s joined volunteer militias to bolster the then-weak Ukrainian military. Amongst their ranks had been Russians, together with far-right activists taking over arms in opposition to Russia-backed separatists.
And now, because the Russian military amasses close to Ukraine’s borders, they are saying they’re able to do it once more and combat in opposition to their very own authorities.
Learn extra right here.
Blinken warns Russia in opposition to recognising Ukraine’s breakaway areas as impartial
Blinken has condemned a proposal by Russian legislators to formally acknowledge two Russian-backed breakaway areas in jap Ukraine as impartial.
Russia’s decrease home of parliament voted on Tuesday to ask Putin to recognise the self-declared Donetsk and Luhansk Folks’s Republics, and the European Union advised Moscow to not comply with by way of.
“Enactment of this decision would additional undermine Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, represent a gross violation of worldwide regulation, name into additional query Russia’s acknowledged dedication to proceed to have interaction in diplomacy to attain a peaceable decision of this disaster,” the US secretary of state mentioned.
Blinken additionally warned the transfer would “necessitate a swift and agency response from america in full coordination with our Allies and companions”.
Kremlin recognition of the so-called Donetsk and Luhansk Folks’s Republics as “impartial” would signify Russia’s wholesale rejection of the Minsk agreements, which stay the perfect means to resolve the battle within the Donbas.
— Secretary Antony Blinken (@SecBlinken) February 16, 2022
Ryanair says it has an ‘obligation’ to proceed flights to and from Ukraine
Ryanair, one of many largest international airways in Ukraine, has mentioned it has an obligation to hold on flying passengers in and in another country so long as a feared Russian invasion doesn’t materialise.
“Is it our obligation and obligation … to help the folks of Ukraine so long as there isn’t a struggle or missiles flying there,” Group Chief Government Michael O’Leary advised a information convention in Lisbon.
O’Leary mentioned he noticed no motive to halt flights until European authorities say it isn’t secure to fly to Ukraine. A number of airways have both halted flights to Ukraine or are contemplating doing so, however Ukrainian authorities have mentioned they are going to maintain the nation’s airspace open.
“It will be significant to not panic,” he mentioned. “Folks have to get house and other people need to go away and fly overseas to the EU … airways have to supply that service.”
US sees no signal of Russian pullback, says Blinken
Blinken says Washington has not seen any proof of a pullback of Russian troops from round Ukraine’s borders and that Moscow has, quite the opposite, been transferring important models nearer to the world.
“There’s what Russia says after which there’s what Russia does. And we haven’t seen any pullback of its forces,” the US secretary of state advised US broadcaster MSNBC. “We proceed to see important models transferring towards the border, not away from the border.”
“So what we have to see is strictly the alternative. We have to see these forces transferring away.”
Infographic: The influence of the Ukraine-Russia disaster on aviation
Al Jazeera has put collectively a sequence of infographics that display the impact the standoff between Kyiv and Moscow has on aviation. Have a look right here.
Ukrainian safety official suggests Russia behind cyberattacks
A senior official in Ukraine’s state safety service has mentioned solely Russia could be excited about finishing up ongoing distributed denial of service (DDOS) assaults being weathered by the nation’s defence ministry and enormous state-owned banks.
“We all know that the one nation that’s excited about such … assaults on our state, particularly in opposition to the backdrop of huge panic a few potential army invasion, the one nation that’s is the Russian Federation,” Illya Vityuk mentioned.
Vityuk, head of the cybersecurity division of the Safety Service of Ukraine (SBU), mentioned it was too early to determine particular perpetrators, nevertheless. The Kremlin has denied having any involvement within the cyberattacks.
Macron says China backs implementation of Minsk settlement
France and China have agreed it’s essential to pursue dialogue and help de-escalation within the Ukraine disaster, Emmanuel Macron’s workplace says in a press release following a cellphone name between the French president and his Chinese language counterpart Xi Jinping.
Macron’s workplace additionally mentioned that Xi reiterated his full help for the implementation of the 2015 Minsk settlement in the course of the pair’s talks.
Click on right here to learn extra on the Minsk settlement, which was geared toward ending the struggle in jap Ukraine, however was by no means totally carried out.
Ukraine attempting to ‘rally a way of patriotism’ with ‘day of unity’
Al Jazeera’s Natacha Butler, reporting from Kyiv, says Ukraine’s so-called “day of unity” was meant to ship a message to Russia that “Ukrainians are sturdy, the nation is robust, and that they might be prepared to combat if there was any assault or invasion”.
“This all enters into this concept of attempting to rally a way of patriotism in a rustic that awoke immediately considering there could be an invasion, as a result of that is February 16, a date that Western intelligence sources had mentioned might be the primary day of any potential assault on Ukraine,” she mentioned.
“However right here within the capital … persons are actually questioning what is going to occur subsequent and are more and more fed up with having to assume every day whether or not there would possibly or not be an invasion – it’s a really tense time.”
Russia able to re-route power flows in occasion of sanctions
Russia will probably be able to re-route provides to different markets ought to new Western sanctions goal its power firms, Finance Minister Anton Siluanov says.
Siluanov didn’t say how Russia would divert its power exports however mentioned Russia’s international change reserves, Nationwide Wealth Fund and a price range surplus ought to defend its financial system and banks from any potential sanctions hit.
The US and its allies are contemplating new sanctions – together with in opposition to Russia’s largest banks, financial system and power sector, with export controls potential – within the occasion that Moscow launches an invasion.
Europe’s reliance on Russian fuel has been a significant speaking level amid the Ukraine disaster as Western powers eye potential sanctions on Moscow [File: Maxim Shemetov/Reuters]
NATO should publicly state Ukraine is not going to turn into a member, Russian diplomat says
Moscow desires NATO to publicly promise that it’ll not let Ukraine be part of the army alliance, Russian diplomat Konstantin Gavrilov has mentioned, in keeping with experiences.
“Russia will insist that NATO publicly publicizes its refusal to simply accept Ukraine into its ranks. Kyiv, in flip, should proclaim its impartial, non-aligned standing,” Russia’s RIA Novosti information company quoted Gavrilov, who is predicated in Vienna, as saying.
Moscow has repeatedly referred to as for assurances that Ukraine won’t ever be permitted to turn into a part of NATO’s ranks, however the US-led alliance has rejected these calls for, insisting its “open door” coverage have to be upheld.
As a present “companion nation”, there’s an understanding that Ukraine might be able to be part of NATO someday sooner or later – an goal that’s written into the nation’s structure.
Moscow mocks the West over invasion warning
Russian international ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova has made enjoyable of Western officers for warning that immediately stands out as the date upon which Moscow would launch an assault on Ukraine.
“I’d wish to ask if US and British sources of disinformation … may publish the schedule of our upcoming invasions for the yr. I’d wish to plan my holidays,” Zakharova wrote on social media.
G7 international ministers to satisfy on sidelines of Munich convention
Germany’s Annalena Baerbock will lead a gathering of international ministers from the Group of Seven industrialised nations on the sidelines of the Munich Safety Convention, a spokesperson for the international ministry has mentioned.
The Munich Safety Convention takes place later this week, from Friday to Sunday. The international ministers’ assembly will possible happen on Saturday, the spokesperson mentioned.
‘Ready for the worst’: Poland braces for inflow of Ukrainian refugees
Poland is planning for a potential inflow of refugees from neighbouring Ukraine in case of a Russian invasion, Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki says.
“Within the subsequent few days I will probably be convening a crew … which can take care of problems with logistics, services, transport, infrastructure,” Morawiecki advised reporters.
“We have to be ready for the worst,” he mentioned, including that the crew would even be tasked with making certain that any refugees crossing the border into Poland have entry to healthcare and training.
Learn extra on this subject right here.
China’s Xi requires political decision to disaster
Xi has referred to as for a political decision to the Ukraine disaster in a cellphone name with Macron, in keeping with state media experiences.
The Chinese language president inspired all events concerned to resolve the disaster by way of dialogue and make full use of multilateral platforms, together with the Normandy format, an off-the-cuff grouping arrange by French, German, Russian and Ukrainian diplomats in 2014, the experiences mentioned.
No Russian withdrawal but, Ukraine’s Zelenskyy says: Report
Zelenskyy has mentioned he doesn’t but see any Russian troop withdrawal from positions close to the Ukrainian border, the BBC experiences.
“To be trustworthy, we react to the truth we’ve got, and we don’t see any withdrawal but, we’ve simply heard about it,” the BBC quoted the Ukrainian president as saying throughout a go to to western Ukraine.
“I feel all regular folks anticipate de-escalation. As for the risk, I’ve mentioned many instances that we’re calm about any threats as a result of we do not forget that all this didn’t begin yesterday. This has been taking place for a few years,” he added.
Russian armed forces returning to bases, says western army district
Russian armed forces have began returning to everlasting army bases after loading tanks and different army autos onto railway wagons, the nation’s western army district says.
Russia’s southern army district had earlier mentioned extra forces surrounding Ukraine had been withdrawing.
NATO ‘firmly believes Russia is poised to invade’
Al Jazeera’s Neave Barker, reporting from Brussels, says NATO’s place on Russia’s army build-up has not modified regardless of Moscow’s announcement of a pullback.
“The alliance firmly believes that Russia is poised to probably invade Ukraine,” he mentioned.
Barker additionally described the assembly of NATO defence ministers within the Belgian capital as a “likelihood for them to reconnect with the mothership and consolidate their stance” over the disaster.
Moscow welcomes ‘constructive’ signal from Biden on talks
The Kremlin says it’s “constructive” that Biden has signalled a want to proceed talks with Moscow amid its standoff with the West.
“We will welcome that the president of america, one of the vital highly effective nations, thinks concerning the Russian nation,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov advised reporters. “[But] After all, we might reasonably not hear the threats about what is going to occur to us if we do one thing or not do one thing … We’re uninterested in these.”
A day earlier, Biden had promised to push for a diplomatic resolution to the disaster, however he additionally warned {that a} Russian invasion remained “very a lot a chance” and that retaliatory sanctions had been primed and prepared ought to Moscow assault.
Lavrov says Moscow will retaliate if UK imposes new sanctions
Russian Overseas Minister Sergey Lavrov has mentioned Moscow will retaliate ought to the UK impose new sanctions over the Ukraine disaster.
The UK threatened on Tuesday to dam Russian firms from elevating capital in London and to reveal property and firm possession if Russia invades its neighbour.
China accuses Western powers of ‘enjoying up the specter of warfare’
China has accused the US and its Western allies of “enjoying up the specter of warfare and creating pressure” amid the Ukraine disaster.
“Such persistent hyping up and disinformation by some Western nations will create turbulence and uncertainty to the world stuffed with challenges, and intensify misery and division,” Chinese language international ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin advised reporters at an everyday briefing in Beijing.
Washington has urged Americans to go away Ukraine instantly, warning an assault may come at any time regardless of Russia repeatedly denying it has any plans to invade. The UK has executed the identical.
Kremlin denies Russian involvement in Ukraine cyberattacks
The Kremlin spokesman has denied that Russia was behind a sequence of cyberattacks on Ukraine’s defence ministry and two main banks however mentioned that it was not stunning Kyiv would blame Moscow for the incidents.
“As anticipated, Ukraine continues blaming Russia for every little thing. Russia has nothing to do with any DDOS assaults,” Peskov advised reporters.
Kyiv had earlier mentioned the cyberattacks may have been orchestrated by Moscow.
The newest cyberattack on Ukrainian establishments got here one month after one other assault briefly took down key authorities web sites [File: Kacper Pempel/Reuters]
NATO and the Ukraine-Russia disaster: 5 key issues to know
The way forward for NATO, the transatlantic safety alliance, is on the centre of the standoff between Russia and the West over Ukraine.
Click on right here to search out out extra.
Motion of Russian troops doesn’t affirm pullback, NATO chief says
Stoltenberg has urged Russia to show that it’s pulling again troops from Ukraine’s borders.
“It stays to be seen whether or not there’s a Russian withdrawal … What we see is that they’ve elevated the variety of troops, and extra troops are on the way in which,” Stoltenberg advised reporters.
“In the event that they actually begin to withdraw forces, that’s one thing we are going to welcome … They’ve all the time moved forces forwards and backwards so simply that we see motion of forces, of battle tanks, doesn’t affirm an actual withdrawal.”
Ukrainians face ‘recreation of cat and mouse’ with stoic calm
Ukrainians residing within the nation’s east are carrying on their each day lives, largely as regular, as native analysts warn the disaster could rumble on for months to return.
“This might even final indefinitely – the sport of cat and mouse is simply getting began,” Peter Zalmayev, director of the Eurasia Democracy Initiative, a think-tank on post-Soviet states, advised Al Jazeera.
Learn extra right here.
Russia bolstering troop numbers close to Ukraine, Canada’s defence minister says
Canadian Defence Minister Anita Anand says she hopes to see proof of a Russian troop withdrawal from round Ukraine’s borders however warned that, for the second, numbers had been growing.
“The escalation of Russian troops on the Ukrainian border, together with in Belarus, is more and more important,” Anand advised reporters as she arrived for the assembly of NATO defence ministers.
“We look ahead to seeing proof of the withdrawal of troops on Russia’s half. However we have to put together for any eventuality with that important escalation of Russian troops that we’ve got seen over the past weeks,” she mentioned, including the scenario was at a pivotal second.
Timeline: Ukraine’s turbulent historical past
Ukraine has confronted important challenges since profitable independence in 1991.
For a timeline of developments, click on right here.
‘We’re right here to remain’: Ukrainians increase flags in present of nationwide unity
Ukrainians are elevating nationwide flags and enjoying the nation’s anthem to mark the nation’s “day of unity”.
The yellow and blue banner fluttered outdoors faculties, hospitals and plenty of retailers, whereas a loudspeaker at an area authorities workplace within the capital, Kyiv, blared patriotic songs. Nationwide tv and authorities YouTube channels additionally broadcast speeches and rousing reminders of Ukraine’s nationhood.
“Everybody desires to scare us … [but] we’re right here to remain,” Ludmila, a pensioner, who wore a tiny Ukrainian flag on the lapel of her coat, advised Reuters.
Ukraine’s greatest nationwide flag, on the nation’s highest flagpole, and the enormous ‘Motherland’ monument are seen at a compound of the World Battle II Museum in Kyiv [File: Valentyn Ogirenko/Reuters]
Russian troopers will go away Belarus as soon as drills conclude, international minister says
Belarusian Overseas Minister Vladimir Makei says no Russian troopers or army gear will stay within the nation after the pair’s joint army drills come to an finish.
Moscow has repeatedly mentioned the tens of 1000’s of troops it deployed to neighbouring Belarus, which additionally borders Ukraine, for struggle video games will go away as soon as the workouts are over.
‘A selection between struggle and tragic sacrifices’: EU Council president
European Council President Charles Michel has urged Russia to display its will to de-escalate the disaster by actions reasonably than phrases.
“Within the final two days, Russia has signalled that it could be open to diplomacy, and we urge Russia to take concrete and tangible steps in the direction of de-escalation as a result of that is the situation for honest political dialogue,” Michel advised European lawmakers.
“The selection immediately is a selection between struggle and tragic sacrifices that may go together with that struggle or the braveness of a political engagement, the braveness of a diplomatic negotiation”, he added.
LIVE now: comply with my speech on the European Parliament @Europarl_EN on #Ukraine https://t.co/8hTas1eKBE
— Charles Michel (@eucopresident) February 16, 2022
Ukraine’s defence ministry experiences ongoing ‘unprecedented’ cyberattack on its net portal
Ukraine’s defence ministry says its net portal has been hit by an unprecedented denial of service cyberattack that’s nonetheless ongoing.
The ministry mentioned hackers had succeeded find vulnerabilities within the portal’s programming code. Visitors was being rerouted to servers within the US whereas the problem was being mounted, it mentioned.
The difficulty was first reported on Tuesday when a sequence of cyberattacks additionally knocked two main banks offline, officers within the nation mentioned.
Russia says video exhibits army gear leaving Crimea
Russia’s defence ministry has launched video footage that it says exhibits a column of tanks and army autos leaving annexed Crimea after drills, including that some troops would additionally return to their everlasting bases.
“Fight gear and army personnel will probably be delivered by army trains to the models’ everlasting deployment factors,” the ministry mentioned. “Upon arrival, the gear will probably be serviced and ready for finishing up the subsequent part of fight coaching.”
The video, printed by RIA, confirmed dozens of army autos crossing a railway bridge at night time. Moscow seized the Crimean Peninsula from Kyiv in early 2014.
UK says no proof of Russian withdrawal from Ukraine’s border
The UK is but to see any proof that Russia is withdrawing troops from positions close to the Ukrainian border, Defence Secretary Ben Wallace has mentioned.
“We haven’t seen any proof in the meanwhile of that withdrawal,” Wallace advised the UK’s Instances Radio. “We’ll take Russia at its phrase, however we are going to decide them on their actions,” he added.
Ukraine defence minister sees secure safety scenario
Oleksii Reznikov says the newest risk assessments didn’t comprise “something sudden” and had been according to earlier views.
In a televised assertion, Ukraine’s defence minister mentioned his nation’s armed forces had been maintaining a nationwide army drill, certainly one of which might be attended by the army attache of Belarus.
Russia makes strikes to ease Ukraine tensions, West stays sceptical
Russian President Vladimir Putin has mentioned Moscow doesn’t need struggle and would depend on diplomatic efforts to eradicate any likelihood that Ukraine may in the future be part of NATO – his key demand within the disaster. On the identical time, he didn’t decide to a full army pullback, saying Russia’s subsequent strikes within the standoff will depend upon how the scenario evolves.
Biden, for his half, promised that Washington would give diplomacy “each likelihood”, however he struck a sceptical tone about Moscow’s intentions.
“Two paths are nonetheless open,” Biden mentioned in remarks on the White Home. “However let there be little question: if Russia commits this breach by invading Ukraine, accountable nations around the globe is not going to hesitate to reply. If we don’t stand for freedom the place it’s in danger immediately, we’ll absolutely pay a steeper worth tomorrow.”
Wheat and corn costs journey the Ukrainian rollercoaster
The disaster between Ukraine and Russia, two of the world’s greatest wheat and corn producers, has despatched the commodities’ costs on a wild journey.
The grains’ markets circled thrice in lower than 24 hours this week: first on the Russian international minister’s optimistic tone on Monday, then on information of the US relocating its Ukrainian embassy, and eventually on Moscow’s claims of a army pullback.
“The market doesn’t know nuance: Both it’s struggle and it goes up, or it’s peace and it goes down,” mentioned Gautier Le Molgat, an analyst at Agritel.
The stakes are particularly excessive for wheat, with Russia being the world’s high exporter and Ukraine the fourth, in keeping with estimates by the US Division of Agriculture. Collectively, the 2 nations account for nearly a 3rd of wheat’s world commerce.
Collectively, Russia and Ukraine account for nearly a 3rd of wheat’s world commerce [File: Valentyn Ogirenko/Reuters]
China could reap the benefits of Ukraine disaster, US normal warns
US Basic Kenneth Wilsbach, head of US Pacific Air Forces, says China would possibly do one thing “provocative” in Asia whereas the Western world is preoccupied with the Ukraine disaster.
“From the standpoint of will China see what’s taking place in Europe and … attempt to do one thing right here within the Indo-Pacific – completely sure, that’s a priority,” Wilsbach mentioned, utilizing an alternate time period for the Asia-Pacific area.
Beijing has aligned itself with Moscow amid the present disaster.
