U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said on Tuesday that any Russian troops deployed to eastern Ukraine would not be "peacekeepers" as Moscow has asserted and rejected President Putin's claim that a genocide of ethnic Russians was being committed there
Per a Schumer spox: Leader Schumer has requested an all-Senators briefing on Russia-Ukraine
2 year agoMilitary camp seen at Maxar image at Krasny Oktyabr
2 year agoVideo uploaded an hour ago allegedly from a Russian tank operator (previous videos seem to indicate this as well) as part of a large convoy of tanks in the Belgorod region of Russia, per video author
2 year agoSpeech by the Keyan ambassador regarding Africa's history & views on the Ukraine crisis
Trudeau announces first round of economic sanctions on Russia over Ukraine crisis
"The world is standing with the United States" against the action taken by Russia President Putin, says @PressSec
"We see this as the beginning of a further invasion (by Russia) of Ukraine," says @PressSec
2 year agoVideo uploaded this evening showing tanks driving in the direction of the Ukrainian border in the Kursk region, Russia
Ukrainian Foreign Minister: Our security guarantees are our army and our diplomacy
Ukrainian FM Kuleba: Plan A is diplomacy to avert war. But if that fails, "Plan B is to fight for every inch of our land and every city and every village. To fight until we win, of course"
Minister Kuleba tells: "No, we do not have such plans to evacuate Mariupol or Kharkiv"
"He attacked the world order" per Ukraibe FM @DmytroKuleba on Putin's actions
"To the extent that we can do anything to avert a worst case scenario," including a potential attack on Kyiv, "we will always pursue that," Blinken says when asked about diplomacy. "But Moscow needs to demonstrate that it's serious
Sec Blinken says his meeting with Lavrov is off because Russia is now beginning its invasion of Ukraine & making clear its wholesale rejection of diplomacy. He says a meeting with Lavrov does not make sense. He sent Lavov a letter informing him of this today
Sec Blinken clearly states that "because of the invasion" by Russian into Ukraine the US is moving on its swift response, he details sanctions & says the US will continue to escalate sanctions if Russia escalates its aggression towards Ukraine"
A senior administration official says just now some of the Russian elites the Biden admin is sanctioning include: -Alexander Bortnikov, Director of the FSB, and son Denis -Sergei Kiriyenko, First Deputy Chief of Staff of the Presidential Admin of Russia, and son Vladimir
2 year agoUkraine's Foreign Minister Kuleba (who is in town for meetings with Secs. Austin and Blinken) has met with President Biden. "President Biden reiterated the readiness of the United States. to respond swiftly and decisively to any further Russian aggression against Ukraine
EU ambassadors took a preliminary decision on the EU sanctions on Russia tonight. final adoption at around 11am tomorrow. then written procedure till 15 and finally the sanctions will be published in the EU official journal later that afternoon
In Volnovakha, Donetsk region about 30,000 people cut from water supply as a result of attacks by Russians, - Ukraine's ombudsman Denisova
2 year agoSentinel-2 imagery taken this morning 08:36 UTC shows at least nine Ilyushin Il-76 military cargo aircraft departing Taganrog-Central Air Base near Taganrog in Russia, located on the shores of the Sea of Azov, 40 km from Ukraine (DPR). Three of them airborne, six taxiing
Putin's speech recognizing Ukraine's breakaway regions is a "rewrite of history": President Biden. Nothing in Russian President's speech indicates that Kremlin is interested in dialogue
Biden says Putin has a "twisted" sense of history. "He explicitly threatened war unless his extreme demands were met. There's no question that Russia is the aggressor"
Putin "directly attacked Ukraine's right to exist," Biden says. "He explicitly threatened war unless his extreme demands were met.nonetheless, there is still time to avert the worst-case scenario." Biden says US and allies still remain open to diplomacy
Biden says he's also authorized additional movements of US forces and equipment already in Europe to reinforce Baltic allies. Notes this is totally defensive and "we have no intention of fighting Russia," he says
Biden "In response to Russia's admission that it will not withdraw its forces from Belarus, I have authorized the additional movements of U.S. forces and equipment already stationed in Europe, to strengthen our Baltic allies Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania
"None of us should be fooled. None of us will be fooled. There is no justification." - @POTUS on Russia's moves on Ukraine
Biden says he still thinks Russia is planning a major invasion of Ukraine. He says he hopes he's wrong but points to Russia's military presence around Ukraine, including blood supplies. He says: "You don't need blood unless you're starting a war"
US President Joe Biden says: "This is the beginning of a Russian invasion of Ukraine."
U.S. will impose a first set of sanctions on Russia for moving onto Ukraine's territory: POTUS; - Full blocking sanctions on VEB and military bank; - Sanctions on Russian sovereign debt.; - U.S. will apply sanctions on Russia's elites tomorrow
