By increasing cooperation outside of Russia, countries such as Germany, France and also our country must be sufficiently prepared to withstand a refusal by Moscow to supply energy. European sources report to the newspaper that Putin may have deliberately allowed the conflict to flare up in the winter.
French President Emmanuel Macron wants to ask for clarification on the Russian president’s intentions with Ukraine in a telephone conversation with Vladimir Putin on Friday morning. Macron says he hopes the call will lead to “firm dialogue and clarifications.” He also wants to propose to Putin a way to de-escalate the conflict. According to the Élysée, Macron believes there is room for diplomacy.
The French president, in a joint press conference with Chancellor Olaf Scholz in Berlin, reiterated their shared support for Ukraine and that Russia would “pay a heavy price” if it invaded the small neighboring country.
‘There is hope’
Ukrainian President Volodimir Zelensky called on his citizens to remain calm on Tuesday evening. According to him, a meeting is being directed between him and Putin, in the presence of Macron and Scholz. “There are no rose-colored glasses, no childish illusions, everything is not simple. But there is hope,” Zelenski said.
Russia says it has no plans to invade Ukraine, but is demanding binding guarantees from the United States and NATO that the country will not join the Western military alliance. A large Russian force has gathered near the border between Ukraine and Russia.
Unrest in political The Hague now that the conflict between Russia and Ukraine is heating up. Prime Minister Rutte explains what the possible steps are against Putin and Minister Rob Jetten explains what a war could mean for our energy supply.
Soldiers are ready
The pressure is increasing on both sides with the threat of sanctions in areas such as technology, access to international payment systems and energy. The United States has 8,500 troops ready for deployment in Europe. The troops could spring into action at short notice if NATO wants to respond quickly to a Russian invasion of Ukraine. But a decision on the deployment has not yet been made, a Pentagon spokesman said. The higher state of readiness means that the troops are ready for departure after just five days instead of ten days.
NATO announced Monday that it would send reinforcements to Eastern European member states and prepare troops. The additional warplanes and warships should deter Russia, NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg said.
US President Joe Biden discussed the situation around Ukraine from the White House on Monday in a video link with Stoltenberg and European leaders, including French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and President of the European Commission. Ursula von der Leyen. According to an EU source, the topics discussed included economic support to Ukraine and the importance of dialogue with Russia.
‘Total unanimity’
Biden said afterwards that it was a “very, very, very good consultation” and that there is “total unity” between the US and its European allies. “We agree that any further aggression by Russia against Ukraine will have serious consequences,” Stoltenberg wrote on Twitter afterwards.
In the podcast Worldly! Foreign reporters Thijs Wolters and Frank van Vliet discuss how Joe Biden is dealing with the rising conflict in Ukraine: