Russia began the active phase of military exercises in Belarus on Thursday, as Britain moves for a new diplomatic initiative aimed at breaking the deadlock over Ukraine, warning Moscow that going to war with its neighbor would be disastrous for Russia, Ukraine and Europe.
U.S. officials have warned that Russia could attack Ukraine after massing troops near its borders and accused Moscow of further escalating tensions by holding joint military exercises in Belarus with what Nato says is the largest Russian deployment to the country since the Cold War.
Hi-tech youth and oligarchs: the thousand doubts of Ukraine, a country in the balance between Nato and Russia
from our envoy
Paul Brera
Russia denies planning an attack and says it has the right to move its troops as it sees fit through its own territory and that of its allies with their agreement. He says the exercises, which will last until February 20 in conjunction with the end of the Beijing Olympics, are defensive in nature.
Nato Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said last week that Russia should have 30,000 troops in Belarus, as well as Spetsnaz special operations forces, SU-35 fighters, S-400 air defense systems and Iskander missiles with nuclear capability.
In response to the military exercises in Belarus, which President Zelenski called a form of “psychological pressure”, Ukraine has launched its own exercises that will last until February 20. The Ukrainian forces, the number of which has not been disclosed, will use Turkish BA droni Raktar drones and anti-tank missilesav Avelin and NLA forniti
During talks in Moscow with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, British Foreign Minister Liz Truss warned Moscow not to attack Ukraine. “Basically, a war in Ukraine would be disastrous for the Russian and Ukrainian people and for European security and, together, Nato has made it clear that any incursion into Ukraine would have huge consequences and high costs,” he said. Lavrov said that Moscow is open to improving the terrible relations between Britain and Russia.
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“Of course we can normalize relations only through mutually respectful dialogue… Ideological approaches, ultimatums, threats, lessons in morality are a road to nowhere,” he said.
Britain’s diplomatic pressure
Britain also hopes to use the visit to NATO headquarters of Prime Minister Boris Yeltsson to bolster European solidarity as Moscow seeks assurances that Ukraine, an e repubblica
“As an alliance we need to draw lines in the snow and be clear that there are principles on which we will not compromise,” he said. “This includes the security of every Nato ally and the right of every European democracy to aspire to Nato membership,”he said.
What Putin knows about Europe
of
Berna Gonzalez Harbour
After French President Emmanuel Macron met Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow on Monday, some Russian experts said there were tentative signs that the KGB spy wants to avoid an escalation of the Ukrainian crisis. The United States and the European Union have threatened Russia with sanctions in the event of an attack, building on steps taken after Russia annexed Crimea and backed separatists fighting government forces in eastern Ukraine in 2014. Six Russian warships arrived in Sevastopol, Crimea, which Russia annexed in 2014, bolstering Moscow’s forces in the Black Sea ahead of planned naval exercises.