The Ukraine conflict is terrifying the world. Putin sharpens his tone, Ukraine is preparing for war. The current developments in the news ticker.
- The Ukraine-Russia conflict*: In Ukraine, the Border protection rules tightened on the Russian border (see update of February 23, 1:45 p.m.).
- The Ukrainian Security Council announces a state of emergency (see update of February 23, 11:29 a.m.).
- Great Britain believes a Russian attack on Kiev is very likely (see update of February 23, 12:40 p.m.).
- This News ticker on the Ukraine crisis is continuously updated. All information about the conflict can be found here here.
Update from February 23, 1:45 p.m.: Russia has sharply criticized statements by UN Secretary-General António Guterres on the situation in the embattled eastern Ukraine. “To our great regret, the UN Secretary-General (…) bowed to pressure from the West and recently issued several statements on events in eastern Ukraine that do not correspond to his status and powers under the UN Charter,” said Russia’s foreign minister Sergei Lavrov on Wednesday.
The Secretary-General of the United Nations must maintain neutrality and is “always obliged to advocate direct dialogue between the conflicting states,” said Lavrov. Guterres condemned Russia on Tuesday for the escalation in the Ukraine conflict and called for compliance with international law.
Meanwhile, the Ukrainian border guard has issued several bans against the background of a feared Russian attack on Ukraine. Above all, staying near the borders with Russia, Belarus and the eastern Ukrainian separatist areas is prohibited at night, the authority announced on Wednesday. Video and photo recordings of border protection installations and other border protection objects are also prohibited. Foreigners are not allowed to stay in the border strip.
Ships have been banned from leaving the Black Sea and Azov Seas in the south and south-east of Ukraine at night. However, the rules may differ from region to region depending on the current risk assessment. The Ukrainian Security Council had also announced the imposition of a state of emergency across the country for an initial 30 days (see update of February 23, 11:29 a.m.). Parliament still had to approve it. Approval was taken for granted.
Ukraine conflict: probability of a Russian attack on Kiev high?
Update from February 23, 12:40 p.m.: The British government rates the likelihood of a Russian attack on Kiev as high. “We think it is very likely that he will carry out his plan for a large-scale invasion of Ukraine,” British Foreign Secretary Liz Truss told Sky News, referring to Russian President Vladimir Putin.
When asked if the Russian army would advance on the Ukrainian capital of Kiev, she replied: “We think it’s very likely that this is part of his plans.” On Monday, Putin recognized the independence of the separatist areas in eastern Ukraine and the deployment announced by Russian soldiers. According to Truss, it is unclear whether this has already happened. “We don’t yet have complete evidence that this happened,” she said. The current situation is “unclear”.
News on the Ukraine conflict: warnings of a humanitarian catastrophe
Update from February 23, 12:24 p.m.: A leading aid organization in Ukraine is warning of a humanitarian catastrophe given the recent escalation with Russia. Communities and families have been divided by the frontline in eastern Ukraine for the past eight years, said Jan Egeland, Secretary General of the Norwegian Refugee Council. As military and political tensions mounted, thousands of families would be separated indefinitely.
“There is too little attention to this looming humanitarian catastrophe,” criticized Egeland, who recently traveled to eastern Ukraine to get an idea of the situation on the ground. The affected communities are exhausted by the conflict and need humanitarian support and peaceful solutions instead of weapons, the Norwegian reported.
The NRC is Norway’s largest charity. He has been active in Ukraine since 2014 to provide more than 700,000 people with food, shelter and water, among other things. According to the NRC, 2.9 million people are dependent on aid there in 2022, 1.3 million of them in government-controlled areas and 1.6 million in those not controlled by government troops.
Conflict with Russia: Security Council of Ukraine announces state of emergency
Update from February 23, 11:29 am: In view of the escalating conflict with Russia, the Ukrainian Security Council has announced a state of emergency for the entire country. This initially refers to the next 30 days, said the Secretary of the Security Council, Oleksiy Danilov, on Wednesday in Kiev. Among other things, curfews are possible. Increased police presence and the right to arbitrary checks of people and cars would also be permitted.
Parliament’s approval is still pending, but is considered certain. A special state of emergency has been in force in the eastern Ukrainian separatist regions of Donetsk and Luhansk since 2014. On Wednesday, the Ukrainian parliament approved a change in the law that would make it easier for civilians to use weapons in self-defense. The final second reading could follow soon.
Putin sends martial video message in the morning – Ukraine calls on citizens to leave Russia immediately
First report from February 23: Moscow/Kiev – The conflict between Russia and Ukraine has intensified, and a Russian invasion of Ukraine is becoming more and more likely. The Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyj* has now published a video message in which he announces the mobilization of reservists. “We need to operationally replenish the army and other military formations,” he said. There will also be military exercises in the area defense units. The mobilization affects reservists between the ages of 18 and 60 for a maximum period of one year, the Ukrainian armed forces said on Facebook. Selenskyi ordered the convocation by decree, but ruled out general mobilization.
In the face of an imminent invasion by Putin, Ukraine has also urged its citizens to leave Russia. Because a “possible Russian aggression” could lead to the restriction of consular work, “the Ministry of Foreign Affairs calls on those who are in Russia to leave the country immediately,” the ministry said in Kiev on Wednesday, February 23. Earlier estimates put the number of Ukrainians living in Russia, either permanently or temporarily, at more than three million.
Ukraine-Russia conflict: Putin addresses soldiers with martial speech
Russia’s President Vladimir Putin* used a Russian holiday to speak via video message about the escalating Ukraine conflict and chose martial words. Russia’s interests are “non-negotiable,” Putin said in the speech he gave on Defender of the Fatherland Day. “Today, ensuring our country’s defense capability remains the most important state task,” said the President. He praised the Russian army’s combat readiness and announced that Russia would continue to work on state-of-the-art weapon systems. These are “really the weapons of the future, which significantly increase the combat potential of our armed forces”.
Putin accused the West of ignoring Russian security interests and blamed it for the escalation of the Ukraine crisis. “Our country is always open to direct and open dialogue, to seeking diplomatic solutions to the most difficult problems,” Putin said. “But I repeat: the interests of Russia and the safety of our citizens are unconditional for us.”
Putin criticized his call for guarantees that the security of one country would not come at the expense of another, and had so far gone unanswered. Among other things, Russia is demanding an end to the eastward expansion of NATO and, in particular, that neighboring Ukraine should not be included in the military alliance. Putin had already shaken on Monday with a speech in which he accused Ukraine of bizarre plans *.
Ukraine-Russia conflict: Zelenskyj wants to strengthen the economy to defy Putin
At the same time, Ukrainian President Zelenskyy is launching a program to increase economic independence. This includes the reduction in VAT for petrol and diesel. He announced a meeting with the 150 most important entrepreneurs and urged all business people to stay in the country. In addition, Kiev is working on a summit of permanent members of the UN Security Council together with Turkey and Germany, he said. Permanent members include the US, UK, France, China and Russia.
Putin recognized the independence of the separatist areas in eastern Ukraine on Monday and announced that Russian soldiers would be sent there. In response, the US and EU enacted sweeping financial sanctions against Russia* and the separatists. Germany stopped the controversial Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline project for the time being. (smu/afp/dpa) Merkur.de is an offer from IPPEN.MEDIA.
#Ukraine #conflict #Russia #attack #Ukraine #declares #state #emergency