Despite the mediation attempts and diplomatic pressure from the European and Washington chancelleries, the tension in the Donbass, on the Russian-Ukrainian line of contact, remains high, with the West struggling to see a diplomatic way out of the Ukrainian crisis and the president of the United States who feared the possibility of a Russian invasion “in the next few days”. Biden also spoke with Draghi about the Kiev dossier in view of the visit that the Italian prime minister will soon make to Moscow to meet Putin.
Europe has already prepared a package of sanctions in the event of an invasion which also includes a financial ban from the Swift system. Biden and the transatlantic leaders (from Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Romania, the United Kingdom, the European Union and NATO) will also talk about this today in a series of talks scheduled for the afternoon.
Donbass: the trench in Ukraine where the world is on the brink of war
by our correspondent Paolo Brera
8.55 Pro-Russian separatists: new attacks by Ukrainian forces
The pro-Russian separatists of the self-proclaimed rebel republic of Lugansk, in eastern Ukraine, have accused the government forces of attacking them again this morning with mortars: the Russian news agency Interfax reports.
8.19 Kiev: 60 violations of the ceasefire in the Donbass
The Ukrainian Defense Ministry announced today that it has recorded 60 violations of the ceasefire by pro-Russian separatists in the Donbas region in the past 24 hours. One soldier was injured, the ministry added.
Draghi will go to Putin with the proposal for a US-Russia summit on Ukraine
by our correspondent Claudio Tito
8 am. Blinken will meet Lavrov
Secretary of State Anthony Blinken accepted a new meeting with Sergei Lavrov at the end of next week. Blinken spokesman Ned Price said the meeting will take place in Europe “provided there is no further Russian invasion.” “If they invade in the next few days – he added – then it will be clear that they have never been serious about diplomacy “. It was Blinken himself, in his speech yesterday at the UN with which he explained in detail the plan with which Russia is trying to create a pretext to attack Ukraine, who made it known that he had asked Lavrov for a meeting.
1.27 Biden hears Draghi: “High costs for Russia if it invades”
US President Joe Biden had an interview with Prime Minister Mario Draghi on the situation in Ukraine. The two leaders “reaffirmed their commitment to Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity” and their readiness to impose “severe economic costs if Russia invades”. The two leaders also discussed “ongoing diplomatic and deterrence efforts in response to Russia’s continued military build-up on Ukraine’s borders.”