The essential
Westerners have been worried for weeks about the risks of an attack on Ukraine by Russia, which has massed more than 100,000 soldiers on the borders of this country.
Moscow repeated that it had initiated the withdrawal of its troops, without convincing.
A new episode of tension was born with bombings in eastern Ukraine, of which the Ukrainian army and pro-Russian separatists mutually accuse each other.
One soldier is believed to have died, Kiev said.
Joe Biden said on Friday he was "convinced" that Russia could attack Ukraine and its capital Kiev, "in the coming days".
Emmanuel Macron called on Friday in Brussels for the "cessation of military acts" in eastern Ukraine.
He is due to speak on the phone Sunday with Vladimir Putin.
On Saturday, the G7 foreign ministers are to meet in Munich to discuss the crisis.
Follow the day's events live:
9:45 a.m.
One soldier killed, serious ceasefire violations.
The Ukrainian armed forces and pro-Russian separatists on Saturday accused each other of serious violations of the ceasefire in eastern Ukraine.
The Ukrainian army reported 66 exchanges of mortar fire, 82 and 110 mm caliber, on the towns of the front until 07:00, a particularly high number.
At least one Ukrainian soldier was killed by shrapnel.
The Ukrainian armed forces, however, said in a statement that they "control the situation" and "continue their mission to repel the armed aggression of Russia".
9:40 a.m.
Macron will speak by telephone with Putin.
French President Emmanuel Macron will speak by telephone with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin on Sunday and on Saturday with Ukrainian Volodymyr Zelensky, to try "again to avoid the worst" in Ukraine, the Elysee Palace said on Friday evening.
We must "try everything, do everything so that the worst does not happen", hammered the French presidency, evoking a "risk of a Russian invasion of Ukrainian territory under the control of the government" of Kiev, and not only of the pro-Russian separatist territories in eastern Ukraine.
9:30 a.m.
Joe Biden “convinced” of an upcoming attack.
The American president said on Friday he was “convinced” that Vladimir Putin had “made the decision” to invade Ukraine, adding however that it was “not too late” for diplomacy.
“We have reason to believe that Russian forces intend to attack Ukraine (…) in the coming days,” said the American president in a speech from the White House.
“I am convinced that he made the decision.
We have reason to think so”.
“We think they will target Kyiv, a city of 2.8 million innocent people,” he added.
Watch live as I give an update on our continued efforts to pursue deterrence and diplomacy – and an update on Russia's buildup of military troops on the border of Ukraine.
https://t.co/Xt6EQUNltF
— President Biden (@POTUS) February 18, 2022
9:20 a.m.
American alarmists.
Across the Atlantic, alarmist speeches follow one another and a Russian invasion of this former Soviet republic seems inevitable, divided between pro-Westerns and pro-Russian separatists in the Donbass region. American Intelligence launched the alert at the beginning of the year indicating that Russia was emphasizing preparations for a full-scale invasion.
9:10 a.m.
Memory of Crimea, in 2014.
The memory of the annexation of Crimea by Russia, taken back from Ukraine in just one month during a military operation in 2014, is in everyone's mind.
9 hours.
A crisis that covers for a long time.
The Ukrainian crisis has been at the heart of all discussions for weeks between Russia and the West.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has said it clearly: he wants to bring Ukraine, Russia's "little sister" according to him, into the Russian fold, keeping it away from NATO, the Atlantic Alliance dominated by the Americans.
Even beyond Ukraine, he wants a commitment from NATO to stop any enlargement to the east.