Ukraine conflict: USA begins evacuating its own citizens

Created: 2022-01-24 07:28

By: Sandra Kathe, Sophia Lother

The US is apparently expecting the worst in the conflict between Ukraine and Russia and is beginning to fly out its diplomatic staff.

• Russia* is stationing more and more troops on the border with Ukraine.

  The conflict threatens to escalate into a war between the two countries.

• Vladimir Putin* calls for NATO guarantees.

  The USA* and Germany reject this.

  The situation is deadlocked.

• The government of Joe Biden* is now apparently starting to evacuate American citizens.

• The news situation on the Ukraine conflict in the news ticker.

+++ Update, January 24th, 2022, 7:28 a.m.:

The threat from Russia remains real. This apparently also applies to US diplomatic personnel. According to media reports from the USA, the State Department has now asked their families to leave Ukraine immediately. The reason given was the "continued threat of a Russian military operation". This was announced by Anthony Blinken's ministry on Sunday evening. The step is purely a precautionary measure, it said.

While the US is expecting the Ukraine conflict to worsen, the UK's secret services believe they know what Putin's plans are.

According to information from numerous British media, one is certain in the kingdom: Russia is working on installing a Kremlin-friendly government in Kiev.

The provocations at the border are only one of the many instruments.

The Russian government rejected the protests.

The US Embassy in Kiev.

US begins evacuating families of diplomatic personnel from Ukraine.

© Volodymyr Tarasov/imago

Ukraine conflict: US Secretary of State issues a clear warning to Russia

+++ 10:44 p.m .:

According to Ukrainian and Western information, Russia has gathered more than 100,000 soldiers on the Ukrainian border in the past few weeks. The West therefore fears a major Russian attack on the neighboring country – Moscow denies it. Criticism of Germany has been raised time and again. In addition to the Federal Government's clear "No" to arms deliveries, the behavior of Kay-Achim Schönbach was also sharply criticized.

After criticizing Germany's behavior in the Ukraine crisis, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has now expressly expressed his confidence in the federal government.

"I can tell you that the Germans share our concerns very much and are determined and determined to respond," Blinken said on NBC on Sunday.

Germany is ready to "react quickly, effectively and in a united manner".

"I have no doubts about that," added Blinken, referring to his conversation with Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) a few days ago.

Ukraine Conflict: US Secretary of State Blinks with Clear Warning to Russia

In an interview with CNN, US Secretary of State Blinken also issued a clear warning to Russia.

"If a single additional Russian force enters Ukraine aggressively [...], it would trigger a rapid, massive and united response from us and Europe," he stressed.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken at a press conference following a meeting with the Russian Foreign Minister.

(Archive photo) © Fabrice Coffrini/AFP

Ukraine conflict: New foreign ministers meeting planned

Update from Sunday, January 23rd, 2022, 7.35 p.m .:

The Ukraine conflict is coming to a head. In view of the latest developments, the EU foreign ministers want to exchange views with their US colleague Antony Blinken on Monday (January 24, 2022). According to the EU's foreign service, the American politician will join a physical meeting of European ministers in Brussels via video conference. One of the topics of the deliberations will be how to deal with demands made by Russia that are considered unacceptable. Blinken is also expected to report on the recent crisis talks with his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov in Geneva.

According to diplomats, it is planned that the 27 EU states will make their position on the conflict clear again this Monday with a joint statement.

In addition, sanctions planning should be pushed ahead in the event that Russia should actually attack Ukraine.

Ukraine conflict: Scholz reacts to criticism and rejects Russia's demand

First report from Sunday, January 23, 2022:

Kiev - In the midst of severe tensions in the Ukraine conflict, relations between Germany and Ukraine are also facing a crucial test. In addition to statements by the German naval chief Kay-Achim Schönbach, who has since resigned and who had campaigned for understanding towards Russia during an appearance in India, the rejected demand for arms deliveries from Germany is also causing conflicts between Berlin and Kiev.

Ukraine has repeatedly asked Germany for help since Russia has been stationing more and more military forces on the border with Ukraine.

Berlin wants to support the country with a field hospital in February, but there are no weapons, said Federal Defense Minister Christine Lambrecht (SPD*) in the “Welt am Sonntag”.

"Weapons deliveries would not be helpful at the moment - that is the consensus in the federal government."

Ukraine conflict: Baerbock promotes peace negotiations, Scholz rejects criticism

In view of the severe tensions between Russia and Ukraine, the German government is likely to find Kiev's displeasure extremely inconvenient. Germany is mediating together with France in the Ukraine conflict that has been going on for eight years. Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock* (Greens*) only campaigned on Wednesday (January 19, 2022) and Thursday in Kiev and Moscow for a speedy resumption of peace negotiations.

Chancellor Olaf Scholz* (SPD) also rejected criticism that the federal government and, above all, his SPD, did not position themselves clearly enough towards Russia.

In an interview with the Süddeutsche Zeitung, he announced "that there would be high costs for Russia if there were military aggression against Ukraine."

Scholz nevertheless pleaded for a sense of proportion when it came to the threatened sanctions in the event of Russian aggression against Ukraine and pointed out that there was no measure “that would not have consequences for all of us”.

Scholz rejects Russia's demands for a NATO guarantee in the Ukraine conflict

Efforts to defuse the conflict have been going on for days in various talks.

The US and its western allies are demanding a withdrawal of Russian troops massed on the Ukrainian border.

In return, Moscow is demanding security guarantees and an end to the eastward expansion of the western military alliance NATO, which Russia sees as a threat.

In his talks with the Süddeutsche, Chancellor Scholz rejected Russia's demands to rule out Ukraine's accession to NATO and said the "guarantee" demanded by Russia could not exist: "Additional countries from Eastern Europe are expected to join NATO currently not on the agenda at all.

What is the Russian demand for?” Scholz said in an interview with the newspaper.

Conflict with Russia: Great Britain and USA supply Ukraine with weapons and ammunition

In contrast to the refused arms deliveries from Germany, the USA once again showed its willingness to provide military aid to Ukraine at the weekend.

Just a few hours after a meeting between US Secretary of State Antony Blinken* and his Russian colleague Sergey Lavrov on Friday in Geneva, a US cargo plane landed at an airport in the capital Kiev.

According to the US Embassy in Kiev, there were 90 tons of cargo on board, including ammunition “for front-line defense”.

More deliveries should follow.

Great Britain* also recently supplied Ukraine with anti-tank weapons, thereby angering Vladimir Putin's government.

Ukraine conflict: London warns of Russian conspiracy, Russia denies

The Foreign Office in London also claimed on Saturday that Russia wants to establish a pro-Russian government in Ukraine. Former Ukrainian MP Yevgeny Murayev was mentioned by the British side as a possible candidate for the leadership position. However, the candidate named by London as a potential Moscow governor has been on a Russian sanctions list since 2018.

The Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova called the British account "nonsense".

On the Telegram news channel, she called on the Foreign Office in London to stop “provocative activities”.

The spread of this "disinformation" by the British media is once again proof "that the NATO countries, led by the Anglo-Saxons, are exacerbating the situation around Ukraine".

(ska with dpa/AFP)