White House: Biden-Putin meeting not planned yet | News from Germany about world events

US President Joe Biden has no intention of meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin amid the aggravation of the situation in eastern Ukraine, said White House press secretary Jennifer Psaki on Tuesday evening, February 22.

According to her, “at present, of course, this is not planned.” The American side will not completely “slam the door on diplomacy,” but de-escalation is a necessary condition for its successful continuation, Psaki stressed.

Blinken-Lavrov meeting canceled

Earlier in the day, US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken canceled a face-to-face meeting scheduled for February 24 with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in Geneva. Now “there is no point” to hold the event, because Russia “made it clear that it completely rejects diplomacy,” the head of the American foreign policy department said. Washington and its partners are always open to diplomatic interaction, but Moscow needs to show a serious attitude, Blinken said.

Macron proposed meeting between Biden and Putin

On February 21, French President Emmanuel Macron proposed holding a meeting between the leaders of the United States and the Russian Federation, having previously held telephone conversations with each of them. The parties expressed their prior agreement, but the condition for the meeting was that Moscow would not launch an invasion of Ukraine.

However, on the evening of the same day, Vladimir Putin first announced Russia’s recognition of the independence of the so-called “DPR” and “LPR”, and then ordered the introduction of Russian troops into the territories controlled by pro-Russian separatists in eastern Ukraine.

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Time.news of a new aggravation of the conflict in Donbass
Weapon systems check
So far, artillery firing on both sides of the Russian-Ukrainian border is carried out for test purposes. According to official data, the troops are checking the combat readiness of their weapons systems. In a video released by the Russian Defense Ministry, a Russian self-propelled mortar fires.

Time.news of a new aggravation of the conflict in Donbass
West expresses support for Ukraine
The West assures Kiev of its solidarity. In a first telephone conversation with his Ukrainian counterpart, US President Joe Biden reaffirmed to Volodymyr Zelensky “the United States’ unwavering support for Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity in the face of Russia’s ongoing aggression in Donbas and Crimea.” Similar statements were made by representatives of NATO and the EU.

Time.news of a new aggravation of the conflict in Donbass
Troops are pulling up to the Donbass
In early March, Russia began to increase its military presence on the border with Ukraine. Moscow said that in this way it is responding to Kiev’s provocations aimed at escalating the conflict in Donbass. According to observers from the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), there were no provocations.

Time.news of a new aggravation of the conflict in Donbass
American destroyers are already in the Black Sea
The United States, NATO and the EU have pledged support to Ukraine in protecting its territorial integrity. On April 9, Ankara reported that at the end of March the United States announced the passage of two of its warships through the Bosphorus to the Black Sea. The picture shows one of the two American destroyers that passed through the strait towards the Black Sea on March 20.

Time.news of a new aggravation of the conflict in Donbass
A war that has been going on for seven years
The conflict in eastern Ukraine erupted in early 2014, when pro-Russian separatists took control of parts of the Donetsk and Lugansk regions of Ukraine. According to the authorities in Kiev and their Western allies, the Kremlin is helping the separatists with illegal supplies of arms and mercenaries. Since then, the parties to the conflict have repeatedly agreed on a ceasefire, but these agreements have been constantly violated.

Time.news of a new aggravation of the conflict in Donbass
Bombed and destroyed
This man stands on the ruins of his house, located on the territory of the self-proclaimed “DNR”. The house was destroyed during the fighting between the separatists and the Ukrainian army. They involve soldiers, mercenaries, separatists and paramilitaries. But the fighting again and again affects the civilian population. At the beginning of 2019, according to the UN, about 3,300 civilians died in Donbass.

Time.news of a new aggravation of the conflict in Donbass
Clashes and deaths despite the truce
In total, since 2014, more than 13,000 people have died as a result of fighting in the Donbass. The current ceasefire, in place since July 2020, has been relatively stable, according to the OSCE. Recently, however, shelling has become more frequent. In recent days, at least five Ukrainian soldiers and a five-year-old boy have been killed on the territory of the “DPR”. Kiev denies involvement in his death.

Time.news of a new aggravation of the conflict in Donbass
Zelensky presented awards to Ukrainian soldiers
On April 8, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky visited the Donbass and tried to sort out the situation on the spot. He awarded Ukrainian soldiers who distinguished themselves in serving at the front. And on April 10, Zelensky will meet with Turkish President Erdogan. Ukrainian media reports that Zelensky is also scheduled to meet with French President Macron.

Time.news of a new aggravation of the conflict in Donbass
Russian citizenship under a simplified procedure
In 2019, Russia began issuing citizenship to residents of the “DNR”/”LNR” under a simplified procedure. According to various sources, about 600 thousand people with Russian citizenship now live there. Moscow has already reported that Russia will take all necessary measures to protect them. A US presidential spokeswoman said the Russian military presence on the border with Ukraine is now the largest since 2014.
Author: Jan Walter, Kevin Mertens