Ukraine crisis
Russia expels second US ambassador and demands withdrawal of US troops from Eastern and Central Europe
Russia’s President Vladimir Putin is clearly showing the West what he thinks of him.
© Alexei Nikolsky/Pool Sputnik Government/AP/DPA
In the Ukraine conflict, Russia made a clear announcement: the country expelled the second US ambassador from Moscow and called on the United States to withdraw troops. The West, meanwhile, is becoming more and more nervous – and continues to worry about a Russian invasion.
Russia has expelled US Deputy Ambassador Bart Gorman amid the Ukraine crisis. This was done “without reason” and represents a “step of escalation,” said the State Department in Washington on Thursday. “We’ll check our answer.”
In addition, the country is demanding the withdrawal of all US soldiers from Eastern and Central Europe. If the United States does not provide the required security guarantees, Moscow “would be forced to react, including with military-technical means,” the Russian Foreign Ministry said in its written reply to a letter from Washington.
Russia conflict: “You can’t be naive”
Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) continues to see a threatening situation on the border between Russia and Ukraine. Russia still has enough military potential there for an invasion, Scholz said after the EU heads of state and government discussed the Ukraine crisis in Brussels. “It’s threatening, and it will remain a threatening situation, and you can’t be naïve.” He reiterated the dual strategy towards Russia: on the one hand the threat of tough sanctions, on the other hand a willingness to talk.
Russian troops on the border with Ukraine: These satellite photos make the West nervous
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Contrary to considerable doubts from the USA and NATO, Russia confirmed the partial withdrawal of its troops. After the completion of maneuvers, tanks from the western military district were prepared for transport, the Ministry of Defense announced in Moscow.
US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, on the other hand, accused Russia of further increasing troops and equipment on the border with Ukraine. After the deliberations of the defense ministers of the NATO allies in Brussels, Austin said: The Russians asserted that they would withdraw some of their forces after the exercises were completed, “but we don’t see that – quite the opposite”.
US President Joe Biden also assesses the risk of an invasion as “very high”. In his estimation, it could happen “in the next few days”. EU leaders met in Brussels for a special meeting to speed up preparations for possible sanctions against Russia in the event of aggression.
Everything indicates that Russia is ready to attack Ukraine, Biden said. There is also reason to believe that Moscow is involved in a false flag operation, a term used to describe contrivance to artificially stage a pretext for an attack. Similar concerns were expressed by NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg and EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell.