Russia Ukraine Conflict Highlights | Russia announced a new drawdown of military forces from the Moscow-annexed Crimean peninsula on Thursday, despite Ukraine's Western allies meeting similar announcements with scepticism.
"Units of the southern military district that ended tactical exercises at training grounds on the Crimean peninsula are returning by rail to their permanent bases," the defence ministry said in a statement carried by Russian news agencies.
State-run television showed columns of military hardware crossing a recently-constructed bridge connecting the peninsula to the Russian mainland.
Thursday's announcement is the latest reported drawdown of a Russian military force estimated by the West to be more than 100,000 troops, which Washington had said could be preparing to invade.
NATO, the United States and European leaders have denied, however, that there is any meaningful pullback of Russian troops and Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky said Moscow's military personnel were actually rotating.
Russia took control of the Crimean peninsula in 2014 and threw its weight behind pro-Moscow separatists in fighting that broke out that year and has claimed more than 14,000 lives.
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Russia Ukraine Conflict LIVE Updates | Reiterate our call for the peaceful resolution of the situation: India at UNSC
We reiterate our call for the peaceful resolution of the situation by sincere and sustained diplomatic efforts to ensure that concerns of all sides are amicably resolved through constructive dialogue: India's Permanent Rep to United Nations TS Tirumurti, at UNSC meeting on Ukraine.
Russia Ukraine Conflict LIVE Updates | Well-being of Indian nationals is of priority to us: India at UNSC
More than 20,000 Indian students and nationals live and study in different parts of Ukraine, including in its border areas. The well-being of Indian nationals is of priority to us: India's Permanent Rep to United Nations TS Tirumurti, at UNSC meeting on Ukraine
Russia Ukraine Conflict LIVE Updates |
India's interest is in finding a solution that can provide for immediate de-escalation of tensions taking into account legitimate security interests of all countries to secure long-term peace,stability in the region & beyond: India at UNSC meeting on Ukraine
Russia Ukraine Conflict LIVE Updates | Quiet and constructive diplomacy is the need of the hour: India's stance at UN
Any steps that increase tension may best be avoided by all sides in the larger interest of securing international peace and security. Quiet and constructive diplomacy is the need of the hour: India's Permanent Representative to United Nations TS Tirumurti, at UNSC meeting on Ukraine
Russia Ukraine Conflict LIVE Updates | West wants war with Russia: Russia at UNSC
The only goal of the West is to organise a war. If this is not the case, then the puppet govt of Ukraine would have been compelled to implement the Minsk agreement a long time ago. Since this is not taking place, we can state that the West wants a war with Russia: Russia at UNSC
Russia Ukraine Conflict LIVE Updates | Ukraine acknowledged that there is no pressure to implement Minsk Agreement : Russia at UNSC
Yesterday the Vice President of Ukraine stated that there will be no new laws on the special status of Donbas, so no direct agreements. She also acknowledged that there is no pressure exerted by the West on them to implement the Minsk agreement: Russia at UNSC
Russia Ukraine Conflict LIVE Updates | Russia can announce today that it will not invade Ukraine : US Secy of State Antony Blinken at UNSC
Russia can announce today that it will not invade Ukraine, state it clearly and plainly to the world. And then demonstrate it by sending your troops, tanks back to their barracks and hangars, and sending diplomats to negotiating table: US Secy of State Antony Blinken at UNSC
Russia Ukraine Conflict LIVE Updates | Need to implement the Minsk Agreement to solve the crisis, says US Secretary of State Antony Blinken
This Council's primary responsibility is the preservation of peace & security. The most immediate threat to peace & security is Russia's looming aggression against Ukraine. This crisis directly affects every member of this Council and all countries of the world.Russia plans to manufacture a pretext for its attack. This could be a violent event that Russia will blame on Ukraine or an outrageous accusation against the Ukraine govt.Diplomacy is the only responsible way to resolve this crisis and an essential part of this is through the implementation of the Minsk Agreement :US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Russia-Ukraine tensions, at UNSC meeting in New York
Russia Ukraine Conflict LIVE Updates | Russia will be 'forced to respond' if no US security guarantees
Russia announced Thursday it could respond militarily if Washington does not meet its security demands and said it wanted all US troops out of Eastern and Central Europe. "In the absence of will on the American side to negotiate firm and legally binding guarantees on our security from the United States and its allies, Russia will be forced to respond, including with military-technical measures," the foreign ministry said. The statement is the latest in a back-and-forth between Russia and the West that started in December when Moscow put forward sweeping security demands to Washington and NATO. The United States rejected key Russian demands, including a ban on Ukraine joining NATO and clauses limiting Western influence in Eastern Europe and former Soviet states.
Russia Ukraine Conflict LIVE Updates | UN urges 'restraint' by all parties amid fresh shelling in eastern Ukraine
The United Nations urged restraint by all parties in eastern Ukraine amid fresh shelling incidents Thursday that violated a ceasefire under the Minsk Agreement. "If verified, these must not be allowed to escalate further. We call on all sides to exercise maximum restraint at this sensitive time," Rosemary DiCarlo, the UN undersecretary general for political affairs, told a Security Council meeting on Ukraine. DiCarlo called the current situation, with what the United States says is some 150,000 troops positioned on Ukraine's border for a possible invasion, "extremely dangerous." DiCarlo called the issues underlying the confrontation "complex and longstanding." "Although seemingly intractable, given the stakes involved for our collective security and European stability, these issues can and must be solved through diplomacy," she said.
Russia Ukraine Conflict LIVE Updates | We seek to resolve this crisis diplomatically but are prepared to impose severe measures, says US Secretary of State
I just arrived in New York City. I will address the UN Security Council regarding Russia's threat to peace & security. We seek to resolve this crisis diplomatically but are prepared to impose severe measures should Russia further invade Ukraine: US Secy of State Antony Blinken
Russia Ukraine Conflict LIVE Updates | Gold hits 8-month high as Ukraine-Russia conflict escalates
Gold touched an eight-month high on Thursday, after Russian news reports of a mortar fire in eastern Ukraine boosted demand for the safe-haven metal and as less hawkish signals from U.S. Federal Reserve's last meeting minutes underpinned bullion. Spot gold rose 0.8% to $1,883.17 per ounce by 1153 GMT, after rising as much as 1.3% to $1,892.91, its highest since June 11. U.S. gold futures gained 0.7% to $1,885.10. "The Ukraine crisis has given extra momentum to bullion bulls who had been gravitating towards gold as an inflation hedge, evidenced by the recent surge of inflows into bullion-backed ETFs," Exinity analyst Han Tan said.
Russia Ukraine Conflict LIVE Updates | ''Every indication'' Russia prepared to attack Ukraine, says US President Joe Biden
President Joe Biden said on Thursday that there is a very high risk of a Russian invasion of Ukraine and that could happen within several days. Speaking at the White House, Biden said the United States saw no signs of a claimed Russian withdrawal of forces along its border with Ukraine.Ukraine and pro-Russian separatists within Ukraine earlier exchanged fire on Thursday across a frontline that divides them, in what Western officials described as a possible pretext created by Moscow to invade.
Biden ordered Secretary of State Antony Blinken to change his travel plans at the last minute to speak at a United Nations Security Council meeting on Ukraine. "The evidence on the ground is that Russia is moving toward an imminent invasion. This is a crucial moment," U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, Linda Thomas-Greenfield, told reporters.
Russia Ukraine Conflict LIVE Updates | Russia expels US deputy chief of mission in Moscow
U.S. Embassy spokesman told a Russian news agency Thursday that Russia has expelled the deputy chief of of the U.S. mission in Moscow. No details were given of why Bart Gorman was expelled. The State Department confirmed the expulsion, calling it unprovoked. The move comes amid heightened tensions between Russia and the U.S., fueled by fears that Moscow plans to invade Ukraine. Spokesman Jason Rebholz told the state RIA Novosti news agency that Gorman was second in command in the U.S. Embassy in Moscow and had an open visa. He spent less than three years in Moscow, the report said.
Russia Ukraine Conflict LIVE Updates | Ukraine-Russia crisis: What to know as Russia moves troops
Tensions spiked anew over Ukraine after the United States and its allies said Russia had not drawn down troops as it claimed. A day after Moscow had said it was returning troops to bases, the NATO allies said Russia is actually building up border forces near Ukraine. At the same time, separatist authorities in the Luhansk region of eastern Ukraine are reporting an increase in Ukrainian shelling along a tense line of contact in the east. Ukraine disputes the claim. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken is scheduled to attend a security conference in Munich, where Russia will be the focus, and the U.N. Security Council holds its annual meeting on the agreements that sought the end of war in the Donbas region of Ukraine in 2015.
Heres a look at what is happening where and why:
WHAT ARE RUSSIAN TROOPS DOING?
NATO allies are accusing Russia of misleading the world by saying it has returned some troops to bases. Instead, they say some 7,000 troops have been added to a tense border with Ukraine. The British government called Russias claim to be withdrawing troops from the border disinformation, in line with statements from the United States on Wednesday. Armed Forces Minister James Heappey told Sky News that he thought Russia and Ukraine were closer to a conflict on Thursday than at the start of the week.
Maxar Technologies, a commercial satellite imagery company that has been monitoring the Russian buildup, reported continued heightened military activity near Ukraine, including a new pontoon bridge and a new field hospital in Belarus.
Russia has massed an estimated 150,000-plus troops on three sides of Ukraine in recent weeks, though denies it is plotting an invasion. It says that Ukraine and other former Soviet nations to remain out of NATO, halt weapons deployment near Russian borders and rollback from Eastern Europe. The U.S. and its allies have rejected the demands, but have offered to engage in talks on bolstering security in Europe.
WHAT IS HAPPENING ALONG THE UKRAINIAN BORDER?
Separatist authorities in the Luhansk region reported an increase in Ukrainian shelling along the tense line of contact, describing it as a large-scale provocation. Separatist official Rodion Miroshnik said that rebel forces have returned the fire.
Ukraine disputed the claim, saying that separatists had shelled its forces, but they didnt fire back. The Ukrainian military command charged that shells hit a kindergarten building, wounding two civilians, and cut power supply to half of the town.
There are concerns that a flare-up in the east could be used by Russia as a pretext for rolling across the border though there was no immediate sign that the fighting was more intense than usual.
WHAT'S HAPPENING ON THE DIPLOMATIC FRONT?
EU Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen said Thursday that diplomacy has not yet spoken its last word.
The U.N. Security Council holds its annual meeting to discuss a peace agreement for the separatist conflict in eastern Ukraine. The meeting is chaired by Russia, which holds the rotating council presidency this month.
Italys foreign minister met with his Russian counterpart in Moscow and said moves for a diplomatic solution were continuing, adding a diplomatic solution means avoiding any kind of sanctions.
Russia Ukraine Conflict LIVE Updates | EU leaders meet to discuss Ukraine crisis, push diplomacy
European Union leader held a short summit meeting Thursday to assess the chances of diplomacy to unlock the standoff over Ukraine and discuss sanctions in case Russia invades its neighbor. The hastily called summit preceded a two-day EU-Africa meeting which brought the 27 EU leaders to Brussels. The meeting was not expected to go into deep detail of what sanctions should be used and how those measures would hit the economies of the member states, officials said. Diplomacy has not yet spoken its last word. That is good and we have still hope that peace will prevail," said EU Commission president Ursula von der Leyen. The EU has joined the United Kingdom and the United States in insisting that Russia would be hit with massive sanctions if it invades Ukraine. Before heading into the summit, von der Leyen joined calls for Russia to physically provide proof its troops are moving away from confrontation near the Ukraine border. Now we hear claims from Russia about pulling back troops, but we have not seen any signs so far of de-escalation on the ground, she said. To the contrary, we see that the build-up continues. Therefore, now we need deeds to trust the words we have heard. We will not let our guard down.The main aim of the meeting was to make sure that even if potential sanctions hurt some member nations more than others, they would not affect the unity of the bloc.
Russia Ukraine Conflict LIVE Updates | U.S. Secretary of State to unexpectedly speak at U.N. Ukraine meeting
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken changed his travel plans at the last minute on Thursday to speak at a United Nations Security Council meeting on Ukraine amid rising tensions over a build-up of Russian troops on Ukraine's borders. "The evidence on the ground is that Russia is moving toward an imminent invasion. This is a crucial moment," U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, Linda Thomas-Greenfield, told reporters.The 15-member Security Council is set to meet to discuss the Minsk agreements, endorsed by the council in 2015, which aim to end an 8-year-long conflict between the Ukrainian army and Russian-backed separatists in the east of the country.
Russia Ukraine Conflict LIVE Updates | NATO: Russia misleads world on troop movements near Ukraine
NATO allies accused Russia of misleading the world and disseminating disinformation by saying it was returning some troops to bases, charging that Moscow has instead added as many as 7,000 more troops near its tense border with Ukraine.
Russia Ukraine Conflict LIVE Updates |
Senior US official says Russia has delivered response to US, NATO proposals on European security, Ukraine
Russia Ukraine Conflict LIVE Updates | U.S. says Russia inching troops closer to Ukraine, stocking up on blood supplies
The United States has seen Russia stocking up on blood supplies, inching troops closer to Ukraine's borders and flying in more combat aircraft, U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said on Thursday, dismissing Moscow claims of withdrawal. "I was a soldier myself not that long ago. I know firsthand that you don't do these sorts of things for no reason," said Austin, a retired Army general. "And you certainly don't do them if you're getting ready to pack up and go home." Moscow denies it is planning to invade its neighbour and said this week it was pulling back some troops. Russia's defence ministry released video it said showed more departing units.
Russia Ukraine Conflict LIVE Updates | UK says Russia attempting to fabricate pretext to invade Ukraine
British Foreign Secretary Liz Truss accused Russia on Thursday of seeking to fabricate a pretext to invade Ukraine after Moscow expressed concerns about escalating military activity in the Donbass region of eastern Ukraine. Earlier, Russian-backed separatists and Ukrainian government forces traded accusations of firing shells across the ceasefire line in the Donbass region of eastern Ukraine, in what Kyiv said appeared to be a "provocation". Western countries fear Moscow, which has massed an estimated 150,000 troops near Russia's borders with Ukraine, may try to engineer an escalation of the fighting in eastern Ukraine as an excuse to intervene directly.
Russia Ukraine Conflict LIVE Updates | No immediate plan to evacuate Indians from Ukraine, focus on ensuring their safety: Govt
India does not have any immediate plan to evacuate its citizens from Ukraine and its focus has been on ensuring their safety rather than on anything "larger", the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said on Thursday. MEA spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said at a media briefing that India has been supportive of an immediate de-escalation of tensions and resolution of the Ukraine crisis through sustained diplomatic dialogue
Russia Ukraine Conflict LIVE Updates | Ukraine, Russia-backed rebels trade accusations of shelling across front
Russian-backed rebels and Ukrainian forces traded accusations on Thursday that each had fired across the ceasefire line in eastern Ukraine, raising alarm at a time when Western countries have warned of the possibility of a Russian invasion any day.The details of the incidents could not be independently confirmed, and the initial reports suggested they were on a similar scale to ceasefire violations that have been common throughout the eight year conflict. But they come at a time of global concern over the prospect of a wider war, with more than 100,000 Russian troops near the Ukrainian frontier. Moscow denies it is planning an invasion and has said this week it is pulling back some troops, though Western countries say they are not convinced.
Russia Ukraine Conflict LIVE Updates | Oil falls, caught between Iran talks and Ukraine crisis
Oil prices fell on Thursday as talks to resurrect a nuclear deal with Iran entered their final stages, but losses were capped by heightened tensions between top energy exporter Russia and the West over Ukraine. Brent crude traded down $1.26, or 1.3%, at $93.55 a barrel by 0914 GMT. U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude was down $1.34, or 1.4%, at $92.32. Both contracts fell more than 2% earlier in the session. "(The) oil market is locked in a tug of war between Iranian sanctions relief and Russian-Ukraine tensions," said Stephen Brennock at brokerage PVM Oil.
Russia Ukraine Conflict LIVE Updates | Russia assures Italy it wants diplomatic solution to Ukraine crisis
Italian Foreign Minister Luigi Di Maio said on Thursday that his Russian counterpart, Sergei Lavrov, had assured him Moscow wanted to find a diplomatic solution to the Ukraine crisis. Speaking at a joint news conference following talks, Di Maio said he welcomed an announcement by Lavrov that Russia would send a reply to the United States later in the day on the issue of security guarantees."I think it's very good news, a very good signal," Di Maio said.
Russia Ukraine Conflict LIVE Updates | Ukraine says Russian-backed artillery strike hits kindergarten, no injuries
Ukraine's military on Thursday accused Russian-backed forces in eastern Ukraine of firing shells at a village in the Luhansk region, hitting a kindergarten.The military said no injuries were caused.Earlier Russian-backed separatists in eastern Ukraine accused government forces of opening fire on their territory four times in the past 24 hours and said they were trying to establish if anyone had been hurt or killed.
Russia Ukraine Conflict LIVE Updates | Russia announces new military withdrawal from annexed Crimea
Russia announced a new drawdown of military forces from the Moscow-annexed Crimean peninsula on Thursday, despite Ukraine's Western allies meeting similar announcements with scepticism. "Units of the southern military district that ended tactical exercises at training grounds on the Crimean peninsula are returning by rail to their permanent bases," the defence ministry said in a statement carried by Russian news agencies.
State-run television showed columns of military hardware crossing a recently-constructed bridge connecting the peninsula to the Russian mainland. Thursday's announcement is the latest reported drawdown of a Russian military force estimated by the West to be more than 100,000 troops, which Washington had said could be preparing to invade.
Russia Ukraine Conflict LIVE Updates | UK says Russia could drag out Ukraine crisis 'for months'
Russia could drag out the Ukraine crisis for "months" in a challenge to western unity, British Foreign Secretary Liz Truss said Thursday, ahead of a visit to Kyiv. Truss warned of "severe economic costs for Russia" if it did invade, adding that it would make it "unconscionable" for its lucrative Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline to Europe to go ahead. The United States on Wednesday dismissed reports that Russia was withdrawing troops and accused Moscow of sending more soldiers.
"There is currently no evidence the Russians are withdrawing from border regions near Ukraine," Truss wrote in the Daily Telegraph. She said Moscow "could drag this out much longer in a brazen ploy to spend weeks more – if not months – subverting Ukraine and challenging Western unity. "We cannot allow this situation to become a running sore," she added. Britain's head of military intelligence said late Wednesday that "contrary to their claims, Russia continues to build up military capabilities near Ukraine.
"This includes sightings of additional armoured vehicles, helicopters and a field hospital moving towards Ukraine's borders. Russia has the military mass in place to conduct an invasion of Ukraine," he said. Foreign minister Truss will leave London on Thursday to visit several European countries as part of diplomatic efforts to deter a Russian invasion of Ukraine. She will meet Ukrainian and Polish counterparts during visits to both nations, before attending the Munich Security Conference in the southern German city on Saturday.
"Our friends such as Ukraine and Poland have lived in the constant shadow of such threatening behaviour for generations. That is why we must be unyielding in defence of self-determination and sovereignty," she wrote. Russia is demanding a ban on Ukraine from entering NATO, but Truss said "we must preserve NATO's open door policy and Ukraine's right to choose its own path." British defence minister Ben Wallace, speaking to Sky News, warned Russia President Vladimir Putin that Moscow's aggressive military actions in 2014 resulted in "more troops on your borders, more defence spending throughout NATO. "That is the strategic error Putin is potentially about to make," he added.
Russia Ukraine Conflict LIVE Updates | Russian tanks at Belarus-Ukraine border stir up anger ... at US
Ukrainian pensioner Lidiya Silina would take her trash out on the Belarusian side of the border opposite the twisty stream. That was until trouble started and the Russian tanks came. But the 87-year-old has a clear idea about who is to blame for the most dangerous standoff between the Kremlin and the West since the Cold War. "The Ukrainians could start something, thanks to the Americans and the British, who brought all their weapons here," she says in the green wooden shack she calls home.
"For them, Ukraine is just a field of battle with Russia." Silina's snow-covered vegetable garden starts on the northern edge of Ukraine and ends at what has become one the world's most militarised frontiers, and the western edge of Russia sits just 20 kilometres (12 miles) east of her picket fence.
Russia Ukraine Conflict LIVE Updates | European stocks mostly higher at open
Europe's top stock markets mostly rose at the start of trading Thursday, as traders reacted to mixed earnings news and kept a close watch on Ukraine developments. Frankfurt's DAX index gained 0.3 percent to 15,418.70 points and the Paris CAC 40 grew 0.7 percent to 7,010.11. Outside the eurozone, London's FTSE 100 index dipped 0.1 percent to 7,598.18 points.
Russia Ukraine Conflict LIVE Updates | Amid Russia-Ukraine conflict, UK to scrap 'golden visa' scheme
The UK government is planning to abolish the visas offering foreign investors fast-track residency in the country amid the pressure to cut ties with Russia after its actions over Ukraine. The announcement to scrap Tier 1 “investor visa”, often called a “golden visa” may come next week, reported BBC citing a government source in the United Kingdom.
Meanwhile, Russia announced a new drawdown of military forces from the Moscow-annexed Crimean peninsula on February 17, continuing a troop withdrawal that was met with scepticism from Ukraine's Western allies. The Tier 1 investor visas are for those who show they have at least 2 million pound to invest in the UK. These visas offer residency to those investing 2 million pound or more in the UK, and allows their families to join them. These visa holders can then apply for permanent residency in the country, at a speed depending on how much they invest.
The scheme was introduced in 2008 in order to encourage wealthy people from outside the European Union (EU) to invest in the UK. As per the scheme, a 2 million pound investment allows an application within five years, shortened to three years with 5 million pound or two years if 10 million pound is invested.
Russia Ukraine Conflict LIVE Updates | Russia announces new military withdrawal from annexed Crimea
Russia announced a new drawdown of military forces from the Moscow-annexed Crimean peninsula Thursday, continuing a troop withdrawal that was met with scepticism from Ukraine's Western allies. "Units of the southern military district that ended tactical exercises at training grounds on the Crimean peninsula are returning by rail to their permanent bases," the defence ministry said in a statement carried by Russian news agencies.
Meanwhile, Europe's top stock markets mostly rose at the start of trading Thursday, as traders reacted to mixed earnings news and kept a close watch on Ukraine developments. Frankfurt's DAX index gained 0.3 percent to 15,418.70 points and the Paris CAC 40 grew 0.7 percent to 7,010.11. Outside the eurozone, London's FTSE 100 index dipped 0.1 percent to 7,598.18 points.
Russia Ukraine Conflict LIVE Updates | Go First will evaluate operating flights to Ukraine: Airline official
Budget carrier Go First will evaluate the option of operating chartered passenger flights to Ukraine if there is a proposal from the government, a senior airline official said on Thursday. India has asked its citizens to temporarily leave Ukraine amid rising tensions between the Eastern European country and Russia. In efforts to facilitate travel of Indians from Ukraine, the civil aviation ministry has removed the restrictions on the number of flights that can be operated between two countries under the air bubble arrangement.
"We will look at it (mounting passenger flights to Ukarine), if there is a requirement, we will evaluate," the official told PTI. The official also said the government has not yet approached the airline regarding operating flights to Ukraine. The ministry has removed the restrictions on the number of flights and seats between India and Ukraine under the air bubble arrangement.
Any number of flights including chartered flights can be operated between the two countries, an official said on Thursday. The official also said that Indian carriers have been asked to look at having flights to Ukraine due to the increase in demand, adding that the ministry is coordinating with the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) regarding the flight services.
On Wednesday, Indian embassy in Kyiv said more flights are being planned in the near future to meet the additional demand. "The embassy of India has been receiving several appeals about non-availability of flights from Ukraine to India. In this regard, students are advised not to resort to panic, but book the earliest available and convenient flights to travel to India," it had said in a statement. It had also said the Ukrainian International Airlines, Air Arabia, Fly Dubai and Qatar Airways are operating flights at present from Ukraine.
Russia Ukraine Conflict LIVE Updates | Ukraine intelligence shows no proof of Russian troop withdrawal
The latest Ukrainian intelligence report compiled on Wednesday shows no evidence of Russia pulling back its forces from near Ukraine's borders, Defence Minister Oleksii Reznikov told Reuters in an interview. Ukraine will only believe Russia is serious about defusing the current crisis if it withdraws its troops, military hardware and weapons, including forces deployed in Belarus for drills that are due to end on Feb. 20, he said.
According to the Ukrainian military, about 140,000 combined Russian military and pro-Russian separatist forces are currently massed near Ukraine, including 125,000 ground troops. There are 9,000 Russian troops in Belarus alone, he said. By way of comparison, Reznikov said Ukraine has around 35,000 troops in its eastern Donbass region, where Kyiv has been battling a Russian-backed separatist insurgency since 2014.
Russia Ukraine Conflict LIVE Updates | G20 finance leaders' meeting begins with Ukraine warning
Finance ministers and central bank governors of G20 nations began a two-day meeting Thursday with Indonesia's leader warning the Ukraine crisis was a threat to the post-pandemic recovery. The Group of 20 -- which brings together the world's biggest economies including the US, China and some European nations -- is holding the talks in hybrid format in the Indonesian capital Jakarta.
Opening the meeting, Indonesian President Joko Widodo warned of the risks to the global economy of the crisis in Ukraine, where fears are growing that Russia is poised to invade. "This is not the time for rivalries and creating new tensions that disrupt the... recovery, let alone endanger the safety of the world, as is happening in Ukraine," he said. "All parties must stop the rivalry and tension."
The threat of a Russian invasion of its ex-Soviet neighbour presents a fresh challenge for a world already struggling to keep a recovery from the coronavirus pandemic on track as inflation surges. Ahead of the talks, US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen warned in an interview with AFP of further "global fallout" if the West moves ahead with punishing sanctions on Russia over the crisis.
Rocketing global inflation will also be in focus at the meeting, as central banks begin tightening rates and withdrawing massive stimulus introduced during the pandemic. Other issues on the agenda at the talks -- which were originally due to take place in Bali but were moved due to an Omicron virus wave -- include debt restructuring for poor countries and reform of global health systems.
Russia Ukraine Conflict LIVE Updates | Govt removes curbs on number of flights between India-Ukraine
The Ministry of Civil Aviation has removed the curbs on the number of flights that can be operated between India and Ukraine under the bilateral air bubble arrangement to facilitate travel of Indians from the eastern European nation. Amid the prevailing situation in Ukraine due to the rising tensions with Russia, India has advised its citizens to temporarily leave Ukraine.
The ministry has removed the restrictions on the number of flights and seats between India and Ukraine under the air bubble arrangement. Any number of flights including chartered flights can be operated between the two countries, an official told ANI today.The official said that Indian carriers have been asked to look at having flights to Ukraine due to the increase in demand, adding that the ministry is coordinating with the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) regarding the flight services.
On Wednesday, Indian embassy in Kyiv said more flights are being planned in the near future to meet the additional demand. "The embassy of India has been receiving several appeals about non-availability of flights from Ukraine to India. In this regard, students are advised not to resort to panic, but book the earliest available and convenient flights to travel to India," it had said in a statement.
It had also said the Ukrainian International Airlines, Air Arabia, Fly Dubai and Qatar Airways are operating flights at present from Ukraine. "To meet the additional demand, more flights are being planned in the near future, including from Ukrainian International Airlines, Air India, etc. Details on the same would be shared by embassy as and when confirmed," it had said.
Russia Ukraine Conflict LIVE Updates | Russia "likely" to launch a "limited" military attack against Ukraine - Estonian intelligence
Russia is continuing to move troops to the Ukrainian border and is likely to launch a "limited" military attack against the country, the head of the Estonian Foreign Intelligence Service said on Wednesday. The attack would include missile bombarding and the occupation of "key terrain" in Ukraine, Mikk Marran, Director General of Estonian Foreign Intelligence Service said. "Right now, our assessment is that they would avoid cities with large populations, as it takes a lot of troops to control those areas. But there is no clear understanding of what avenue the Russian troops might exploit," he told a media briefing held to introduce its annual report.
Russia Ukraine Conflict LIVE Updates | On unity day, flags convey endurance, defiance
The Ukrainian flags celebrated survival, endurance and above all, defiance. A pair of human chains grasped a blue and yellow banner along the edge of a stadium field in Kyiv, one on either side. Others clutched tiny flags individually on Wednesday, which Ukraine's president declared a day of national unity. One made it onto an Olympic podium in China.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called for displays of Ukrainian unity on a day that British and American intelligence officials had predicted might bring a Russian invasion as more than 130,000 Russian troops were massed on Ukraine's borders. Russia has denied any plans to attack Ukraine. Zelenskyy himself tempered his call for unity with skepticism that Feb. 16 marked anything other than yet another day Ukraine faced threats from its aggressive neighbor.
“Last night, I and many people were waiting for the war, but the war didn’t start, said Mikhail Risenberg, a student who took part in the ceremony in the eastern city of Kharkiv to show his readiness to resist possible Russian attack. In Kharkiv, a city located 40 kilometers (25 miles) from the Russian border, people dressed in traditional folk costumes and sang the national anthem during a solemn flag-raising ceremony.
In the city of Sievierodonetsk, which was seized by pro-Russian separatists in 2014 and taken back by the Ukrainian military two months later, hundreds wore blue and yellow ribbons. The city is now a provincial center of the Luhansk region, a hub for international organizations that monitor the volatile front lines with the separatists.
Russia Ukraine Conflict LIVE Updates | Olaf Scholz, Joe Biden demand 'real steps towards de-escalation' from Russia
US President Joe Biden and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz urged Moscow to take real steps to defuse tensions, as they warned that no significant withdrawal of Russian troops from the Ukraine border had been observed so far. "The risk of a further military agggression by Russia against Ukraine remains high, utmost caution is required," according to a statement issued by the German chancellery following a phone call between Scholz and Biden. "Russia must take real steps toward de-escalation," they added, renewing a warning that any further military aggression undertaken by Moscow against Ukraine would invite "extraordinarily serious consequences".
Scholz had telephoned Biden to brief the US leader on his face-to-face talks on Tuesday with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow. Both leaders welcomed Putin's statements that diplomatic efforts should continue to resolve the Ukraine crisis, and affirmed that they must be "pursued at full speed". AFP
Russia Ukraine Conflict LIVE Updates | US hopes India will support America if Russia attacks Ukraine
The US has hoped that India, which is committed to a rules-based international order, will stand by its side in case of a Russian invasion of Ukraine, which as per the Biden administration seems imminent with Moscow adding 7,000 troops to Ukraine's border in recent days. State Department Spokesperson Ned Price said on Wednesday that there was a discussion on Russia and Ukraine during the recently concluded Quad ministerial in Melbourne that included foreign ministers from Australia, India, Japan and the United States.
He said there was a strong consensus in that meeting that there needs to be a diplomatic and peaceful resolution to the Ukraine crisis. One of the core tenants of the Quad is to reinforce the rules-based international order. And that is a rules-based order that applies equally in the Indo-Pacific as it does in Europe, as it does anywhere else. We know that our Indian partners are committed to that rules-based international order. There are any number of tenets in that order. One of them is that borders cannot be redrawn by force," Price said in response to a question.
"That, large countries cannot bully small countries. That only the people of a particular country can be in a position to choose their foreign policy, their partnerships, their alliances, their associations. Those are principles that apply equally in the Indo-Pacific as they do in Europe," he said in an apparent reference to the aggressive behaviour by China against its neighbours, including India. India, the US and several other world powers have been talking about the need to ensure a free, open and thriving Indo-Pacific in the backdrop of China's rising military manoeuvring in the region.
Russia Ukraine Conflict LIVE Updates | US Dollar spikes on Ukraine jitters after Russia reports attack
The dollar bounced in the Asia session on Thursday after a Russian news report of mortar fire in eastern Ukraine sent investors worried about a wider war scurrying for safety. Russian-backed rebels accused Ukrainian forces of shelling their territory in violation of agreements aimed at ending conflict in the contested Donbass, the RIA news agency said.
The euro slipped as far as 0.4% on the report, before recovering slightly to $1.1340. The risk-sensitive Australian dollar lost as much as 0.6%. The safe-haven yen rose about 0.2% to 115.24 per dollar. "There is a lot of anxiety," said Bank of Singapore strategist Moh Siong Sim. "It's not clear whether it's some local event or something which could flare up...right now such headlines are keeping the markets a bit nervous."
The Russian rouble, which has been sensitive to the prospect of war as sanctions loom, fell 0.6%. The standoff on Europe's eastern edge is one of the deepest crises in East-West relations for decades. Earlier in the Asia day, a U.S. official said Russia was increasing troop numbers near its border with Ukraine rather than withdrawing, as Moscow claimed.
The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, also said Russia could "launch a false pretext at any moment" to justify an invasion. Safe-haven Treasuries rallied and U.S. stock futures fell with the mood in Asia, though the lack of clarity around the situation capped larger moves. The Australian dollar was last down 0.3% at $0.7178. The U.S. dollar index was up 0.1% to 95.952.
JAPAN DEFICIT
Economic data also added some support to the dollar on Thursday, offsetting some overnight softness when minutes from the Federal Reserve's last meeting were less hawkish than some investors had expected. Data showed Japan ran its biggest trade deficit in a single month in eight years in January, and that follows Europe's trade gap widening in December as energy prices surge.
Rates expectations held the kiwi and sterling steady. The New Zealand dollar was last flat at $0.6676 after touching a one-week high of $0.6703. A 25 basis point (bp) rate hike in New Zealand is fully priced for next week, with swaps trade pointing to a better-than-one-in-four chance of a 50 bp hike. March hike expectations are also holding sterling firm and it was last steady at $1.3589.
Ahead on Thursday speeches from Bank of Spain governor Pablo Hernández de Cos and European Central Bank (ECB) chief economist Philip Lane at 0800 GMT and 1400 GMT respectively will be closely watched for clues on the ECB outlook. Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis President James Bullard speaks at 1600 GMT and on Thursday U.S. jobless claims and the Philadelphia Fed manufacturing survey are also due.
Russia Ukraine Conflict LIVE Updates | US accuses Russia of deploying thousands more troops to Ukraine border
The United States dismissed reports that Russia was withdrawing troops from Ukraine's border, instead accusing Moscow of sending more soldiers as fears of an invasion grow. Russia has increased its presence on the border with Ukraine by "as many as 7,000 troops," some of whom arrived Wednesday, said a senior White House official, slamming Moscow's announcement of a withdrawal as "false." "We continue to receive indications they could launch a false pretext at any moment to justify an invasion." The official, who requested anonymity, added that while Moscow has said it wants to reach a diplomatic solution, its actions "indicate otherwise."
Russia Ukraine Conflict LIVE Updates | Ukraine rebels accuse govt forces of mortar shelling: Report
Russian-backed rebels in eastern Ukraine accused Kyiv government forces on Thursday of shelling their territory with mortars, in violation of agreements aimed at ending the conflict, the RIA news agency said. Russia has massed more than 100,000 troops close to Ukraine's borders while demanding that NATO pledge not to accept Kyiv as a member. An escalation in the years-long conflict with Donbass separatists could fuel tension between Russia and the West.
Russia Ukraine Conflict LIVE Updates | Ukraine intelligence shows no proof of Russian troop withdrawal
The latest Ukrainian intelligence report compiled on Wednesday shows no evidence of Russia pulling back its forces from near Ukraine's borders, Defence Minister Oleksii Reznikov told Reuters in an interview. Ukraine will only believe Russia is serious about defusing the current crisis if it withdraws its troops, military hardware and weapons, including forces deployed in Belarus for drills that are due to end on Feb. 20, he said.
According to the Ukrainian military, about 140,000 combined Russian military and pro-Russian separatist forces are currently massed near Ukraine, including 125,000 ground troops. There are 9,000 Russian troops in Belarus alone, he said. By way of comparison, Reznikov said Ukraine has around 35,000 troops in its eastern Donbass region, where Kyiv has been battling a Russian-backed separatist insurgency since 2014.
SCEPTICISM
His comments underscored the scepticism in Ukraine and among its Western supporters about Russia's assertion that it is pulling back troops after exercises near Ukraine. The West fears they could be used to launch a military assault on Ukraine, something Moscow has repeatedly denied. Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, speaking in a televised briefing later on Wednesday from the Azov Sea port of Mariupol, also struck a sceptical note on Russia's statements.
"We have seen a large accumulation of (Russian) troops. This has not changed in recent weeks, we see small rotations. I would not call these rotations a withdrawal of the Russian Federation's troops," he said. The Russian defence ministry has published footage that it said showed tanks, infantry fighting vehicles and self-propelled artillery units leaving the Crimean peninsula, which Moscow seized from Ukraine in 2014.
"Unfortunately, we cannot confirm this information by objective indicators. This is not confirmed either by Ukrainian intelligence data or by the data of the intelligence communities of our strategic partners," Reznikov said. Even if Russian troops moved away from one location, Reznikov said that would likely only be a "migration" to another area near Ukraine, and not a genuine pullback.
"All the troops that they brought up... must return to their permanent deployment points. Then it will be clear that they have cancelled their aggressive plans," he said. "Withdrawal of people is not enough - weapons and equipment must also leave," Reznikov added. Ukraine's defence ministry has been hit by what the government described as the largest denial of service attack in the country's history this week. The government suspects Russia could be behind the attack. Moscow has denied any involvement. Reznikov said the hack had not damaged the defence ministry's web portal and did not affect Ukraine's closed command and control systems. He said the ministry wanted to set up special cyber units to deal with such attacks in future.
Russia Ukraine Conflict LIVE Updates | Russia "likely" to launch a "limited" military attack against Ukraine - Estonian intelligence
Russia is continuing to move troops to the Ukrainian border and is likely to launch a "limited" military attack against the country, the head of the Estonian Foreign Intelligence Service said on Wednesday. The attack would include missile bombarding and the occupation of "key terrain" in Ukraine, Mikk Marran, Director General of Estonian Foreign Intelligence Service said. "Right now, our assessment is that they would avoid cities with large populations, as it takes a lot of troops to control those areas. But there is no clear understanding of what avenue the Russian troops might exploit," he told a media briefing held to introduce its annual report.
Russia Ukraine Conflict LIVE Updates | Ukraine asks U.N. Security Council to discuss Russian bid to recognize separatists
Ukraine has asked the United Nations Security Council to discuss on Thursday a bid by Russia's parliament to recognize self-proclaimed separatists in eastern Ukraine.The 15-member council was already due to meet on Ukraine's crisis and discuss the Minsk agreements, which it endorsed in 2015, that are designed to end the separatist war. The meeting comes amid high tensions after Russia massed more than 100,000 troops near Ukraine's borders in recent weeks, though Russia denies planning an attack.
In a letter to Security Council members seen by Reuters, Ukraine's AmbassadorSergiyKyslytsyasaid the move by the Russian parliament on Tuesday "further aggravated the threats to both Ukraine's territorial integrity and global security architecture following the ongoing military build-up by the Russian Federation in the vicinity of the borders with Ukraine."
Russian-backed separatists in the Donetsk andLuhanskregions - collectively known as theDonbass- broke away from Ukrainian government control in 2014 and proclaimed themselves independent, sparking a conflict with the Ukrainian army.Russia's lower house of parliament voted on Tuesday to ask President Vladimir Putin torecogniseDonetsk andLuhanskas independent. Putin declined to be drawn out on how he plans to respond.
Kyslytsyasaid the decision undermines the Minsk agreements and asked the U.N. Security Council to consider the development during Thursday's meeting in New York.The U.N. Security Council has met dozens of times to discuss the Ukraine crisis since Russia annexed Ukraine's Crimea region in 2014. It cannot take any action because Russia is a veto-power along with France, Britain, China and the United States.
Russia Ukraine Conflict LIVE Updates | Strong consensus in Quad meet that there needs to be a diplomatic – a peaceful resolution to Russia & Ukraine crisis.
There was a discussion of Russia & Ukraine in context of Quad meeting that we'd with our Indian counterparts, our Japanese & Australian allies. There was a strong consensus in meeting that there needs to be a diplomatic – a peaceful resolution to this, says US Department of State Spox Ned Price.
Russia Ukraine Conflict LIVE Updates | Asian stocks mainly up, bond yields ease as investors weigh Fed against Ukraine risks
Asian stock markets were mostly higher on Thursday while bond yields extended their decline as investors weighed risks of a Ukraine invasion against signs that the U.S. Federal Reserve won't be as aggressive as feared in tightening policy. MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares gained 0.27%, capped by declines in Japanese stocks, with the Nikkei sinking 0.29% on persistent worries that Russia could invade Ukraine.
MSCI's equivalent regional index that removes Japan rose 0.64%. Chinese blue chips added 0.36%, reversing an earlier loss. Hong Kong's Hang Seng flipped to a 0.46% gain. Australia's benchmark rose 0.65% as higher metals prices outweighed geopolitical concerns. South Korea's Kospi leapt 1.38%. U.S. S&P 500 futures slipped 0.07%.
Markets remain on edge after Western countries including the U.S. warned on Wednesday that Russia's military presence on Ukraine's borders was growing, rather than shrinking as Moscow has insisted. At the same time, worries about a super-hawkish Fed rate-tightening campaign, potentially including a 50 basis-point hike next month, took a step down overnight after minutes of the latest policy meeting signaled a more measured, data-dependent approach from central bank officials.
The less hawkish Fed minutes are a positive sign that markets can re-adjust after previously pricing in aggressive rate hikes, said Trinh Nguyen, a senior economist at Natixis. Money markets see about 43% odds of a half-point hike on March 16, and about 150 basis points of tightening in total this year.
Russia Ukraine Conflict LIVE Updates | Risk of a Ukraine war spreading in Europe rests on unknowns
A Russian invasion of Ukraine would be devastating and a wider European war even worse. Whether a larger war happens would depend partly on Russian President Vladimir Putin’s ambitions, partly on the West’s military response and partly on plain luck. Although U.S. and European officials have said for days that a Russian invasion appeared imminent, Putin’s government on Tuesday publicly welcomed further security talks with the West. It also announced that some of its forces bracketing Ukraine will be returning to their regular bases, although the United States and its allies said Wednesday they saw no sign of a promised pullback and it was too early to tell whether the threat had receded.
War by its nature is unpredictable, and the stakes are enormous, not just for an overmatched Ukraine but for Europe and the United States. At risk, arguably, is the European security order established after World War II and then altered peacefully with the reunification of Germany, the demise of communism in Eastern Europe, the collapse of the Soviet Union and the expansion of NATO.
President Joe Biden has said he will not fight Russia in Ukraine, nor would America’s NATO allies. So a Russian invasion would not automatically trigger a wider war. But if Putin took his offensive beyond Ukraine’s borders onto NATO territory, the United States could get drawn into it. That’s because Washington is obliged by the North Atlantic Treaty to defend its allies, some of whom fear they are Russian targets. “Make no mistake. The United States will defend every inch of NATO territory with the full force of American power,” Biden said Tuesday. “An attack against one NATO country is an attack against all of us.” Biden also said that if any American in Ukraine is targeted by Russia, “We will respond forcefully.”
