Joe Biden makes it clear: "No US or NATO troops in Ukraine"

Created: 01/26/2022, 12:01 p.m

By: Lukas Zigo

Western countries fear an escalation of the Ukraine conflict and call for relaxation.

At the same time, they make preparations for emergencies.

• Russia* and Ukraine are meeting in Paris for the first time to negotiate the deadlocked conflict.

• The USA* is putting 8,500 additional troops on standby.

  The NATO associations in the neighboring member states are also attracting more attention.

• Vladimir Putin

  *

  wants to persuade Ukraine to negotiate with the Donbass rebels.

  Joe Biden* also comments on the conflict.

PARIS – The Ukraine conflict continues to escalate.

Above all, Germany and France

do not want to risk a war on their own doorstep and so the hopes are now pinned on a meeting in Paris, which will bring the two conflicting countries together again for the first time in a long time.

In an interview with CNN, US President Joe Biden had threatened for the first time that he would impose sanctions

directly on President Vladimir Putin if

"I can imagine that," he replied to the reporter's question.

Asked about the 8,500 US troops who have been placed on alert, Biden reiterated that it was not a proactive decision, but was intended to reassure US allies.

“We have no intention of stationing US or NATO troops in Ukraine.

But like I said, there will be serious economic consequences if he invades,” Biden said, referring to Russia's leader Putin.

Joe Biden (r), President of the USA, greets soldiers while passing by a naval barracks.

© Andrew Harnik/dpa

Ukraine crisis: meeting in Paris can create relaxation

The situation could be eased at the forthcoming meeting on Wednesday in Paris.

Official representatives of the two conflicting countries have met there for the first time since the current tensions began.

Germany and France will also take part in the negotiations.

They are to participate at consultant level in the so-called Normandy format.

They mediate in the conflict.

According to Élysée circles, the Paris talks will primarily deal with humanitarian measures and future considerations for Ukraine.

They also want to find a date on which Ukraine will negotiate with the separatists loyal to the Kremlin about a special status for the Donbass region.

Ukraine has so far officially rejected this.

She sees Moscow as the negotiating partner and not the separatists.

Ukraine: Minsk agreement "implement in the interests of Ukraine"

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said, according to the state agency TASS, the deputy head of the presidential administration, Dmitry Kozak, will raise Russia's concerns about the situation on the front line in eastern Ukraine at the talks in Paris.

The government of neighboring Ukraine accuses Moscow of not implementing the peace plan negotiated in 2015 with the mediation of Germany and France.

Andriy Yermak, Ukrainian negotiator, has already made it clear: "We will implement the Minsk agreement exclusively in the interests of Ukraine." On Ukrainian television, however, the head of the presidential office was basically pleased that a meeting of this format was taking place again.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister warns: "Situation where anything can happen"

The Foreign Minister of Ukraine, Dmytro Kuleba, assesses the situation in the conflict as uncertain, anything is possible.

"We are literally in a situation where anything can happen," Kuleba told CNN on Tuesday.

He cannot read the thoughts of Russian President Vladimir Putin.

"If Russia is ready to act without ulterior motives, there is an opportunity to leave the negotiating room and say that we have reached an agreement." At the same time, Kuleba emphasized that his country would not simply follow the instructions of a great power in the conflict.

The conflict in eastern Ukraine has been smoldering since 2014.

The peace plan negotiated in Minsk, Belarus, is on hold.

According to UN estimates, more than 14,000 people have already been killed in fighting between Ukrainian government troops and pro-Kremlin separatists in the Donbass region.

At the end of 2019, a meeting in the Normandy format* took place.

At the beginning of January there were meetings at advisor level, albeit separately with Ukraine and Russia.

(lz/dpa)