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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zhelensky on Friday appealed to the West not to panic because of the Russian military presence on its borders, while at the same time calling on the Kremlin to take action to prove that these forces do not want to invade him. Country.
The Ukrainian president’s call came at a time when his Russian counterparts Vladimir Putin and Frenchman Emmanuel Macron agreed that “there is a need to mitigate escalation” and that “dialogue” should continue to resolve the crisis, while the Pentagon insisted “no”. Inevitable “, but if that happens, its human cost will be” terrible “.
Amid rising tensions with Moscow over Ukraine, US President Joe Biden announced on Friday that he would send a small number of US troops to Eastern Europe “soon”.
Sending troops to Eastern European countries would be an additional means of putting pressure on Putin.
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson is trying to avoid “bloodshed” in Ukraine, a Downing Street spokesman confirmed Friday evening, noting that he would call on Putin to “step back and engage in diplomacy.”
\‘We are not in the middle of a war’
“We do not need to panic,” Zelensky said at a news conference.
The President of Ukraine regretted that the world media and even “respectable heads of state” were following in the footsteps of all countries, believing that “we are in the middle of a war” and that “armies are advancing on the roads. This is not the case.”
Zelensky’s statement came shortly after Elysee announced that the French and Russian presidents had agreed during a call lasting more than an hour on Friday for a continuation of the “need for elevation” and “dialogue.”
“President Putin has made it clear that he did not show any intention of aggression (…) and did not seek conflict,” the French presidency said.
In the evening, Macron reiterated in his call with Zelensky that “France’s full solidarity with Ukraine” and “his commitment to safeguarding the sovereignty and territorial integrity of this country”, Elysee said.
The Kremlin said Putin had urged Macron to ignore Russia’s demands to reduce tensions over the crisis in Ukraine.
On Wednesday, the United States and NATO formally rejected demands that Russia consider it essential to ensure its security. The first of these was to put an end to the expansionist policy pursued by NATO and to send Western troops back to the 1997 frontiers.
Fear of Russia
“The US and NATO responses do not take into account Russia’s major concerns (…) The fundamental question is how the US and its allies want to use it. The principle is that no party should improve its security at the expense of other countries.”
The Kremlin pointed out that Russia would “determine its next response” after a detailed reading of its opponents’ response.
If Washington and NATO have rejected key Russian demands, they have offered to impose joint restrictions on the deployment of short- and medium-range missiles in Europe.
On the other hand, the United States and the European Union announced in a joint statement on Friday that Europe would work to obtain “more natural gas” so that Russia could have no consequences if it attacked Ukraine.
For his part, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Friday morning that his country “does not want war” and wants a “diplomatic path” but is ready to defend its interests.
“If it is left to Russia, there will be no war. We do not want war. But we will not allow our interests to be arrogantly denigrated or ignored,” he added.
Moscow promised a broad response if its demands were rejected, but without specifying the nature of the response.
Russian lawmakers have suggested that Moscow recognize and arm the separatist regions loyal to it in eastern Ukraine.
“It simply came to our notice then“
In Washington, the U.S. defense and chief executive stressed on Friday that the conflict between Moscow and Kiev was “inevitable,” but warned that if that happened, the human cost would be “terrible” and that Russia would have amassed enough troops along Ukraine’s borders. To invade its neighbor.
During a press conference with Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, Chief of Staff General Mark Mille said: “Troops, artillery, ballistic missiles, air forces … densely populated urban areas.” There will be a “large number of casualties” if Russian forces invade Ukraine.
More than 100,000 Russian troops have been stationed on the Ukrainian border since the end of 2021, which Washington considers a sign of an immediate invasion.
“It’s scary, it’s scary,” said the head of staff, who rarely holds press conferences. “It’s not necessary. We believe it’s a diplomatic solution.
In turn, the defense minister felt that “there is still time and space for diplomacy” and stressed that “there is no justification” for a military confrontation in this situation.
“Mr. Putin can do what he has to do,” Austin said. “He can choose to reduce the intensity. He can order the withdrawal of his forces.”
Mili, for his part, pointed out that the fertile Ukrainian plains, which turned the country into the “bread basket” of the former Soviet Union, could easily freeze due to the shallow depths of the groundwater table.
The top general of the U.S. military warned that “these are the best conditions” for the advancement of armored vehicles, stressing that in this situation major Ukrainian urban centers are directly threatened, “if a scale war breaks out.
“We strongly urge the withdrawal of Russia. The Armed Forces must always be a last resort,” he added.
For his part, the defense minister expected the Russian president to “not yet decide to use these forces against Ukraine,” warning Putin that “there is now a clear possibility” of an invasion of Ukraine because he has amassed enough troops on the borders of his neighbors. Occupying it, he said, “there are many options, including the capture of large cities and vast tracts of land.”
“Wide fan” of options
In Brussels, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said on Friday that Russia had “broad options” against Ukraine, while insisting that there was still room for negotiations and peace talks.
“Electronic (war) is one of them, conspiracy to overthrow the government in Kiev, sabotage – intelligence agents are working in Ukraine at this particular time. So we must be prepared for various Russian aggression. Ukraine.
“On behalf of NATO, we are ready to engage in political dialogue, but we are ready to respond if Russia chooses armed conflict and conflict. Therefore, we are ready for both options,” he added.
“We are working hard to find a better and more peaceful political solution, but we are also prepared for the worst,” he added.
For its part, Russia announced on Friday that it had blocked several European officials from entering its territory, citing the move as a response to Brussels’ policy of imposing “absurd unilateral restrictions.”
The EU quickly expressed its “regret” that “this decision lacks legal fairness and transparency and will receive an appropriate response.”
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