Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov expressed hopes of an agreement with the West on Monday. In an apparently precisely orchestrated meeting with Putin, Lavrov said on Monday about the prospects of success in the negotiations with the West: “As head of the foreign ministry, I have to say that there is always a chance.” He advocates continuing and intensifying the talks .
In the televised meeting, Putin asked his foreign ministry chief, “Is there any chance of reaching agreement with our partners on important issues, or is this an attempt to drag us into an endless negotiation process?” Lavrov then said, among other things: ” Our possibilities are far from exhausted.” The negotiations “should not be continued indefinitely, but I propose to continue and strengthen them,” said the Russian foreign minister.
Duma votes on separatist regions
The Russian parliament plans to vote on Tuesday on a motion to recognize the two government-backed separatist regions in eastern Ukraine as independent. Two variants of the application are planned, said Duma deputy Vyacheslav Volodin. According to the first variant, President Vladimir Putin is to be asked to recognize the independence of the self-declared republics. According to the second variant, the opinion of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and other parts of the government should first be obtained.
The United States previously announced on Monday evening that it would be relocating its embassy operations from the capital Kiev to the city of Lviv near the border with Poland in view of the extremely tense situation. The US State Department said it was a temporary precautionary measure.
Scholz: EUR 300 million loans to Ukraine
Meanwhile, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz demonstrated solidarity with Ukraine with financial commitments in the hundreds of millions. During his first visit to Kiev, the SPD politician promised Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Monday the accelerated payment of 150 million euros from a loan that had already been granted, as well as a new loan of 150 million euros. “Germany is very close to you,” he said to the Ukrainians.
Scholz pledges financial aid to Ukraine
With financial commitments in the hundreds of millions, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) demonstrated solidarity with Ukraine in the escalating conflict with Russia. During his first visit to Kiev, the SPD politician promised Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy the accelerated payment of 150 million euros from a loan that had already been granted, as well as a new loan of 150 million euros.
But the German no to arms deliveries remains the same. However, it is being examined whether the German Bundeswehr can deliver other military equipment such as night vision devices, mine clearance devices or tracking devices to Ukraine. Talks are scheduled for Scholz in Moscow on Tuesday.
Nehammer for clear words
Meanwhile, Switzerland and Austria jointly called for de-escalation in the Ukraine conflict on Monday. “As neutral states, we are committed to de-escalating the situation,” said Swiss President Ignazio Cassis on Monday at a meeting with Chancellor Karl Nehammer (ÖVP) in Switzerland. Both agreed that the OSCE was the right place for dialogue. An initiative for mediation by the neutral countries is currently not an issue.
Nehammer stressed that it was important for the European Union to make the following clear to the Russian Federation: “It is unacceptable that in these times we are still thinking about resolving a conflict by force.” In the event of a Russian invasion of Ukraine, it will ” Consequences that are serious,” Nehammer warned of sanctions. However, the EU wants to use every opportunity to preserve peace in Europe, he stressed.
Kiev demands clarification from Moscow
With a view to an agreement in the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), the Ukrainian government demanded transparency from Russia about its troop movements. According to Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba, Moscow must “fulfill its commitments to military transparency in order to reduce tensions”. That is why Ukraine is “convening a meeting with Russia and all member states within 48 hours,” the foreign minister said on Sunday evening.
The government in Moscow ignored a request from Kiev citing the OSCE’s Vienna Document, Kuleba said on Sunday evening. The text is intended to promote the exchange of information on the activities of the armed forces of the organization’s 57 member countries. “Now we’re going to the next step,” announced Kuleba. It is about “discussing the strengthening and relocation of Russian troops along our border and in occupied Crimea”. The US State Department said Monday evening that Moscow had once again strengthened its troops on the border with Ukraine and in Belarus over the weekend, and that there are now “clearly” more than 100,000 soldiers there.
Russian maneuvers off the Crimean coast
According to Western information, Moscow has massed more than 100,000 soldiers on the border with Ukraine in recent months. In addition, there will be a ten-day Belarusian-Russian military maneuver for which Moscow has transferred around 30,000 soldiers to Belarus, according to US information, as well as Russian naval exercises in the Arctic and the Mediterranean, among other places. The US government has repeatedly warned that Russia could attack the neighboring country “at any time”. Russia denies any plans to attack, citing it feels threatened by NATO.
Russia is also holding maneuvers in the Black Sea. Planes, helicopters and ships were also involved, the Black Sea Fleet said on Monday. The location and destruction of submarines had been trained. The exercise was considered preparation for a larger maneuver, it was said.
According to Russian statements, the aim is to “defend the coast of the Crimean Peninsula, which Russia illegally annexed in 2014, and naval bases “against possible military threats from a potential adversary”. More than 30 warships are in use, it said. Ukraine had previously advised airlines to avoid airspace over the Black Sea Monday through Saturday. According to Moscow, some maneuvers have already ended. Others are nearing the end, according to Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu.
Ukraine: NATO accession “priority”
The Ukrainian government underlined its intention to join NATO and the EU. That has absolute priority for the country, said a spokesman for President Selenski on Monday. He was responding to statements by Ukraine’s ambassador to the UK, Vadym Prystajko, who, according to a BBC report, signaled that Ukraine could renounce NATO membership to avoid war with Russia.
Moscow can gain something from this. “Some documented rejection by Ukraine (…) would certainly be a step that would go a long way toward formulating a more meaningful response to Russian concerns,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said in Moscow on Monday, according to the Interfax news agency.
A little later, however, the Ukrainian diplomat made it clear that there had been a misunderstanding. Ukraine will not reconsider joining NATO. “This (accession) course is not only reflected in the constitution, but also has the full approval of the authorities and society,” Zelensky’s spokesman Sergii Nykyforov told Reuters.
G-7 threatens sanctions if attacked
The group of seven leading industrialized countries (G-7) threatened Russia with severe economic and financial sanctions in the event of an attack on Ukraine. The G-7 countries are ready to jointly impose sanctions that would have “massive and immediate effects on the Russian economy,” said a statement by the G-7 finance ministers published on Monday.
The top priority of the G-7 is still to support efforts to de-escalate the Ukraine crisis, it said. In the event of a Russian military action, however, the G-7 is ready to take the consequences.