PANDESAL forum moderator Wilson Lee Flores texts me: “Gud pm. Hi, China’s top journalist will be interviewing you this Thursday noon to noon at the Kamuning Bakery Café. Topics on the Ukraine crisis and its impact on the Asia…” The subject was dear to my heart, as evidenced by my two columns from last week: “Pushed against the wall, did Putin have any other choice? So while I limited my attendance at the regular event, being picky about what to discuss, I thought Wilson’s invitation was worth attending.

Turns out the main course of the day was a breakdown of election campaign pleas from some leftists I wouldn’t touch with a 10ft pole again – the Gabriela party slate, for example, having been exposed by the Group of national work to end Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-Elcac) Vice President Hermogenes Esperon Jr. as a legal front organization of the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army funded from abroad and therefore a no-no for that the Electoral Commission (Comelec) was accredited as a candidate but, for some rather dubious reason, had nevertheless been qualified for the election. Thus, the accreditation of Gabriela on the party list can only explain what people generally perceive as great corruption within Comelec. For this reason, I have this personal crusade underway to abolish Comelec, since I do so, no good elected official can come out of an electoral process that is bad.

Anyway, I did not come to the forum for this agenda, but to share the discussion on the Ukrainian crisis with Chinese journalists and members of a newly formed think tank, Philippine Asian Century Strategic Studies Inc. (Phil-Acssi), Herman Tiu Laurel, Anna Malindog-Uy and Ado Paglinawan.

Much of what reaches the country about the war in Ukraine comes from the Western media and therefore must advance the concerns of Western powers. There is nothing wrong with that. Charity begins at home, as they say. What’s wrong is when we take the hook, line and sinker of Western media, so to speak. In this case, we behave as one with the West, which we are not.

As I pointed out in my last two columns, the war in Ukraine is not a war between Russia and Ukraine, but between Russia and the United States and the tandem of NATO, with the Ukraine only as a battlefield. It is the encirclement of the United States and NATO over the past two decades that has troubled Russia and Ukraine’s application for NATO membership must strike Russia as the only remaining move to its ultimate conquest by Western powers. What was there to do for Russia but strike or perish?

As various interviews show, Russian President Vladimir Putin did his best to avoid a confrontation with the United States and NATO. As early as 2020, he indeed offered to apply to join the alliance, but the offer was rejected. So from that moment he said, “If you can’t accept our covenant, don’t make enemies of us. The problem is that the United States and NATO surrounded Russia, gaining the alliance of neighboring countries, Romania, Poland, the Baltic States, until Ukraine offered to complete the maneuver of the Western pincers by asking for NATO membership. In addition to this maneuver, the United States unilaterally withdrew from the Intermediate Nuclear Force Treaty (INFT), which would allow it to deploy nuclear weapons anywhere in NATO countries; if Ukraine turns to NATO, the United States could position nuclear missiles capable of hitting Russia in 7-10 minutes, and in the case of hypersonic missiles, 5.

“We have made it very clear that NATO’s further eastward expansion is unacceptable,” Putin said in an interview. So, realizing that Ukraine’s membership would allow NATO to complete this expansion, what can Putin do but hit Ukraine first? This is a basic move in warfare.

Most analysts overlook this attitude of Putin as a necessary given in the Ukrainian crisis. All they see is a war waged by a powerful country against a weak country. They gobble up Western media histrionism by portraying Ukrainian civilians pitting bare physical guts against Russian armed troops and armored vehicles. First of all, where is the Ukrainian army in this regard? Why does he allow Ukrainian civilians to bear the brunt of the battles for them? And why does Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy tolerate this act which smacks more of cinema than science of war. You are attacked by columns upon columns of Russian troops, why send civilians to fight them? Western media proliferates with, say, motherhood under attack. It’s part of the story. The other part, mostly untold, is that Ukrainian troops, fighting the attacking Russian forces, take up firing positions in the hospital. So what do you expect Russian soldiers to do, not retaliate even if they get shot? It’s the war. The first act of a country’s military is to ensure the safety of its civilians. Judging by Western media accounts, in Ukraine the first act of the army seems to be hiding behind civilians. And when civilians are affected, do you mourn war crimes?

President Putin had posed the question very clearly: “I am addressing the Ukrainian military. Do not let the neo-Nazis, these banderites (Ukrainian nationalists) use your children, your wives and your old people as human shields. It will then be easier for us to reconcile with you than with a band of drug addicts and neo-Nazis who have settled in Kiev (Kyiv) and have taken the entire Ukrainian people hostage.

One of the facts of the Ukrainian crisis is President Putin’s passionate determination to bring this war to, in his words, a “logical end”. Here is a man born and raised during the rise and fall of the once mighty Russian Empire. Now that he finds himself at the helm of this reborn empire and once again entrenched in a dominant position in the world order, he is not ready to once again give up his newfound glory. If Ukraine must be recaptured to safeguard that empire’s protection against the insatiable Western lust for world domination, then let war settle the matter.

How could Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky live up to this magnificent Putin obsession? The best he seems able to do is hole up in his dungeon and endlessly complain about NATO’s inaction in the face of his desperate call for the imposition of a no-fly zone over of Ukraine to prevent Russian bombardment. Clearly, in pushing Ukraine to join, NATO had only been assessing Russia’s ultimate ability to repel its continuing aggression since the partition of the vast territory of the Soviet Union into 1991. With Russia responding resolutely now with what is effectively a war of self-defense, NATO realizes that it cannot afford a frontal confrontation and therefore must leave Ukraine to fight Russia alone.

In view of the facts, the United States and NATO are showing themselves to be faithful to their word not to engage Russia militarily in Ukraine. All the United States and NATO are prepared to do is impose economic sanctions which, in any event, infuriates Putin even more, retaliating with growing determination to take on Ukraine once for all. Zelenskyy’s oft-repeated statement to fight to the last Ukrainian is purely theatrical. He would do his best for his nation and his people by shedding his illusory cinematic pretensions and executing his only remaining honorable recourse, as did Emperor Hirohito who, in 1945, after America’s atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki which razed the cities and killed some 200,000 Japanese and wounded many more, went on the radio announcing Japan’s final surrender in World War II:

“Furthermore, the enemy has begun to employ a new and most cruel bomb, the power of which to do damage is, indeed, incalculable, causing many innocent victims. If we continue to fight, it will only result not only an ultimate collapse and obliteration of the Japanese nation, but also that would lead to the total extinction of human civilization.”

The key for Zelenskyy to end the war is, in the previous quote, to substitute “Ukraine” for “Japanese nation”. Putin had made a sincere offer to settle the problems with the Ukrainian army. First of all, wasn’t Ukraine once part of Russia?

FIGHT boss Tom Loeffler should be in fine form.

His top fighter Gennady Golovkin is preparing to travel to Japan for a world middleweight title unification bout with Ryota Murata next month.

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Before that, on St. Patrick’s Day, his latest signing – Cork boy Callum Walsh – will return to action following his spectacular knockout debut in December.

But Loeffler can’t help but reach for the remote to check the news, or scroll through fate on his phone, as he waits for news from Kiev.

The Californian promoted the two Klitschko brothers, who took up arms to defend the city against Russian invaders, and are ready to die doing so.

Loeffler said The Rocky Road Irish News Podcast“We signed Callum Walsh and normally it would be a huge thing that we would celebrate and I would be in a good mood with that but with everything going on in Ukraine it’s like totally downplayed in my world.

“It’s hard to celebrate until I know the Klitschkos and my other friends in Ukraine are okay.

“I have been there 10 or 12 times over the years and have met many friends through the two brothers.

“It’s hard to really focus on something positive when their life is in danger there.

“I hope they overcome this challenge with Putin and that Ukraine remains a free and democratic country – and we can all be together again at some point.

“But until then, I know it’s going to be a lot of sleepless nights.

“With the jet lag here, that’s where it all starts there.

“It’s tough but we have to keep things going here with Callum and GGG. But it will always be on your mind.”

BACKWARDS

Loeffler convinced Klitschko’s older brother Vitali to set up a promotion company with him which became operational in 2004.

Also came on board was Wladimir, both of whom won world heavyweight titles and eventually came to dominate the division until the younger brother’s loss to Tyson Fury 11 years later.

Vitali had become mayor of the country’s capital the previous year and now the brothers have sworn to defend it against Vladimir Putin’s death squads.

They were joined in the fight by fellow world champion boxers Oleksandr Usyk and Vasyl Lomachenko who were also pictured in military gear, carrying guns, ready to die for their country if need be.

‘SLEEPLESS NIGHTS’

Loeffler added: “It’s really a difficult situation for Vitali and Wladimir there in Ukraine.

“Challenging” doesn’t even describe it, it’s really life or death for them now and for many brave Ukrainians who are just trying to keep Putin out of their country and survive.

“It’s been a lot of sleepless nights here, they’re on the other side of the world and I feel helpless but as long as they get the guns and ammunition and the support they need from the rest of the world they’ll do it. fight themselves.

“There are so many other world champions there, Usyk, Lomachenko is there, I work with another world class Ukrainian fighter named Serhii Bohachuk and he is there. . . their struggle is real.

“It’s hard to watch him on the news.

INSPIRE THEIR PEOPLE

“Some people say they could be spokespersons outside of Ukraine and try to rally international countries to support their country.

“But I have to give them a lot of credit – Vitali would never run away from a fight as mayor of Kyiv, he will fight to the death for his country, for his freedom, for his life.

“And Wladimir, 100%. He was based in Germany and he had a place in Florida that he went back and forth to, and he could live wherever he wanted – but for the past three years he’s pretty much committed to being there in Ukraine.

“He always supported his brother, there is no doubt about it, but now he takes up arms and defends the city, as President Zelensky said.

“The president was offered safe passage out of the country and he said, ‘I don’t need a ride, I need ammunition.

UKRAINIAN SPIRIT

“They are all engaged. The Ukrainian fighting spirit and character, I think that’s why they’re all so disciplined and all so good in the ring.

“And Vitali and Wladimir exemplify that to the highest degree.

“Even though they had the opportunity to get out of the country and try to support the effort…they are there to inspire their people. That’s why the president hasn’t left.

“If personalities and athletes like Vitali and Wladimir left, what would keep the normal citizens there and the military to fight?

“They are trying to inspire them to push back this indescribable force that Putin has unleashed on them.

FEAR IT’S TOO LATE

“I just hope the weapons that Europe and the United States – which frankly came way too late. . . Vitali was giving interviews a month, two months before all this happened saying, “We need your support, we need weapons, we need something to help us keep Putin out.” .

“He saw the writing on the wall and now that Kyiv is surrounded, now everyone has come together with sanctions and sent weapons over there and I just hope he doesn’t is not too late.

“I regularly texted Wladimir as Putin arrived in the country.

“I say Putin because the Russian people don’t want this war and I doubt that the Russian army even wants this war.

“Putin should be held accountable as much as possible as a war criminal for what he unleashed in this country, splitting so many families and killing so many innocent people.”

HIGH-LEVEL TARGETS

Top boxers who armed themselves in this fight had targets placed on their heads.

Reports indicate that Putin has sent mercenaries to Kiev and the Klitschkos are at the top of their list.

Loeffler said: “I’m sure Vitali as mayor of Kyiv and Wladimir as a high profile figure they are also up, you can’t get Putin past anything at this point.

“When he attacks residential areas with rockets, planes and tanks, it just seems like they are outgunned.

“But you have to give the Ukrainian military and their civilians who take up arms credit for resisting.

PUTIN’S ARROGANCE

“I think Putin underestimated the desire and the will of the Ukrainian people.

“They were supposed to take Kyiv in two or three days and it’s starting to drag now.

“There are 35 million people in Ukraine and with this aggression they all seem to be against Putin.

“And it seems the majority of the world is too.

“As long as they can hold out until some of these weapons are delivered to them, then that’s really what they need.

“Wladimir and Vitali were both successful in the ring, saved all their money where they could live where they wanted in retirement, but Vitali chose to run for mayor in 2014 to end some of the corruption for which Ukraine was known after the Soviet Union and tried to westernize the city and the country.

“Wladimir is helping him 100% now, supporting his brother and taking up arms in Ukraine.

“And if anyone can do it, it’s Wladimir and Vitali. I have the utmost respect for both of them.”

The meeting comes at a critical time in the war, as Russian forces encircle major cities and Ukraine reels in a humanitarian crisis. Russian and Ukrainian diplomats are continuing bilateral talks, but several diplomatic overtures by third parties, including efforts by French President Emmanuel Macron, have stalled.

Israel is in a unique position to potentially barter a deal, or at least send messages between Western allies Russia and Ukraine, given its alliance with the United States, its quiet cooperation with Russia in Syria and its shared cultural ties with Ukraine. Mr. Bennett and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky are the only two Jews in the world to head national governments.

Mr. Bennett’s office said in a statement on Saturday evening that the meeting with Mr. Putin lasted about three hours and took place “in coordination and with the blessing of the US administration”. In addition, the statement added, Mr. Bennett was working in coordination with Germany and France and was “in permanent dialogue with Ukraine”.

There was no immediate information on the results of the meeting. A spokeswoman for Mr. Bennett said he spoke with Mr. Zelensky after his meeting with Mr. Putin.

The Israeli government has tried to maintain good relations with Russian and Ukrainian leaders during the current crisis, and Mr. Bennett had previously been invited by Mr. Zelensky to mediate between the parties.

Mr Bennett left Moscow on Saturday evening to travel to Berlin to meet German Chancellor Olaf Scholz. Mr. Scholz was in Israel for a short visit this week and, in a meeting with Mr. Bennett, discussed Israel’s possible role in mediating between Russia and Ukraine.

Mr. Bennett had spoken by phone with Mr. Putin on Wednesday, hours after speaking with Mr. Zelensky, the latest of a few rounds of phone conversations between them.

In a sign of the mission’s urgency, Mr. Bennett, an observant Jew, left Israel Saturday morning over the Sabbath, breaking the religious injunction banning travel. According to Jewish religious law, the sanctity of the Sabbath is superseded by the principle of preservation of human life.

Mr. Bennett was accompanied by Zeev Elkin, Israel’s housing minister, who helped with the translation, according to the Israeli prime minister’s office. Mr. Elkin has frequently acted in a similar capacity over the past decade in meetings between Mr. Bennett’s predecessor, Benjamin Netanyahu, and Mr. Putin.

Mr. Elkin, who is also an observant Jew, was born in Kharkiv, Ukraine, in 1971, when it was part of the Soviet Union, and emigrated to Israel in 1990. Mr. Elkin has a brother who still lives with his family in Kharkiv, where Russian and Ukrainian forces are fighting for control.

The Israeli delegation also included the prime minister’s national security adviser, Eyal Hulata, his diplomatic adviser, Shimrit Meir, and his spokesperson, Matan Sidi.

Mr Bennett had faced criticism in recent days, including from Mr Zelensky, for not taking the more vocal side of Ukraine and for refraining from supplying him with material military.

Israeli officials have said Israel must maintain good relations with Russia so that it can continue Israel’s military campaign against entrenching Iran and Hezbollah in Syria, where Russia maintains a significant presence.

They said Israel was also concerned about large Jewish communities in Russia and Ukraine. After Saturday’s meeting at the Kremlin, Mr. Bennett’s office said he also spoke with Mr. Putin about the situation of Israelis and Jewish communities following the conflict in Ukraine.

Saturday’s meeting comes after several requests by Mr. Zelensky, to both Mr. Netanyahu and Mr. Bennett, to mediate between him and Mr. Putin. The latest request was made in a telephone conversation held on February 25, during which Mr. Zelensky also asked for military equipment. While refusing to send defensive equipment, Mr Bennett agreed to try to mediate between the countries.

Several rounds of phone conversations followed between Mr. Bennett and Mr. Putin, between Mr. Bennett and Mr. Zelensky, and between officials in their teams. Israeli officials believe Israeli mediation had some effect in getting Ukraine to agree to start talks with Russia in Belarus.

Mr. Hulata, Israel’s national security adviser, briefed the White House National Security Council on developments since the telephone conversation with Mr. Zelensky.

Israeli officials said the Kremlin meeting also touched on the progress of talks in Vienna for a return to a nuclear deal with Iran, and Mr Bennett voiced Israel’s opposition to a return to the nuclear deal. ‘OK.

KYIV, Feb 27 (Reuters) – Russian forces attacked oil and gas facilities in Ukraine, causing huge explosions, officials said on Sunday, as Western allies prepared new sanctions, including banning major Russian banks of the main global payment system.

Ukrainian forces were holding back Russian troops advancing towards the capital, Kiev, President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said as the biggest assault on a European state since World War II entered its fourth day.

Russian missiles have found their mark, including a strike that set fire to an oil terminal in Vasylkiv, southwest of Kiev, the city’s mayor said. The explosions sent huge flames and black smoke into the night sky, online posts showed.

There was also heavy fighting for Ukraine’s second largest city, Kharkiv, in the northeast, where Russian troops blew up a gas pipeline, a Ukrainian state agency said. The gas explosion sent a mushroom cloud into the darkness.

“The enemy wants to destroy everything,” Vasylkiv Mayor Natalia Balasinovich said.

Russian troops then entered Kharkiv, Interior Ministry adviser Anton Herashchenko said on Telegram. Videos posted by him and a state agency showed several military vehicles moving down a street and, separately, a burning tank.

Russian-backed separatists in the eastern province of Lugansk said a Ukrainian missile blew up an oil terminal in the town of Rovenky.

Russian President Vladimir Putin launched what he called a special military operation on Thursday, ignoring weeks of Western warnings and saying ‘neo-Nazis’ in power in Ukraine were threatening Russia’s security – a charge that Kiev and Western governments call it baseless propaganda.

Reuters witnesses in Kyiv reported occasional explosions and gunfire in the city on Saturday night, but it’s unclear where it came from.

“We resisted and successfully repelled enemy attacks. The fighting continues,” Zelenskiy said in a video message from the streets of Kiev posted on his social media.

A US defense official said Ukrainian forces were putting up “very determined resistance” to Russia’s air, land and sea advance, which has sent hundreds of thousands of Ukrainians fleeing west, obstructing the major highways and railways.

The United States and its European partners have said they will also impose restrictions on Russia’s central bank to limit its ability to support the ruble and fund Putin’s war effort.

“We are determined to continue to impose costs on Russia that will further isolate Russia from the international financial system and our economies,” said a statement from the United States, France, Germany, Canada, Italy, Great Britain and the European Commission. Read more

BAD FOR BUSINESS

After initially hesitating such a move largely due to concerns about the impact on their economies, the allies said they were committed to “ensuring that certain Russian banks are removed from the messaging system SWIFT”.

They did not name which banks would be expelled, but an EU diplomat said around 70% of the Russian banking market would be affected. Read more

The decision – which France’s finance minister had called a “financial nuclear weapon” because of the damage it would inflict on the Russian economy – is a blow to Russian trade and makes it harder for its companies to do business.

SWIFT, a secure messaging network that facilitates fast cross-border payments, said it was preparing to implement the measures.

Sanctions on Russia’s central bank could limit Putin’s use of its more than $630 billion in international reserves, widely seen as protecting Russia from some economic harm.

Google banned Russian state media RT and other channels from receiving money for ads on their websites, apps and YouTube videos, as Facebook did.

‘DETERMINED RESISTANCE’

The Kremlin said its troops were again advancing “in all directions” after Putin ordered a pause on Friday. The Ukrainian government said there was no break.

Particularly in northern Ukraine, Russian forces “were frustrated by what they saw as very determined resistance,” the US official said, without providing evidence.

A Ukrainian presidential adviser said around 3,500 Russian soldiers had been killed or injured. Western officials said intelligence showed Russia was suffering higher losses than expected.

Russia has not released casualty figures and it has been impossible to verify the tolls or the precise picture on the ground.

At least 198 Ukrainians, including three children, were killed and 1,115 people injured, Interfax said citing Ukraine’s health ministry.

Interfax later quoted the Donetsk regional administration in eastern Ukraine as saying 17 civilians had been killed and 73 injured by Russian shelling. Moscow says it takes care to avoid civilian sites.

Ukraine, a democratic nation of 44 million people, gained independence from Moscow in 1991 after the fall of the Soviet Union and wants to join NATO and the EU, goals that Russia opposes.

Putin has said he must eliminate what he calls a serious threat to his country from his smaller neighbor, accusing him of genocide against Russian-speakers in eastern Ukraine – something Kiev and its allies Westerners dismiss it as a lie.

UN refugee chief Filippo Grandi said more than 150,000 Ukrainian refugees have entered Poland, Hungary, Moldova and Romania.

US President Joe Biden has approved the release of up to $350 million worth of weapons from US stockpiles, while Germany, in a shift from its longstanding policy of not exporting weapons to areas of war, said it would send anti-tank weapons and surface weapons. air missiles. Read more

Reporting by Maria Tsvetkova, Aleksandar Vasovic and Natalia Zinets in Kyiv; Alan Charlish in Medyka, Poland; Fedja Grulovic in Sighetu Marmatiei, Romania; and Reuters offices; Written by Robert Birsel; Editing by William Mallard

Our standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

MOSCOW, Feb 21 (Reuters) – Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Monday he would rule within hours on the request for recognition of two regions in eastern Ukraine held by Russian-backed separatists. as independents – a move that could give Moscow a reason to openly send in troops. Read more

Separately, Moscow said Ukrainian military saboteurs tried to enter Russian territory in armed vehicles, killing five, a charge dismissed as “fake news” by Kiev.

The developments fit a pattern repeatedly predicted by Western governments, who accuse Russia of preparing to fabricate a pretext to invade Ukraine by blaming Kiev for the attacks and relying on calls for help from the separatist proxies.

Washington says Russia has now amassed a force of 169,000 to 190,000 troops in the region, including pro-Russian rebels in eastern Ukraine.

Russia denies any plan of attack against its neighbor, which broke with Moscow rule with the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991. But it has threatened unspecified ‘military-technical’ action unless ‘she receives sweeping security guarantees, including the promise that Ukraine never will. join NATO.

European financial markets slumped on signs of heightened confrontation, after briefly advancing on glimmers of hope that a summit could offer a way out of Europe’s biggest military crisis in decades. The price of oil – Russia’s main export – rose, while Russian stocks and the ruble plunged.

In a televised meeting of his Security Council, which normally meets behind closed doors, Putin reiterated Russia’s demands, insisting it was not enough for the West to say Ukraine was not wasn’t ready to join NATO just yet.

He also said he would make a decision “today” on the request made hours earlier by the leaders of the Lugansk and Donetsk regions, which broke away from Kyiv’s control in 2014. read more

Shelling has intensified since last week along a long front line between rebels and Ukrainian forces in eastern Ukraine. Rebels abruptly began transporting tens of thousands of civilians to Russia on Friday, accusing Kiev of planning an attack, which Ukraine denies as propaganda.

Ukraine and the West view the rebels as proxies for Russia and have warned for weeks that Moscow could use them to build a war case. Washington says it is absurd to suggest that it would be Kiev that would choose to step up now, with Russian troops massed on its border.

THE “WORST CASE SCENARIO” OCCURS

The televised meeting of the Security Council in Moscow allowed Putin and his top advisers to present their case.

Dmitry Medvedev, vice president of the Security Council, told the meeting that it was “obvious” that Ukraine did not need the two regions and that a majority of Russians would support their independence. Russia already offers passports to residents of the two regions and Medvedev said there are now 800,000 Russian citizens there.

Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu appeared to raise the stakes even further by claiming that Ukraine – which renounced nuclear weapons after gaining independence from the Soviet Union – had greater ‘nuclear potential’ than Iran. or North Korea.

After talks in Brussels with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, British Foreign Secretary Liz Truss said Western countries were preparing for a “worst-case scenario”. Airlines Lufthansa, KLM and Air France have all canceled flights to Kyiv. Read more

Hours earlier, French President Emmanuel Macron held out hope for a diplomatic solution, saying Putin and his US counterpart Joe Biden had agreed in principle to meet.

Putin said Macron told him Washington had changed its stance on Russia’s security demands, without specifying how.

The White House said Biden agreed to the meeting “in principle,” but only “if an invasion did not occur.”

Washington, which leads the NATO alliance, has flatly rejected the idea of ​​excluding Ukraine for good or reversing NATO’s eastward expansion of the past three decades, but has proposed talks on weapons deployments and other security issues.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said a call or meeting between Putin and Biden could be arranged at any time, but there were no concrete plans for a summit yet.

Macron’s office and the White House said details would be ironed out by US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov later this week.

Lavrov confirmed he planned to meet Blinken in Geneva on Thursday, and said there had been progress in security talks with the West. Blinken said any meeting would be canceled if Russia invaded.

“NOT WITHOUT US”

Ukraine said it must be included in any decision to resolve the crisis and had seen warnings online that hackers were preparing to launch cyberattacks on government agencies, banks and the military Tuesday.

“No one can solve our problem without us,” senior security official Oleksiy Danilov said during a briefing.

The Russian military said a group of saboteurs crossed the Ukrainian border near the Russian city of Rostov on Monday morning, followed by two armored vehicles that came to evacuate them. He said five members of these forces were killed when Russian forces pushed them back. Read more

Ukraine said the report was fake news and that no Ukrainian forces were present in the Rostov region.

Western countries say they are preparing sanctions that would hit Russian businesses and individuals. People familiar with the matter said that could include banning US financial institutions from processing transactions for Russian banks. Read more

Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer said the European Union package would include halting certification of the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline from Russia to Germany, which is awaiting German and European regulatory approval.

Ukraine called for the immediate imposition of sanctions, saying it would be too late to wait for an invasion. But the United States and Europe have said they will not act before an invasion because the threat of sanctions should act as a deterrent.

EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said he would only call an extraordinary meeting to agree sanctions “when the time comes”.

Reporting by Reuters Writing by Kevin Liffey Editing by Peter Graff and Frank Jack Daniel

Our standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Sometimes mired in corruption and facing ongoing challenges in many areas of society, Ukraine — a former soviet republic – is a country that many people usually overlook.

Yet despite these challenges – many of which have been inherited from its time in the Soviet Union – Ukraine maintains a largely democratic structure that attempts to uphold the rule of law and provides a level of freedom and freedom for its citizens.

Following:Putin ‘won’t stop’ with Ukraine: Why Americans should care about Russia’s aggression against its neighbor

There is no treaty that binds the defense of Ukraine to the United States because the first is not a member of NATO. And while the United States is a signatory to the 1994 Budapest Memorandumwhich effectively handed over nuclear weapons from Kiev to Moscow in exchange for promises to respect The territorial integrity of Ukraineit is not a treaty obligation for Washington that promises protection by US troops.

But if Russia invades Ukraine again, as it did in 2014 with the illegal annexation of Crimea and deadlocked frozen conflicts in the eastern provinces of Donetsk and Luhansk, or installs a pro-Russian puppet regime in Kiev, it threatens much of the world order that has existed since the end of World War II.

Following:OnPolitics: Why should Americans care about the Ukraine conflict?

This order is messy and has sometimes caused economic upheaval, but the world since 1945 has been made much safer through the expansion of the free market, constitutional rights and freedom, in many parts of the globe.

As such, policymakers in the United States and its allies should do all they can to dissuade Vladimir Putin further territorial violations of Ukraine.

Following:Respect, fear, power: what motivates Vladimir Putin to threaten Ukraine?

Not having at least helped Ukraine encourages other autocratic regimes around the world such as China, Iran and Turkey to adopt similar behaviors. Suddenly, there may be far less freedom and far fewer protections for constitutional rights and the free market.

Vladimir Putin has long argued that NATO’s expansion into Eastern Europe is an inherent security threat to Russia. Historically, Russia has been invaded from the west on several occasions: by Poland-Lithuania in 1610, Sweden in 1709, Napoleon’s France in 1812, during the Russian Civil War in 1917, and Hitler Germany in 1941 Yet this argument is a “strawman” in many ways.

WASHINGTON (AFP) – The United States and Germany warned Russia on Thursday (January 27th) that a major gas pipeline would be at stake if it invaded Ukraine, as Washington expressed hope for a diplomatic outcome despite the icy statements from Moscow.

A day after the United States and its allies formally responded to security demands issued by Russia, senior officials in Moscow said their main concerns had not been addressed, but notably did not rule out new discussions.

The United States has warned Russia of swift and severe consequences if it invades Ukraine after Moscow mustered tens of thousands of troops on the border with its Western-leaning neighbor.

Following Western concerns over divisions within Europe, German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock told parliament her government was ‘working on a tough sanctions package’ alongside allies that would include Nord Stream. 2. The pipeline, which Germany defiantly built despite criticism from the United States and Eastern European countries, will more than double Russia’s natural gas supply to Europe’s largest economy. Europe.

In Washington, a senior official said he believed an invasion would prevent Germany from activating the multibillion-dollar project, which was completed in September but still requires testing and regulatory approval.

“If Russia invades Ukraine, one way or another, Nord Stream 2 will not move forward,” said Victoria Nuland, Undersecretary of State for Political Affairs. “I think the statements coming out of Berlin today are still very, very strong,” she told reporters.

The White House also announced that Germany’s new chancellor, Olaf Scholz, will visit Feb. 7 to discuss “Russian aggression against Ukraine” with President Joe Biden. Mr Biden also spoke by phone on Thursday with Volodymyr Zelensky, whose government the previous day engaged in marathon talks in Paris with Russia with the separate aim of reducing tensions.

Mr. Zelensky then tweeted that he and Mr. Biden had discussed de-escalation efforts and joint actions for the future, as well as potential US financial support for Ukraine after hundreds of millions of dollars in military aid. NATO has put 8,500 troops on standby over the Ukraine crisis, in scenes reminiscent of the Cold War with the Soviet Union.

“One Decision Maker”

Russia denies any invasion plans but last month demanded broad security guarantees from the West, including that Ukraine never be allowed to join the state-led NATO military alliance -United. Washington delivered a response on Wednesday in coordination with NATO allies, saying Ukraine had the right to determine its own allies but offering Russia talks on missile placements and other mutual concerns.

In its first reaction to the response, the Kremlin was unimpressed but cautious. “You can’t say that our opinions were taken into account,” President Vladimir Putin’s spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters. “Let’s not rush into assessments, it takes time to analyze,” he said.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said that Moscow’s main concern – the possibility of Ukraine joining NATO – had been ignored, but that it would be possible to move forward on other issues. “There is a response that gives hope for the start of a serious conversation on secondary issues,” Lavrov said.

Ms Nuland joked that the most important conclusion from the Russian response is that Mr Putin has the documents. “There is only one decision maker in Moscow and that is President Putin,” Ms Nuland said. “We hope he sees here a real opportunity for a legacy of security and arms control rather than a legacy of war,” she said. “The ball is in their court.”

Opinion / Stephane Dalziel

What’s in a name?

When Leonid Brezhnev was the leader of the Soviet Union, I spent a year as a student in the capital of Ukraine (illustrated). At the time, it was usually referred to by its Russian pronunciation, “Kiev”. Now we call it Kiev, as the Ukrainians say. These subtleties of language became very important in establishing Ukrainian identity, which was suppressed during the Soviet era.

The very name of the country has also changed slightly but significantly in Russian and English. Consciously or unconsciously, Russians see the word Krai (“edge”) on behalf of Ukraine; Vladimir Putin certainly sees it that way, believing that Ukraine is on the edge of what he still seems to view as the Russian empire. In the past, Russians referred to things that happened na Ukraine (literally “over Ukraine”); now good russian is v Ukraine (“in Ukraine”). And for the same reason, don’t make the mistake of saying “Ukraine” in English. It’s just Ukraine. It doesn’t sound like “England”, does it?

It’s not just semantics. How a country sees itself and how it wants to be viewed by others is vital to its sense of national identity. The Russian and Ukrainian languages ​​are similar but no more identical than Spanish and Italian. There are also cultural similarities, as well as differences. In music, the Russians play the balalaika; Ukrainians play bandura. But perhaps the biggest difference now is that after the collapse of the USSR, Ukrainians discovered a vital concept that sets them apart from Russians: they now know what it means to live in a free and sovereign state. They certainly don’t want a return to the kind of Soviet serfdom that Putin has to offer.

Stephen Dalziel is a Russia expert, author and regular contributor to Monocle 24. You can hear more about him in the latest edition of “The Monocle Daily”. Read a dispatch from Kiev by novelist Artem Chekh in the February issue of Monocle, out tomorrow.