The US warns a Russian invasion of Ukraine is imminent, Putin signals he is still open to diplomacy with Western leaders, as Ukrainian envoy says ready to make concessions, Biden says will respond “swiftly” to Moscow aggression.
Putin signals open to diplomacy with Ukraine, as the US warns Russian invasion could occur at “any day now”
US national security advisor Jake Sullivan has warned that a Russian invasion of Ukraine could occur “any day now.” On Sunday, Sullivan laid out how Russia’s potential invasion of Ukraine would likely play out, Fox reported.
“If there is a military invasion of Ukraine by Russia, it’s likely, to begin with, a significant barrage of missiles and bomb attacks,” Sullivan said. “Those are never as precise as any army would like them to be, and we don’t even know how precise the Russian army would like them to be, so innocent civilians could be killed regardless of their nationality.”
Putin leaves the door open to diplomacy with Ukraine
Russian President Vladimir Putin signaled he is open to holding further talks with Western leaders, following comments from Russia’s foreign minister, Sergei Lavrov, that said the dialogue scope is ‘far from exhausted. Lavrov called for intensified talks with Washington and NATO, the Washington Post reported.
Biden assures Ukraine the US will respond “swiftly and decisively” to the Russian invasion
US president Joe Biden spoke by phone for 50 minutes on Sunday to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, promising the leader that if Russia invades his country, the United States and its allies will respond “swiftly and decisively,” NBC reported.
“President Biden reaffirmed the commitment of the United States to Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity,” according to a description of the conversation by the White House. The report added that Biden “made clear that the United States would respond swiftly and decisively, together with its allies and partners, to any further Russian aggression against Ukraine.”
Both leaders “agreed on the importance of continuing to pursue diplomacy and deterrence in response to Russia’s military build-up on Ukraine’s borders,” the White House added.
Ukraine is open to concessions, but joining NATO is still long-term goal
At the heart of the current crisis is Ukraine’s desire to join NATO. According to Wikipedia, Ukraine’s membership in the EU and NATO would complete a Western Wall of allied countries, restricting Russia’s access to the Black Sea.
Putin views Ukraine’s intent to join NATO as a “security threat.” In response, Russia has built up roughly 100,000 troops along the Ukraine border.
Ukraine’s UK ambassador, Vadym Prystaiko, told the BBC his country might be willing to drop its ambition to join NATO to avert war, DW reported.
“We are flexible trying to find the best way out,” Prystaiko told Radio 5. “If we have to go through some serious — I don’t know — concessions, that is something we might do, that’s for sure.”
However, Sergii Nykyforov, a spokesperson for Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, walked back the comments on Monday, saying the country’s constitution makes its ambitions clear that it still intends to join NATO.
“This course is not only reflected in the constitution but is also the full consent of the authorities and society,” Nykyforov told Reuters.
Prystaiko then clarified his statements, stating the country is not dropping plans to join NATO.
“We are not a member of NATO right now, and to avoid war, we are ready for many concessions, and that is what we are doing in conversations with the Russians,” Prystaiko said. “It has nothing to do with NATO, which is enshrined in the constitution.”
“NATO has repeatedly said that Russia won’t be able to veto Ukraine’s accession,” according to DW.
