More than 100,000 soldiers are ready at the Ukrainian border. Russia is rattling its sabers violently. Since the annexation of the Crimean peninsula in 2014, Ukrainian troops and pro-Russian fighters have faced each other in eastern Ukraine. And the fear of an invasion is growing – and how.
Kiev Mayor Vitali Klitschko (50) is on alert. “We are definitely prepared,” says the ex-boxing world champion to CNN. He is ready to defend the independence and integrity of his country. “We hope that never happens, it’s the worst case, but we have to be prepared.”
At the same time, he called Russia’s actions a kind of “flexing muscles”. A strategy to scare, to unsettle. But not with Klitschko.
Regular military exercises in Ukraine
The ex-professional athlete prepared himself for an emergency last year. Pictures showed Klitschko practicing defending against Russian tanks at a firing range. At that time, the district mayors also took part in the shooting training with heavy machine guns. In addition, waiting in a hole in the ground under an approaching tank, followed by throwing hand grenades, was also trained.
The exercise was standard in the Soviet Army. Further recordings showed Klitschko in a Soviet anti-aircraft gun SU-23, which can also be used for anti-tank defense. The military exercises should take place regularly since then.
Fronts further hardened after talks
Meanwhile, the world is trying to find a solution to the Ukraine conflict – so far without much success. At the beginning of the week, negotiations between the USA and Russia on the Ukraine conflict had already come to an end without any apparent rapprochement. According to the new US ambassador to NATO, Julianne Smith, Washington assured the interlocutors from Moscow that it did not want to station any offensive weapons in Ukraine.
Even at the first meeting of the NATO-Russia Council in more than two years, the fronts remained hardened. NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said on Wednesday after almost five hours of deliberations in Brussels that there were still “significant differences of opinion” with Moscow in the Ukraine conflict. For its part, the Kremlin spoke of “fundamental” differences.
“Disagreements on fundamental issues”
According to Stoltenberg, the 30 NATO countries rejected Moscow’s demands for extensive security guarantees. “We will not compromise on our basic principles,” said the Norwegian. Russia has “no right of veto on the question of whether Ukraine can become a member of NATO”.
During talks with Russian Deputy Secretary of State Alexander Grushko, she made it clear that “every country has the sovereign right to choose its own path,” said US Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman on Twitter. Russia must now decide “whether it’s really about security” or “everything was just an excuse,” she said after the deliberations.
For his part, Grushko said the talks were “profound” and “open”. However, “a large number of disagreements on fundamental issues” came to light. Foreign State Secretary Andreas Michaelis represented Germany at the NATO-Russia Council. (jmh / AFP)