Launch of ballistic missiles and cruise missiles planned under the supervision of President Vladimir Putin.
Against the background of the tense situation in the Ukraine conflict, Russia has announced military maneuvers under the supervision of President Vladimir Putin for Saturday. Putin will oversee the planned drill with strategic ballistic missiles and cruise missiles, the Russian Defense Ministry said on Friday, according to news agencies.
“On February 19, a planned exercise of strategic deterrence forces will be organized under the leadership of the Supreme Commander of the Russian Army Vladimir Putin,” the Defense Ministry said. The aim is to test the reliability of strategic nuclear weapons.
Lukashenko in Moscow
Meanwhile, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko has arrived in Moscow for talks with his Russian counterpart, Putin. The issue is likely to be how long Russian troops will remain in Belarus (Belarus) after the joint maneuvers are scheduled to conclude on February 20. Lukashenko left the withdrawal date open on Thursday. “If we make a decision, we (the troops) will leave within 24 hours. If we decide for a month, they will stay for a month. The armed forces will stay as long as necessary,” he says, according to the Belta news agency.
In his own words, Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksiy Reznikov estimates the likelihood of a “large-scale escalation” by Russia towards Ukraine to be low. He said so in parliament, citing that the Ukrainian secret services “see any movement that could pose a potential threat to Ukraine.” Russia has massed about 149,000 troops around Ukraine and thousands more are expected soon, he added.
Heaviest fighting since 2015 in Donbas
Heavy fighting in eastern Ukraine continued on Friday. According to information from diplomatic circles, these are the most serious since 2015. By Friday morning, the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) had registered 80 violations of the current ceasefire.
Pro-Russian separatists and Ukrainian government troops have been at odds in the area for years. The ceasefire is regularly violated. In the past few days, however, the intensity of the fighting has apparently increased significantly. The Russian Presidential Office describes the situation in eastern Ukraine as potentially very dangerous. The reports from the area are “alarming”.
EU foreign ministers have already prepared sanctions
Due to the critical situation, Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg (ÖVP) and his EU counterparts in Brussels will discuss the latest developments on Monday. Guest is the Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba.
According to the European Union, it is prepared. The sanctions to be imposed in the event of a Russian attack have been worked out and agreed with partner countries. Nevertheless, the EU continues to build on diplomacy. “We stand for an open, serious dialogue with Russia,” said Schallenberg recently in Berlin. He is grateful for any initiative in this direction. EU sanctions against Russia are ready.
(WHAT)