Vladimir Putin rattles his saber and gathers his troops. The Ukraine conflict could possibly develop into a war. News ticker.
- The Ukraine conflict threatens to escalate – NATO Secretary General Stoltenberg sees great danger for the entire continent (see first report).
- Numerous talks are underway, but now the USA is once again looking at Belarus with concern (see update of January 19, 10:30 a.m.).
- This news ticker on the Ukraine conflict is continuously updated.
Update from January 19, 10:30 a.m.: US Secretary of State Antony Blinken begins his trip to Europe with a crisis meeting in Kiev in view of the escalation of the Ukraine conflict. There he wants to discuss the threat posed by the militarily superior neighbor Russia with the state leadership on Wednesday, before the high-level diplomatic meetings in Berlin and Geneva. At the same time, the US government is concerned about a Russian ally, because Russia transferred soldiers to Belarus at the weekend, according to the State Department in Washington.
The White House had recently warned in no uncertain terms of a possible Russian invasion of Ukraine. “To be clear, we consider the situation to be extremely dangerous. We are now at a stage where Russia could launch an attack on Ukraine at any time,” Presidential spokeswoman Jen Psaki said on Tuesday. Blinken has promised Ukraine further military support and wants to meet President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba in Kiev.
“Should Russia invade Ukraine further in the coming weeks, we will provide the Ukrainians with additional defense materials beyond what we are already providing,” the US State Department said. In view of the Russian troop deployment to Belarus, a warning was also issued to Moscow and Minsk: “Complicity” by the Belarusian ruler Alexander Lukashenko in such an attack would be “completely unacceptable”.
Ukraine conflict: US government looks to Belarus with concern
The timing of the transfer of troops to Ukraine’s neighboring country is remarkable and raises fears that Russia may intend to attack Ukraine from the north, a senior US official said. She left it open what kind of troops or weapons should have been transferred to Belarus.
The Belarusian Defense Ministry had announced joint maneuvers with Russia for February and has now published photos showing Russian tanks and military trucks on railway wagons. “This is neither an exercise nor normal troop movement,” the US State Department said. Rather, it is “a show of force” aimed at triggering a crisis or creating a false pretext for a Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Is Putin bringing war to Europe? NATO chief sees ‘real danger’
![After meeting of the Russian Defense Ministry](https://www.merkur.de/bilder/2022/01/18/91244616/27846208-nach-sitzung-des-russischen-verteidigungsministeriums-afe.jpg)
First report from January 18: Munich/Kiev – How close is the world to a war? The Ukraine conflict threatens to escalate if Russia’s President Vladimir Putin* decides to invade. NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg sees a great danger for the entire continent: “There is a real danger of new military conflicts in Europe.”
That’s what Stoltenberg said image: “We can see massive mobilization by Russia.” The country’s recent history also shows that there is “a real risk” of a new war. Putin has already posted his troops on and beyond the Ukrainian border. “You are in Crimea, that is Ukrainian territory. These are historical borders that Russia once recognized. They are also in Donetsk and Luhansk. This is also Ukrainian territory.”
![NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg](https://www.merkur.de/bilder/2022/01/18/91244616/27773978-nato-generalsekretaer-jens-stoltenberg-24fe.jpg)
How does NATO react to Russian aggression? “We support Ukraine”
And how would NATO react in this case? Stoltenberg explains: “If a NATO ally is attacked, then we have our core principle: one for all, all for one. If we stand together then all our allies will be safe because we are able to protect each other.”
However, Ukraine is not a NATO member. Stoltenberg: “We support Ukraine, help Ukraine and we promise economic sanctions against Russia. But the security guarantees do not extend to Ukraine.” NATO would support Ukraine’s “territorial integrity” and “offer practical assistance – including heavy sanctions.”
Anti-tank weapons for Ukraine by NATO countries
And what does this support look like in concrete terms? “We offer support, for example in the form of anti-tank weapons, in the form of various NATO allies who have made their own decisions,” said the Norwegian. As a sovereign state, Ukraine has the right to self-defense. He also warned against “other aggressive activities such as hybrid and cyber attacks” by Russia against Ukraine.
NATO is still willing to talk – Stoltenberg called on Putin to start new negotiations. The NATO chief continued: “We have always relied on strong deterrence and prevention so that we can prevent conflicts.” But that might not be enough in this case. (cg) *Merkur.de is an offer from IPPEN.MEDIA
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