Ukraine crisis – Russia leaves troops in Belarus +++ NATO is concerned – news

  • The foreign ministers of the EU states will discuss the latest developments in the Ukraine conflict in Brussels on Monday.
  • The Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) has also called a special session for Monday.
  • The increasing number of ceasefire violations in eastern Ukraine and Russia’s decision to extend joint military exercises with Belarus – despite other announcements so far – give cause for concern.

Putin continues to pursue his own agenda: Russia and Belarus are continuing their joint military exercises, according to the Belarusian defense minister. This, although the end of Sunday had been announced in advance.

Legend:

Tanks on Belarusian soil during a joint military exercise between the two states of Russia and Belarus.

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In the West, there are fears that Russia is preparing to invade Ukraine as part of the exercise in Belarus. Lithuania and Latvia are demanding immediate sanctions against Russia and a strengthening of NATO’s eastern flank.

Macron as a mediator in the Urkraine crisis


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Legend:

Currently making many phone calls: French President Emmanuel Macron. On Sunday he wanted to call Chancellor Olaf Scholz, US President Joe Biden and other Western heads of government.

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In an almost two-hour telephone conversation, French President Emmanuel Macron and Russia’s head of state Vladimir Putin agreed to “intensify the search for solutions through diplomatic channels via the foreign ministries and political advisers” – in the Normandy format with representatives of Russia and Ukraine under Franco-German moderation. This should ensure that the ceasefire is observed again and “progress in resolving the conflict” is achieved.

Following the conversation with Putin, Macron called Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky again. It was said in Paris that he had emphasized his country’s willingness to engage in dialogue in the conflict with Russia. As in the telephone conversation on Saturday evening, Zelensky again assured that he would not react to provocations by the pro-Russian separatists in eastern Ukraine.

The fact that the Russian troops are staying in Belarus, contrary to Moscow’s previous assurances, is a “game changer for the security of the NATO countries bordering Belarus,” writes Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis on Twitter. “NATO reinforcements and EU sanctions are appropriate.”

NATO is also reacting with concern to Russia’s decision to keep thousands of soldiers in Belarus longer than originally planned. The Secretary General of the western military alliance, Jens Stoltenberg, said on ARD that Russia had promised to withdraw troops from the border region with Ukraine, but was actually increasing them.

According to Western sources, Russia has gathered around 150,000 soldiers on the border with Ukraine.

OSCE reports over 1,500 ceasefire violations

Meanwhile, there were new attacks in the conflict area in eastern Ukraine on Sunday night. The military had already spoken of two soldiers killed on Saturday.

According to the International Committee of the Red Cross, at least two pumping stations in the Donetsk region have failed as a result of shelling. These supplied more than a million people with drinking water.

According to international observers, the number of ceasefire violations is rising massively. The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) announced on Sunday night that 975 violations had been detected in the Luhansk region, including 860 explosions.

Legend:

A building in the Donetsk region said to have been damaged by the recent shelling.

Reuters

591 violations were reported for the Donetsk region, including 535 explosions. These figures referred to the situation on Friday. the OSCE plans to hold a special session on Monday.

EU draws up contingency plans for war refugees


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The EU is preparing for a possible influx of war refugees in the event of a Russian attack on Ukraine, which has a population of 41 million. If the focus of the invasion is on the East, according to EU Commissioner Ylva Johansson, it is expected that most of the refugees will initially seek protection in the western part of Ukraine. But Poland, Italy, Germany and France could also serve as places of refuge for Ukrainians.

EU Council President Charles Michel wants to immediately convene a special summit of European heads of state and government in the event of a Russian attack on Ukraine.

The peace plan is not implemented

In the eastern Ukrainian regions of Donetsk and Luhansk, government troops equipped by the West have been fighting Russian-backed separatists since 2014. According to UN estimates, more than 14,000 people have already been killed, mostly in the separatist area. A peace plan from 2015 mediated by Franco-German mediation is not implemented.

Swiss no longer flies to Kiev for the time being


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In view of the escalation of the crisis, the last Swiss aircraft for the time being flew from the Ukrainian capital Kiev to Switzerland on Sunday. For its last flight, Swiss used its largest Boeing 777 with 340 seats. It usually serves Ukraine with smaller aircraft with only around 145 seats. The plane was “well booked”, said a Swiss spokesman for the Keystone-SDA news agency on request.

Like other European airlines, Swiss will refrain from flying to Ukraine for safety reasons from Monday until February 28th. “The safety of passengers and crew members has top priority at all times,” a company spokesman explained the measure. Meanwhile, the Ukrainian airline Uia continues to operate between Kiev and Geneva.


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