danger of war
US warns of Russian invasion of Ukraine
Satellite image of Luninets airfield in Belarus. Shown are Sukhoi Su-25 ground attack aircraft. Photo: Uncredited/Satellite image ©2022 Maxar Technologies. via AP/dpa
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Statements by the US government that a Russian invasion of Ukraine may be imminent are ringing alarm bells in Europe. Moscow reacts angrily.
Moscow has sharply rejected US warnings of a possible Russian attack on neighboring Ukraine. Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov accused the United States of a “propaganda campaign” with “provocative goals” on Saturday.
The Russian ambassador in Washington, Anatoly Antonov, complained about “alarmism” without evidence. In Europe, on the other hand, concerns about Russian aggression are growing. Several states – including Germany – called on their citizens to leave Ukraine. Kremlin chief President Vladimir Putin wanted to phone US President Joe Biden in the evening given the tensions.
Moscow speaks of “propaganda campaign”
In a conversation with his US colleague Antony Blinken, Lavrov accused the US of increasing the risk of war by warning of a Russian attack. Ukraine is encouraged to “sabotage the Minsk agreements and harmful attempts at a military solution to the Donbass problem,” the Foreign Ministry said in Moscow. In a telephone call on Saturday, Putin also spoke to French President Emmanuel Macron about how the implementation of the peace plan for eastern Ukraine agreed in 2015 in Minsk, Belarus, could progress.
The Kremlin repeatedly accuses Kiev of not fulfilling its obligations under the agreements. Unlike the West, Russia sees the danger of war from the Ukrainian side and fears that they could try to use force to take back the breakaway areas in Luhansk and Donetsk.
Invasion could happen next week
The United States, on the other hand, warned on Friday that a Russian invasion of neighboring Ukraine could possibly take place as early as next week. Washington also announced the deployment of another 3,000 troops to Europe. National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan made it clear that the US believes a Russian invasion of Ukraine is possible before the end of the February 20 Winter Olympics in China.
The New York Times wrote that the United States had received intelligence information that Russia was discussing next Wednesday (February 16) as a target date for military action. But it could also be that this date is part of a disinformation campaign by Russia. A day earlier, on Tuesday, Chancellor Olaf Scholz is expected in Moscow for talks on the Ukraine crisis.
Ukraine is irritated
Even the Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyj was irritated by the alarming statements from Washington. “If you or anyone else has additional information about a 100 percent invasion on the 16th (February), please give us that information,” he said. Kiev is aware that there are risks. Still, there would be too many reports in the public space of a major war by Russia against Ukraine. “The enemy’s best friend is panic in our country,” Zelenskyy said in English to Western journalists.
Several countries – including Germany – have meanwhile called on their citizens to leave the country after the US warnings. «If you are currently in Ukraine, check whether your presence is mandatory. If not, leave at short notice, »wrote the Federal Foreign Office in a new travel warning. Other EU countries such as Belgium and the Netherlands published similar notices. The USA, Great Britain, Denmark and Australia, among others, had previously asked their citizens to leave the country.
German embassy remains open
During a visit to Egypt, however, Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock emphasized that she wanted to keep the German embassy in Kiev open. However, the staff will be reduced. According to the Federal Foreign Office, the German consulate general in Dnipro will be temporarily relocated to Lviv (Lemberg). In future, this will enable employees to work further away from the so-called line of contact between the Ukrainian government troops and the Russian-backed separatists in eastern Ukraine.
The US State Department, in turn, announced that it wanted to reduce the staff in its embassy in Kiev “to an absolute minimum”. In addition, the US military is withdrawing forces from Ukraine because of the tense situation that were deployed there for training purposes.
Russia is also reducing its embassy presence
Other states are also reducing their embassy presence in Ukraine – including Russia. In contrast to the West, however, Moscow justified the step with “possible provocations by the Kiev regime or third countries”. Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova directed the accusations towards the West: “Considering the significant influence that Washington and London have on Kiev (…), we draw the conclusion that our American and British colleagues seem to be aware of the preparations for military action in Ukraine, which could significantly complicate the situation in the security sector.”