Russia estimated on Monday that there a “possibility” of resolving the Ukrainian crisis thanks to dialogue with Western countriesat a time when diplomacy is intensifying but does not seem to bear fruit in this crisis, at a level unprecedented since the Cold War.
“There is a chance” to “solve the problems,” Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said during a televised conversation with President Vladimir Putin.
The path of dialogue “It has not been exhausted, but neither can it last indefinitely”Lavrov added, stressing that Russia is ready to “listen to serious counterproposals.”
In another sign of de-escalation, shortly afterwards Sergey Shoigu, the Russian defense minister, stated that the military exercises taking place alongside Belarus were “ending”.
The Russian Government’s statements coincide with the visit of German Chancellor Olaf Scholz to Kiev, from where he urged Russia to take advantage the proposals for “dialogue” to resolve this crisis.
Germany, often accused of being too accommodating to Russia because of its economic interests, has hardened its tone in recent days. This Monday, Scholz assured that his country would continue to support Ukraine economically “with determination”.
During the day, the first German military reinforcements began to arrive in NATO member Lithuania, where up to now it had about 550 soldiers.
Scholz’s trip to Moscow is “probably the last chance” to achieve peace, Ukraine’s ambassador to Germany, Andrii Melnik, told the German network on Sunday. bild tv.
“We have the feeling that war is becoming more inevitable every day”; you have to prepare “for the worst”, he said.
Far from the ‘precipice’
The United States continues to insist that Russia can launch a military invasion “at any time” and has asked its citizens to leave Ukraine, a gesture imitated by other countries.
In a message with an alarmist tone, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson asked Putin on Monday to move away from the “precipice” in the crisis with Ukraine.
Johnson assured that the evidence is clear: “There are 130,000 soldiers on the Ukrainian border and other signs that show that there are preparations for an invasion”.
“As (US President Joe) Biden has said, there are signs that they are at least preparing something that could happen in the next 48 hours,” he said.
Johnson plans to travel to northern Europe this week, especially to the Baltic countries. The leader was already in Kiev two weeks ago, and the United Kingdom delivered large-scale weapons, including anti-tank missiles, to Ukraine for the first time.
Russia, which already annexed the Crimean peninsula in 2014 and supports pro-Russian armed separatists in eastern Ukraine, denies any intention to invade his neighborbut links the de-escalation to a series of demands, starting with the guarantee that NATO will not admit Ukraine as a member, something that Western countries consider unacceptable.
“We believe that joining NATO would guarantee our security and our territorial integrity,” Zelensky insisted on Monday..
This Monday, the G7 finance ministers stressed that they are willing to impose “in a very short time” sanctions “with important and immediate consequences for the Russian economy”, in the event of military aggression against Ukraine.
Regarding the possible sanctions and to the displeasure of Germany, the United States authorities have already mentioned the future of the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline, built to transport Russian gas to Germany, avoiding Ukraine.
This Monday, the Ukrainian president Volodímir Zelenski reiterated to Scholz that the pipeline is a “geopolitical weapon”.
Invitation to Biden
In a telephone conversation on Sunday night, US President Joe Biden and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky “agreed on the importance of continuing down the path of diplomacy and deterrence.”
The Ukrainian Presidency added that Zelensky urged Biden to visit Kiev “in the next few days”, a trip that would be “a sign of great weight and would help stabilize the situation”..
For its part, Ukraine has demanded an urgent meeting with Russia and the 57 member countries of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE).
Ukraine accuses Russia of not respecting OSCE rules by not sharing information about troop movements on its border.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said Russia had ignored a demand from Kiev over the so-called Vienna Document, an OSCE text calling for transparency between the armed forces of all its members.
Russia responded on Monday that it is “Russian troop movements on Russian territory.” (I)
Source: Eluniverso
Paul is a talented author and journalist with a passion for entertainment and general news. He currently works as a writer at the 247 News Agency, where he has established herself as a respected voice in the industry.
