The crisis intensifies in the East. Follow live all the information on the tensions between Ukraine and Russia, while the various protagonists increase the deployment of troops and military maneuvers.
THE ESSENTIALS TO REMEMBER
> Russia has massed some 100,000 troops in recent months near its border with Ukraine.
> Russia wants Ukraine to commit never to join NATO.
> According to the United States, an invasion of Ukraine by Russia could “intervene at any time”.
10:38 p.m.
Canada has decided to “temporarily relocate” some of its military personnel stationed in Ukraine elsewhere in Europe, due to the situation in the region, the Canadian Ministry of Defense announced on Sunday.
The ministry specifies in a press release that this temporary repositioning of “elements” of its contingent assigned to the training of the Ukrainian army “does not mean the end of the mission” of the Canadian military but allows Canada to “refocus its efforts while ensuring the safety of members of the Canadian Armed Forces”.
Ottawa did not give details on the number of the soldiers concerned or on the place of their repositioning.
9:57 p.m.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky invited US President Joe Biden to Kiev on Sunday to show Washington’s support in the face of the risk of a Russian invasion.
“I am convinced that your visit to Kyiv in the coming days (…) would be a strong signal and help stabilize the situation,” the Ukrainian presidency said, citing a statement by Mr. Zelensky to Mr. Biden during the meeting. a phone conversation between the two men earlier in the day.
8:43 p.m.
Faced with the specter of an invasion of Ukraine by Russia, many states are calling on their nationals to leave the country and modifying or reducing the presence of their diplomatic personnel.
Among the countries that have called on their nationals to leave Ukraine are the United States, Germany, Italy, Great Britain, Ireland, Belgium, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Canada, Norway, Estonia, Lithuania, Bulgaria, Slovenia, Australia, Japan, Israel, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.
7:06 p.m.
US President Joe Biden and his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky agreed to pursue “diplomacy” and “deterrence” against Russia during a phone conversation lasting about 50 minutes on Sunday, the White House reported.
“Both leaders agreed on the importance of continuing diplomacy and deterrence in response to Russian military buildup on Ukraine’s borders,” according to the US executive’s minutes.
During this exchange, Joe Biden again promised a “swift and resolute” response from the United States, in coordination with its allies, in the event of a Russian attack, and reaffirmed its support for “the sovereignty and integrity territory of Ukraine”.
3:54 p.m.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky will speak on the phone to his American counterpart Joe Biden “in the coming hours” about the Russian-Western crisis around Ukraine, announced the spokesman for Ukrainian President Serguiï Nikiforov.
“Volodymyr Zelensky will discuss the security situation and diplomatic efforts for de-escalation with US President Joe Biden in the coming hours,” the spokesperson announced on Facebook.
3:33 p.m.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz warned on Sunday that Western sanctions against Russia would take effect “immediately” if Moscow invades Ukraine.
“In the event of a military aggression against Ukraine, which would endanger its sovereignty and territorial integrity, this would lead to tough sanctions, which we have prepared carefully and which we can implement immediately with our allies in Europe. and within NATO”, declared Mr. Scholz, on the eve of a displacement in Kiev then, Tuesday in Moscow.
2:07 p.m.
The Ukrainian government promised on Sunday to keep its airspace open despite a threat of Russian invasion.
“The airspace above Ukraine remains open, the state is working to prevent risks for airlines,” the infrastructure ministry said in a statement posted on Facebook.
1:30 p.m.
The Ukrainian government promised on Sunday to keep its airspace open despite a threat of Russian invasion. “The airspace above Ukraine remains open, the state is working to prevent risks for airlines,” the infrastructure ministry said in a statement posted on Facebook.
11:35 a.m.
Britain’s Defense Secretary Ben Wallace said there was a ‘Munich scent in the air’ about Ukraine, referring to the 1938 deal with Nazi Germany that didn’t was able to prevent World War II.
Russia can “launch an offensive at any time”, with around 130,000 of its soldiers positioned along the Ukrainian border, estimated the minister, who went to Moscow on Friday to plead for a de-escalation, in an interview with Sunday Times.
10:44 am
Canada announced on Saturday February 12 to temporarily close its embassy in Kiev and move its operations to a temporary office in Lviv, in the west of the country. The decision was taken “due to the deterioration of the situation caused by the deployment of Russian troops on the border”, explained Foreign Minister Mélanie Joly, quoted in a press release.
The United States, which on Saturday ordered the departure of most of the staff from its embassy in Kiev, also transferred employees responsible for essential services to Lviv, about 70 km from the border with Poland.
