Ukraine: Putin refuses meetings and considers independence for breakaway republics

Created: 02/21/2022, 16:55

By: Tobias Utz, Max Schäfer

Joe Biden and Vladimir Putin are planning a summit meeting to de-escalate the Ukraine crisis.

The US has one condition.

But now it could be too late.

• The USA* and its allies fear a Russian invasion of Ukraine*.

• Emmanuel Macron mediates a summit meeting between Joe Biden* and Vladimir Putin*.

• However, the USA threatens Russia* with further sanctions.

>>> Update news ticker <<<

+++ 16:29:

Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Security Council are considering recognizing the self-proclaimed People's Republics of Luhansk and Donetsk in eastern Ukraine as independent states.

This is reported by several news agencies in unison.

The separatist leaders of the regions had requested the step shortly beforehand in an appeal for help from Putin.

Washington declared that Moscow's recognition of the territories would constitute "a gross violation of international law."

Joe Biden had "in principle" agreed to a meeting with Putin, the White House said on Monday morning.

However, this was linked to the condition that Russia did not invade Ukraine beforehand, it said.

Ukraine summit: Scholz calls Putin spontaneously

+++ 11.45 a.m .:

Chancellor Olaf Scholz has scheduled a phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin for Monday afternoon.

This was announced by government spokesman Steffen Hebestreit.

+++ 10.30 a.m .:

The Kremlin has described plans for a Ukraine summit between Vladimir Putin and Joe Biden as “premature”.

Dmitry Peskov, spokesman for the Kremlin, said in Moscow: "It is premature to talk about concrete plans for organizing a summit."

Joe Biden (left) and Vladimir Putin (right) at a meeting in June 2021. © Denis Balibouse/AFP

Biden had previously announced that he "in principle" agreed to a meeting with Putin.

As a condition for this, however, he stated that there would be no Russian invasion of Ukraine (see first report).

Update from Monday, February 21st, 2022, 9.30 a.m.:

A diplomatic crisis summit between Russia and the USA is intended to calm the Ukraine conflict (see first report).

Despite this, the situation continues to deteriorate.

The US Embassy in Moscow on Sunday issued a security warning about possible threats.

"According to media reports, attacks on shopping malls, train and metro stations and other public gathering places in major cities, including Moscow and St. Petersburg, and in areas of heightened tension along Russia's border with Ukraine have been threatened," the warning said.

The embassy recommended "avoid crowds," "review personal security plans," and have "proper ID" and "passport with a valid visa" ready.

It is not yet known who made the threats.

Ukraine summit: Russia before invasion?

US sets condition before Biden-Putin meeting

First report from Monday, February 21st, 2022, 6.30 a.m.:

Paris – The tensions in the Ukraine crisis between Russia and the western states continue.

A summit meeting between US President Joe Biden and Kremlin chief Vladimir Putin is now planned to de-escalate the situation.

Emmanuel Macron, President of France, proposed such a meeting to the two on Sunday (February 20, 2022), the Élysée Palace announced early Monday morning (February 21, 2022).

After that, everyone involved should come together.

The White House said Joe Biden had "in principle" agreed to the meeting with Putin.

However, the US condition is that Russia does not invade Ukraine first.

Emmanuel Macron had telephoned both with Biden and twice with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Sunday evening.

The exact contents of the summit are to be determined at the already arranged meeting of the two foreign ministers Antony Blinken and Sergey Lavrov.

"We are always ready for diplomacy," the White House said.

Ukraine summit: US threatens Russia with sanctions

The US government has again threatened Moscow with sanctions if it invades Ukraine.

It said it was prepared to impose swift and severe consequences if Russia chose war.

At present, Russia seems to be continuing preparations for a full-scale and early attack on the neighboring country.

Russian troop movements on the border with Ukraine are repeatedly documented by satellite images.

Despite the deployment of around 150,000 soldiers on the border with Ukraine, Russia has rejected Western fears.

"There is no invasion, and there are no such plans," Russian ambassador to the US Anatoly Antonov told CBS on Sunday.

Rather, his country wants to continue diplomatic efforts.

On the other hand, NATO* is skeptical about Russia's behavior.

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said Russia had promised to withdraw troops from the border region but was increasing them.

It's not too late for Russia to change course, but the risk of an attack is increasing, he said in the ARD "Report from Berlin"*.

Ukraine conflict: Putin and Macron want to look for solutions to the violence in eastern Ukraine

According to the Kremlin, Macron and Putin also agreed that in view of the flare-up of violence in eastern Ukraine, the search for solutions should be intensified - including in the so-called Normandy format with representatives of Russia and Ukraine under Franco-German moderation.

The aim is for the ceasefire to be observed again in eastern Ukraine and for progress to be made in resolving the conflict.

In eastern Ukraine, the Ukrainian army and Moscow-backed separatists have been at odds since 2014.

According to UN estimates, more than 14,000 people have already been killed, mostly in the separatist area.

A peace plan from 2015 mediated by Franco-German mediation is not implemented.

There have recently been increasing violations of the ceasefire along the front.

In the west, there are fears that Kremlin chief Vladimir Putin could use the fighting in eastern Ukraine as a pretext for an invasion* of the neighboring country.

However, Moscow has been denying plans of attack for weeks.

(ms/tu with AFP/rtr/dpa)