Ukraine conflict: Russia reports sensitive border incident - Putin rebuffs Biden

Created: 02/21/2022, 19:59

By: Florian Naumann, Andreas Schmid

Tensions in the Ukraine conflict continue to grow.

Russia raises "shelling" allegations.

A Putin-Biden summit is in danger of failing.

The news ticker.

• The Ukraine conflict* comes to a head: A summit meeting between US President Joe Biden and Kremlin boss Vladimir Putin should now help

  (update from February 21, 6:12 a.m.)

  .

• According to US media, there are new troop movements on the border that indicate an invasion

  (update February 20, 10:34 p.m.).

• The situation threatens to escalate, especially in eastern Ukraine

  (updates from February 21, 11:40 a.m. and 1:04 p.m.).

• This

  news ticker on the Ukraine conflict

  has ended.

  We will keep you up to date on the situation in Ukraine in this ticker.

Update from February 21, 5:38 p.m.:

 In view of the escalation of the Ukraine conflict, Kiev has called for an “immediate” meeting of the UN Security Council.

"Urgent de-escalation measures and concrete steps" are needed to ensure Ukraine's security, Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba wrote on Twitter on behalf of President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Monday.

Ukraine's demand is based on security guarantees it received in 1994 in return for not having Soviet-made nuclear arsenals on its soil.

The Budapest Memorandum was also signed by Russia, the US and Britain - all three members of the UN Security Council.

Update from February 21, 5:28 p.m .:

 Vladimir Putin wants to decide on Monday whether to recognize the self-proclaimed People’s Republics as independent states.

He said this after a meeting of the National Security Council, which was broadcast live on state television.

All those involved, including Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, spoke out in favor of recognizing the regions.

The pro-Russian separatist leaders in Luhansk and Donetsk had previously asked Putin for assistance in fighting Ukrainian government troops.

The Security Council said that neither Ukraine nor the West needed the Donbass.

Deputy Chairman of the Security Council Dmitry Medvedev said it was clear to Russia that the step would have serious consequences in view of the sanctions threatened by the West.

In view of the situation, however, there is no other option than to recognize the areas.

The pressure on Russia will be unprecedented.

The hope is, however, that the conflict will cool down afterwards.

Meanwhile, French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian called on Lavrov to influence the Moscow-loyal separatists.

It is important that the trilateral contact group, headed by the OSCE, meet as soon as possible, Le Drian said in a phone call with Lavrov on Monday, the Foreign Ministry in Paris said.

The meeting is essential to get those involved to get the ceasefire on the line of contact in eastern Ukraine, where the Ukrainian army and Moscow-backed separatists face each other.

Both ministers had agreed to meet on Friday in Paris, it said.

Update from February 21, 4:33 p.m

.: According to the FSB secret service, Russian security forces arrested a Ukrainian soldier.

"Last night two groups of saboteurs from the Ukrainian army crossed the Russian border," said FSB chief Alexander Bortnikov on Monday.

The two groups were "destroyed".

"A Ukrainian soldier was arrested."

Russian news agencies had previously reported, citing the army, that five "saboteurs" coming from Ukraine had violated the Russian border and had been "eliminated".

The government in Kiev immediately denied this.

Ukraine accuses Russia of spreading massive false reports.

Update from February 21, 3:58 p.m .:

 Russian President Vladimir Putin currently sees “no prospects” for the implementation of the Minsk Agreement *, which is intended to pacify eastern Ukraine.

"We have come to believe that there is no prospect" for the deals, Putin told a National Security Council meeting in Moscow on Monday.

The Minsk Agreement was signed in the Belarusian capital of Minsk in 2015 after the annexation of Crimea.

It should ensure peace and security.

For example, the Minsk Agreement calls for an immediate ceasefire in eastern Ukraine or the “removal of all heavy weapons by both sides” from the region.

Despite the agreement, however, the conflicts between Ukraine and Russia continue - and are now threatening to escalate 

.

The Minsk Agreement was signed on February 12, 2015 by Leonid Kuchma (former President of Ukraine), Mikhail Zurabov (then Russian Ambassador to Ukraine), Igor Plotnitsky and Alexander Zakharchenko (then militia leaders in Luhansk and Donetsk respectively) and Heidi Tagliavini (then Ukraine - OSCE Representative).

Former Chancellor Angela Merkel was also involved in negotiating the contract.

Update from February 21, 1:04 p.m

.: Tensions continue to increase massively in the Donbass conflict area in eastern Ukraine.

In the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic, separatist leader Denis Pushilin called all men to arms to fight Ukrainian government forces.

Ukraine has repeatedly stressed that it is not planning an offensive against the pro-Russian separatists.

Pushilin, in turn, spoke of massive shelling from the Ukrainian side.

This information could not be verified.

In Donetsk, two schools, a hospital and a substation were hit, the authorities there said.

From the regions controlled by pro-Moscow separatists, women and children in particular were brought to Russia in buses and trains.

Tens of thousands came to emergency shelters in different parts of Russia.

The men had to stay.

"I call on the male population, everyone who can hold a weapon, to report to the district military commandos and to stand up for the protection of their families, children, women, mothers and for our fatherland," said Puschilin.

Observers from the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) recently reported a number of violations of the agreed ceasefire

Ukraine conflict: Russia reports sensitive border incident

Update from February 21, 11:40 a.m .:

Against the background of tensions in eastern Ukraine, Moscow has accused Kiev of destroying a Russian border post with shelling.

On Monday morning, "a grenade of an unknown type fired from Ukrainian territory completely destroyed the post of border guards in the Rostov region," reported Russian news agencies, citing the Russian secret service FSB, which is also responsible for border protection.

So there were no victims.

The post was said to be around 150 meters from the Russian-Ukrainian border.

A video released by the Ria Nowosti news agency showed a small destroyed building on a wooded plain surrounded by rubble and rubble.

Shortly thereafter, the Ukrainian army declared that the information was not correct;

they did not fire a grenade at the posts.

"We cannot stop them from producing fake news - but we always emphasize that we are not shooting at civilian infrastructure or at any area in the Rostov region or whatever," said Ukrainian military spokesman Pavlo Kovalchuk.

Update from February 21, 11:07 a.m

.: There are plans for a Ukraine summit by US President Joe Biden and Kremlin chief Vladimir Putin

.

The French government sees this as a sign of "diplomatic hope".

A White House spokeswoman said shortly thereafter that US President Biden was in principle ready to meet if Russia did not invade Ukraine.

In Russia, the mixed situation is assessed differently.

The Kremlin described the plans for a summit meeting as premature and called for the dialogue on the Ukraine conflict to be continued at foreign minister level for the time being.

Ukraine conflict: Putin convenes sensitive Security Council meeting

Update from February 21, 10:25 a.m

.: In view of the fighting in eastern Ukraine, Russian President Vladimir Putin convened the National Security Council.

The meeting should take place on Monday, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said, according to the Interfax agency in Moscow.

Peskow described the situation in the conflict area as "extremely tense".

"So far we have not seen any signs of relaxation." 

Meanwhile, the United States is warning of a Russian “death list”*.

Ukraine conflict: Baerbock pushes Putin back to the negotiating table

Update from February 21, 9.42 a.m

.: Only Russia can solve the Ukraine crisis, says Federal Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock (Greens).

On Monday, she urgently appealed to Russian President Putin: "Come back to the negotiating table." Only Russia can solve the crisis.

The foreign ministers of the 27 EU countries first met the Ukrainian foreign minister Dmytro Kuleba in the Belgian capital.

He called on the Europeans to immediately impose "at least some of the sanctions" on Russia.

"We believe that there are good and legitimate reasons to impose at least some sanctions," Kuleba said.

This could demonstrate that the EU not only talks about sanctions, but also acts.

He also renewed his call for arms sales, which the federal government rejects.

Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock on Monday in Brussels.

© Janine Schmitz/Imago

Ukraine conflict: Plans for summit between Putin and Biden

Update from February 21, 6:12 a.m

.: US President Joe Biden and his Russian colleague Vladimir Putin have agreed to the Elysée Palace in Paris according to a summit meeting in the Ukraine conflict proposed by French President Emmanuel Macron “in principle”.

The meeting “can only take place if Russia does not invade Ukraine,” explained the Elysée on Monday night after Macron had previously telephoned the two heads of state.

Shortly thereafter, Biden's press secretary, Jen Psaki, declared that the US was "obligated to continue diplomacy pending the commencement of an invasion."

Biden has "agreed in principle to meet with President Putin ... barring an invasion."

Ukraine crisis: Biden and Putin agree to summit

According to France, the meeting between the presidents of the USA and Russia will be prepared by the respective foreign ministers, Antony Blinken and Sergey Lavrov, at their meeting on Thursday.

Lavrov is scheduled to meet his French colleague Jean-Yves Le Drian on Monday.

Accordingly, following the direct talks between Biden and Putin, Macron proposed a summit meeting “with all those involved” in the conflict.

It is supposed to be about “security and strategic stability in Europe”.

Macron had spoken to Putin twice on Sunday

.. 

US President Joe Biden (left), Russian President Vladimir Putin © Mandel Ngan(Mikhail Metzel/AFP

Update from February 20, 10:42 p.m .:

The Russian Foreign Ministry has countered a US warning to its own citizens of “attacks” in Russia (

) in a sharp tone: spokeswoman Maria Zakharova asked rhetorically whether the USA also had Russia warned of these attacks - and if not, how the embassy's explanations should be understood.

Putin cancels withdrawal: US broadcaster reports on Russian invasion plans - troops already in battle formation?

Update from February 20, 10:34 p.m.:

The

is now also reporting on US intelligence information on advanced Russian invasion plans for Ukraine (

).

The newspaper also cites concrete numbers: The data showed that 40 to 50 percent of the more than 150,000 Russian soldiers on the Ukrainian border had gone into battle formation and could launch an attack within a few days.

Some of the troops are said to be Russian reservists who could form an occupation force after an invasion.

According to the newspaper, the officials did not give any further details about the information, only that it was trustworthy.

However, the secret service findings do not appear to be entirely new: the information from last week is said to have prompted US President Joe Biden to state on Friday that Russian President Vladimir Putin made the decision to attack.

But the order does not mean that an invasion is certain.

Putin could always change his mind.

According to the White House, Biden * met with his National Security Council on Sunday.

The latest developments in connection with Russia's military build-up on the border with Ukraine were discussed, it said.

The White House did not provide any further information about the meeting.

Ukraine crisis: US embassy now advises citizens in Russia to leave the country – because of “threats”

Update from February 20, 9:35 p.m .:

The US Embassy in Russia has asked US citizens to prepare for an evacuation.

Crowds of people should also be avoided.

The statement was justified with media reports about "threats of attacks", as reported by the British

.

The paper classified the embassy's assessment of the situation as a further escalation step in an atmosphere reminiscent of the Cold War.

Meanwhile, US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin also underscored warnings of a Russian invasion of Ukraine.

If that happens, the country can prepare for a "significant amount of combat power in a rapid advance to capture Kiev," he said, according to

ABC 's

Lloyd also warned of serious consequences for the civilian population with regard to the Russian military material near the Ukrainian border.

The broadcaster CBS had previously reported on increasingly concrete invasion plans, citing US intelligence sources (

).

Update from February 20, 8:10 p.m .:

The Ukrainian ambassador Andriy Melnyk has again requested arms deliveries from Germany: If Russia should invade before an arms delivery, the Ukrainians would “never forget this betrayal,” he warned the federal government.

At the same time, Melnyk called for immediate sanctions against Russia - as did the foreign ministers of Latvia and Lithuania (

).

Update from February 20, 7:35 p.m .:

Lithuania and Latvia are demanding immediate western sanctions against Russia and a strengthening of NATO’s eastern flank.

The fact that Russian troops are staying in Belarus, contrary to Moscow's previous assurances, is a "game changer for the security of the NATO countries bordering Belarus," Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis wrote on Twitter on Sunday.

"NATO reinforcements and EU sanctions are appropriate."

His Latvian counterpart Edgars Rinkevics also tweeted, referring to the whereabouts of troops and further "aggression against Ukraine": "It is clear that the transatlantic community must start implementing sanctions against Russia and NATO should station more forces in the region."

Ukraine crisis: US broadcaster is now reporting on Russian battle preparations - NATO accuses Putin of breaching his word

Update from February 20, 7:05 p.m .:

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg has accused Russia of breaking his word because of the announced further military maneuvers on the Ukrainian border.

"We see that Russia has promised to withdraw, but Russia has continued to increase the deployment, more troops stationed at the border," Stoltenberg told ARD on Sunday.

However, the actions of the Kremlin are not surprising.

"We've seen that for many months";

the Russian decision to continue the exercises fits the pattern, the NATO chief said.

Exactly what we predicted is happening: Russia is trying to create a pretext for an invasion of Ukraine.

Stoltenberg referred to "false genocide reports" from eastern Ukraine.

A photo of the Russian-Belarusian military maneuvers on Saturday - the activities are now continuing.

© Peter Kovalev/www.imago-images.de

Update from February 20, 6:55 p.m .:

US media are fueling speculation about an imminent Russian invasion of Ukraine: Commanders of the Russian troops have received the green light for specific preparations, and detailed plans for action in the field are now being worked on, reports the Broadcaster CBS citing US intelligence sources.

At the same time, Russian troops were advancing closer to the border, correspondent David Martin said on the Face of the Nation program.

However, there is no official confirmation of this representation.

Ukraine crisis: Putin's ambassador now comments on the Donbass - US ministry threatens, but waits

Update from February 20, 6:38 p.m .:

Russia’s US Ambassador Anatoly Antonov has once again denied invasion plans in Ukraine.

"Russia is not trying to take territory from other countries," he said, according to the Russian state news agency Ria Novosti.

There are no corresponding plans.

Antonov also commented on eastern Ukraine: Moscow considers the Donbass to be “part of Ukraine”.

Meanwhile, the US government still sees diplomatic leeway to prevent a complete escalation in the Ukraine conflict.

Russia has not yet invaded Ukraine, Defense Department spokesman John Kirby told Fox News on Sunday.

"We still think there's time to stop that." At the same time, Kirby warned that Vladimir Putin has positioned his military to strike at any moment.

"What we are witnessing is that Mr. Putin is carrying out his apparently very clear intentions to invade Ukraine again."

Asked whether the US was more concerned about the conflict than partners like Germany, Kirby said NATO was more united and united than ever.

"The only thing Putin doesn't want is exactly what he gets: a very strong NATO on his western flank." However, the Pentagon spokesman rejected calls for massive sanctions to be imposed now.

"If you're punishing someone for something they haven't done, then they might as well go ahead and do it," Kirby said.

Update from February 20, 5:30 p.m .:

French President Emmanuel Macron wants to discuss the Ukraine conflict with Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) and US President Joe Biden on Sunday.

The Élysée Palace announced a phone call "in the next few hours" in the afternoon.

Macron had previously spoken to Russian President Vladimir Putin (see previous update).

Ukraine conflict: Macron and Putin on the phone - the results of the conversation are now known

Update from February 20, 5:05 p.m .:

Now the content of the phone call from Emmanuel Macron * and Vladimir Putin * is known: According to the Élysée Palace, Russia and France have agreed to work quickly on a ceasefire in eastern Ukraine.

According to the Kremlin, it was agreed to "facilitate the restoration of the ceasefire and ensure progress in resolving the conflict."

The Russian government also stressed that Putin blamed "provocations" by the Ukrainian army for the "escalation" in eastern Ukraine.

There were also indirect allegations against the West: deliveries of modern weapons and ammunition to the Ukrainian armed forces from the West are pushing "Kiev towards a military solution" in the conflict with the pro-Russian separatists in eastern Ukraine, which has been ongoing since 2014.

Ukraine crisis: Blinken sees situation "deadly serious, on the brink of invasion"

Update from February 20, 4:52 p.m .:

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has again warned of an escalation in the Ukraine conflict – but wants to continue to rely on diplomacy.

"Everything we're seeing suggests it's deadly serious, we're on the brink of invasion," he warned in a CNN interview Sunday morning local time.

They want to use "every opportunity and every minute" to prevent Russian President Vladimir Putin from invading, "until the tanks actually roll and the planes fly," said Blinken.

A meeting with Russia's Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in the coming week is still planned, "unless Russia invades in the meantime," emphasized the US minister.

Referring to the situation in eastern Ukraine, Blinken said: "Everything leading up to the actual invasion seems to be happening: all these false flag operations, all these provocations to create justifications." This is rehearsed and exactly that , which the US government had warned about*.

Blinken also criticized the decision that Russian troops should remain in Belarus for the time being in order to continue joint military exercises.

These are "exercises in quotation marks" that Russia justifies with the situation in eastern Ukraine.

This is "a situation that they have created by further heating up tensions".

Ukraine crisis: Selenskyj gives Macron a commitment

Update from February 20, 2:05 p.m

.: Crisis diplomacy in the Ukraine conflict continues to take place far away from Moscow and Kiev.

Now French President Emmanuel Macron has intervened again.

After a long phone call with Kremlin chief Vladimir Putin, he then called Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyj again.

As it was said on Sunday from the Élysée Palace, Macron's phone call with Putin lasted around an hour and 45 minutes.

Nothing was initially known about the content.

According to the German Press Agency, Zelenskyy promised that he would not react to provocations by Moscow-loyal separatists in eastern Ukraine.

February 20 update, 1:31 p.m

.: Will Russia attack Ukraine?

Referring to Western fears, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Russian state television: "What's the point of Russia attacking someone?

We call for history to be remembered.” 

Rather, Ukraine could feel provoked to a violent solution in the conflict area in the east of the country.

Peskov once again criticized the West's military support for Kiev.

Ukraine conflict: Putin turnaround?

Russia and Belarus want to continue military exercises

Update February 20, 11:28 a.m

.: Russian troops remain in Belarus for further military exercises.

Amid the deepening Ukraine crisis, Belarus has announced an extension of joint military exercises with Russia.

Because of the "increase in military activities" near the Belarusian border and due to a "deterioration of the situation in Donbass", President Alexander Lukashenko* and his Russian colleague Vladimir Putin decided to continue military exercises, the Defense Ministry said on Sunday in the Telegram messenger service.

Russia had previously pledged to withdraw its soldiers from Belarus after the maneuvers ended as scheduled this Sunday.

Ukraine conflict: Johnson warns of “biggest war in Europe since 1945”

Update from February 20, 10:42 a.m

.: British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has warned of a war on the scale of World War II in view of the impending escalation in Ukraine.

"I'm sorry to say that the scale of the plan we're seeing is something that could really be the biggest war in Europe since 1945," Johnson told the BBC on the sidelines of the Munich security conference.

"Everything indicates that the plan has already begun in a way," said Johnson, who had been very aggressive in warning of Russian "false flag operations" in the past few days.

This is how deliberately staged actions are described, for which other forces - in this case Ukrainian forces - are held responsible afterwards.

Russia could stage something to create a pretext for an invasion, so the concern.

"People really need to understand how many lives could be affected," Johnson warned of the impending escalation and again announced severe sanctions in this case.

Britain and the US would make it impossible for Russian companies to "deal in pounds and dollars", which would hit them hard.

Ukraine conflict: new battles!

NATO chief warns of "full attack" by Russia

First report from February 20th

: Luhansk/Moscow – The Ukraine conflict* is coming to a head.

The fears of a possible imminent major attack by Russia on Ukraine are currently fueled by two aspects in particular.

First: new Russian military exercises.

Second, a significant increase in ceasefire violations in eastern Ukraine - the area near the Russian border where Western-equipped government troops have been fighting Russian-backed separatists since 2014.

According to the UN, 14,000 people have been in the area so far.

Nato-Generalsekretär Jens Stoltenberg warnte am Samstagabend: „Das Risiko eines Angriffs ist sehr hoch.“ Und weiter: „Alle Zeichen deuten darauf hin, dass Russland einen vollständigen Angriff auf die Ukraine plant.“ US-Präsident Joe Biden berief für Sonntag eine Sondersitzung seines Nationalen Sicherheitsrats ein. Das Auswärtige Amt forderte Deutsche zu sofortigem Verlassen der Ukraine auf.

Ukraine-Konflikt: Russland testet Nuklearwaffen

In Russland begann unterdessen ein neues Großmanöver, bei dem unter anderem Hyperschall-Marschflugkörper und atomwaffenfähige ballistische Raketen abgefeuert wurden. Atommacht Russland testet also Nuklearwaffen. An den von Präsident Wladimir Putin* persönlich beaufsichtigten Übungen sind nach Kreml-Angaben neben der Luftwaffe auch „strategische“ Truppen sowie die Schwarzmeer- und Nordmeerflotte beteiligt.

This video still, made available by the Russian Defense Ministry's press service on February 19, shows the launch of an ICBM.

© Uncredited/Russian Defense Ministry Press Service/AP/dpa

Ukraine conflict: new attacks in Luhansk and Donetsk

In the conflict area in eastern Ukraine, there were new attacks on Sunday night.

The insurgents in the Luhansk and Donetsk regions announced in the morning that villages had been shelled several times since midnight.

The Ukrainian army also listed several violations of the current ceasefire in the morning.

The respective data could not be verified independently.

Nothing was initially known about victims.

The military had already spoken of two soldiers killed on Saturday.

According to international observers, the number of ceasefire violations is rising massively.

In the Luhansk region, 975 violations were found, including 860 explosions, according to a statement by the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) on Sunday night.

591 violations were reported for the Donetsk region, including 535 explosions.

These figures referred to the situation on Friday.

A day after a Ukrainian kindergarten was allegedly hit by artillery fire.

The crisis continues.