Tensions remain heightened across Ukraine’s borders as intelligence reports shared by the US and the West reiterate the threat of a full-scale invasion from Russia. Though Russia maintains its denial, the evidence shared by the West of Russian armaments at full strength across Ukraine’s borders have done little to support Russian claims of non-aggression.
Here are the latest updates on the Ukrainian Crisis:
Olaf Scholz In Moscow
German chancellor Olaf Scholz is due to meet Russian president Vladimir Putin in Moscow later today. Scholz is the latest among leaders who have mounted a diplomatic mission to deter Moscow from its objectives with respect to Ukraine. Scholz, who has faced criticism for not persuading Russia enough to deter it from its aggressive stance, earlier met Ukraine president Volodymyr Zelensky on Monday who highlighted that Russia was wielding the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline as a geopolitical weapon.
NATO Mulls New Deployments To Deter Russia
NATO member-states’ defence minister will meet later this week to decide on a plan to deploy four multinational battlegroups in southeastern Europe, news agency Reuters reported. The meeting which is scheduled to be held on Wednesday and Thursday will discuss the deployments following which military commanders might be asked to draw up plans to deploy battle groups of some 1,000 troops each to Bulgaria, Romania and possibly to Slovakia and Hungary, the news agency reported.
US Shifts Embassy Personnel To Lviv
The United States said that it is relocating its embassy in Kyiv to the western Ukrainian city of Lviv citing threat from the Russian buildup across Ukraine’s borders. Ukrainian officials in Kyiv told news agency AFP that no Americans were at the US embassy in Kyiv. In Lviv, a small consular presence was seen about 70 kilometres from Poland.
Lavrov-Putin ‘Speak’
Putin and his foreign minister, Sergei Lavrov held a carefully choreographed meeting where the latter outlined that there is a chance to reach agreements with the West over Ukraine. Lavrov told Putin that discussions in European capitals and Washington showed that there were openings for Russian demands. “I would suggest continuing,” Lavrov was quoted as saying in televised remarks.
“Fine,” Putin replied.
Japan, Brazil Dial Kyiv, Moscow
Japanese prime minister Fumio Kishida will speak to Ukraine president Volodymyr Zelensky to discuss the current crisis. Japanese officials in the prime minister’s office familiar with the developments told AFP that Tokyo expresses ‘grave concern’ about the risks of an invasion. “We’ll continue to monitor the situation with high vigilance, while coordinating closely with G7 countries to deal with any developments appropriately,” Kishida was quoted as saying by news agency AFP.
Brazil president Jair Bolsonaro is scheduled to meet Russian president Vladimir Putin as he embarks on a trip to Moscow. Bolsonaro said the trip is meant to build bilateral trade relations since Brazil depends on Russian fertilisers. Meanwhile, his foreign minister Carlos Franca spoke to Ukrainian counterpart Dmytro Kuleba and assured that Brazil supports peaceful resolution to the recent crisis.
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