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Post by Admin on Dec 23, 2021 18:26:32 GMT
Putin says ball in West's court on Ukraine - BBC News 12,119 views • Dec 24, 2021 • Russian President Vladimir Putin has called on the West to give immediate security guarantees to defuse a crisis prompted by Russia's military build-up near Ukraine's borders.
During his lengthy annual press conference, Mr Putin demanded that Nato abandon military activity in Eastern Europe and not admit Ukraine as a member. He has threatened military measures but denies planning to invade Ukraine.
Ukraine security officials say more than 100,000 Russian troops have been sent close to its borders, and US President Joe Biden has threatened Mr Putin with sanctions if Ukraine comes under attack.
The Russian leader said military measures were not his preferred choice and he expressed hope that talks would take place with the US early next year in Geneva.
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Post by Admin on Dec 24, 2021 3:48:19 GMT
Vladimir Putin has again insisted that the West must guarantee that NATO won’t expand eastwards or accept Ukraine as a member.
He has also rejected claims that Russia is preparing to invade Ukraine, despite many thousands of Russian troops massing on the border.
Mr Putin said any expansion NATO would be a threat to Russias security. He was speaking during his annual press conference at the Kremlin.
Clive Myrie presents BBC News at Ten reporting by Steve Rosenberg in Moscow.
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Post by Admin on Dec 24, 2021 18:45:22 GMT
The Georgian government has been criticised by the West for "democratic backsliding" as well as for failing to protect minorities - after radicals attacked LGBT Pride earlier this year.
None of the organisers of the unrest have been prosecuted for the violence.
The government now says Georgia is on a pro-Western democratic path. Tiblisi has also firmly stated that it is no longer within Russia's sphere of influence, and has rejected a statement by Russia that NATO membership for Georgia would be a "red line" for Moscow, calling Russia's demand 'unacceptable'.
Georgia was once part of the Soviet Union but became an independent country in 1991. In 2003, during the so-called "Rose Revolution", a pro-Western president, Mikheil Saakashvili, swept to power.
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Post by Admin on Jan 15, 2022 4:08:00 GMT
Russia is plotting to stage acts of provocation to create a pretext to invade Ukraine, a US official has said. A Pentagon spokesman said Russian operatives were planning a "false-flag" operation, to allow Moscow to accuse Ukraine of preparing an attack. Russia has dismissed the claims. It comes after a week of US-Russian talks aimed at defusing tensions. Ukraine on Friday accused Russia of being behind a cyber-attack on dozens of official websites. Before the sites went offline, a message appeared warning Ukrainians to "prepare for the worst". Access to most of the sites was restored within hours. The US and Nato condemned the attack and have offered support to Ukraine. Russia has not commented on the hack. Pentagon spokesman John Kirby told reporters on Friday about what he said were Russia's plans. "It has pre-positioned a group of operatives to conduct what we call a false-flag operation, an operation designed to look like an attack on them or Russian speaking people in Ukraine as an excuse to go in," he said. The operatives were trained in urban warfare and using explosives to carry out acts of sabotage against pro-Russian rebels, US officials said. Ukraine's Defence Ministry said similar acts were being prepared against Russian troops stationed in the breakaway Transdnistria region of Moldova. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov responded by describing the reports as unsubstantiated and "confirmed by nothing".
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Post by Admin on Jan 18, 2022 0:54:45 GMT
Russia-Ukraine crisis: UK sending weapons to defend Ukraine - BBC Newsnight 6,737 views • Jan 18, 2022 • Britain is supplying Ukraine with short-range anti-tank missiles for self-defence after Russia amassed about 100,000 troops on its border, UK defence secretary said.
Ben Wallace told MPs a small team of British troops would also be sent to Ukraine to provide training.
He said there was "legitimate and real cause for concern" the Russian troops could be used for an invasion.
Russia denies any invasion plans and accuses the West of aggression.
Newsnight’s diplomatic editor Mark Urban reports and Faisal Islam is joined by Ukraine's Ambasador to the UK Vadym Prystaiko.
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