Putin stays in talks – but also sends more troops in while Biden says war is still a risk
Fears Putin is just playing at peace: As feared day of Ukraine invasion arrives, Kremlin leader stays in talks – but also sends more troops in while Biden says war is still a risk
More Russian troops were seen advancing towards the Ukrainian border TuesdayBut President Vladimir Putin declared yesterday that he does not want a warRussian tanks were pictured being loaded onto trains amid withdrawalsWestern leaders have urged Russia to continue with military pullbacksIt comes as Ukrainian soldiers tested British-supplied NLAW anti-tank missiles
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Russia was last night stepping up preparations to invade Ukraine – despite Vladimir Putin’s claims he favours further talks over military conflict.
Yesterday in a deeply alarming move, and against Russian proclamations, Western nations saw additional Russian troops advancing towards Ukraine’s border.
They will bolster the 130,000-strong invasion force. But in spite of Western evidence that Russians are strengthening frontline forces, President Putin insisted he does ‘not want a war’.
Meanwhile, Russian media agencies released footage showing tanks being withdrawn.
The clips appeared stage-managed but a spokesman insisted the ‘Southern and Western Military District troops’ had completed their exercises and would ‘return to their permanent bases’.
Kremlin spokesman Maria Zakharova mocked the UK and US, saying yesterday ‘would go down in history as the day Western war propaganda failed, humiliated and destroyed without a single shot fired’.
Boris Johnson said there were ‘mixed messages’ from Moscow and he urged further troop withdrawals.
Putin spoke at a joint press conference alongside German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, who said West and East remain divided but it is up to leader to find solutions while avoiding conflict
Last night Joe Biden said an invasion of Ukraine ‘remains distinctly possible’ and the US had ‘not yet verified’ claims that Russian troops are withdrawing.
In a TV address from the White House, the president warned the human cost of invasion would be ‘immense’.
Mr Biden said while the US was not ‘seeking direct confrontation with Russia’, it was ready to ‘respond forcefully’ and ‘rally the world to oppose its aggression’.
He said he would not send American servicemen to fight in Ukraine. But Mr Biden added: ‘Invading Ukraine will prove to be a self-inflicted wound and the US and our allies and partners will respond decisively. The West is united and galvanised.’
Vladimir Putin has insisted that Russia is ‘ready to go down the negotiations track’ with the West – opening up the possibility of talks on arms control, military transparency and other measures aimed at reducing tensions
In this photo taken from video provided by the Russian Defence Ministry Press Service on Tuesday, Feb. 15, 2022, Russian armoured vehicles are loaded onto railway platforms after the end of military drills in South Russia. In what could be another sign that the Kremlin would like to lower the temperature, Russia’s Defence Ministry announced Tuesday that some units participating in military exercises would begin returning to their bases
Last night a Western source said: ‘We have seen no evidence at all of Russian withdrawals – precisely the opposite in fact. Russia is continuing to reinforce its positions on the Ukrainian border.
‘We could also easily see a false flag operation [today] along the lines of, “well we were retreating but look what the Ukrainians have done”. So we remain ready for an immediate scenario.
‘The volume of Russian capability remains very high, the precise lay-down of military assets might change but the threat remains.
‘Putin… is obsessed with Ukraine and has a very twisted view of Ukrainian history. Getting Ukraine back is an end in itself. But he will listen to his generals, who are wary of getting involved in a lengthy conflict.’
There was also concern last night Putin could seek to use alleged mistreatment of Russian speakers in eastern Ukraine to justify an offensive.
In his strongest criticism of the Ukraine government’s attitude towards pro-Russian communities, he likened its policies to ‘genocide’.
Russia’s list of demands, which have been repeatedly rejected by Nato, include thousands of Western troops withdrawing from eastern Europe and a ban on Ukraine joining the alliance.
At a press conference with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz yesterday, Putin said: ‘Do we want this [war] or not? Of course, not. That is exactly why we put forward proposals for a process of negotiations. But the question of Ukraine’s membership of Nato must be resolved now.’
A Ukrainian serviceman fires an NLAW anti-tank weapon during an exercise in the Joint Forces Operation, in the Donetsk region, eastern Ukraine, Tuesday, Feb. 15, 2022
Troops in Ukraine fired anti-tank weapons in exercises yesterday as the country continued to prepare for a possible invasion by Russia. It was part of a series of drills by Ukraine in recent days. Military commanders had issued a statement on Sunday insisting they were ready to see off the Russian threat.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz (right) is pictured sitting down with Putin (left) in the Kremlin yesterday. Scholz is the latest foreign leader to be given the ‘long table treatment’ – for talks aimed at deescalating the crisis
After a Cobra meeting yesterday, Boris Johnson said: ‘The intelligence we are seeing today is still not encouraging. You have got more battalion tactical groups being brought closer to the border. What everybody needs to see is a programme of de-escalation.
‘That means withdrawing groups away from the theatre of conflict, not constructing field hospitals on the Belarus border, which can only be construed as preparation for an invasion.’ Western officials still think Putin is yet to decide whether to invade. A source said: ‘It could run for weeks or months.’
They added: ‘The West does not want to humiliate President Putin. But there is no need to worry about whether he can climb down with his head held high. He will attempt to shape the narrative to suit him.’
Last night Ukrainian government websites, including the defence ministry, were hit by cyber attacks. The nation blamed Russia for the strikes, according to reports.
