The Kremlin also accused the United States and its NATO allies of escalating the situation with their plans to send more troops to Eastern Europe. The western countries are also trying to increase tension by removing the families of diplomats from Ukraine, according to Peskov.
Joe Biden
According to The New York Times President Joe Biden is considering sending several thousand military personnel to Russia’s Baltic countries and other neighboring countries in response to the Russian threat. In the long run, this could even amount to 50,000 soldiers. The White House is also considering sending warships and planes to the area.
In particular, Russia’s claims that Ukrainians are concentrating troops on the front lines of areas controlled by pro-Russian separatists will sound alarming to the United States and NATO. It seems exactly the scenario they feared: that Moscow would use a so-called attack on the separatists in Donetsk and Luhansk as a justification for invading Ukraine.
Russia has deployed a massive military force along its border with Ukraine. The country is now under threat from three sides, including from neighboring Belarus, where Russian troops have moved in last week under the guise of a joint military exercise with the Belarusian army.
Boris Johnson
British Prime Minister Johnson said on Monday that intelligence reports about the situation around Ukraine are “gloomy”. He said there was still a chance to avoid conflict, but warned Russia that invading Ukraine would prove ‘disastrous’. “Invasion is a painful, violent and bloody affair,” he said.
Shortly afterwards, he said through his spokesman that the British government does not intend to send combat troops to Ukraine. The United Kingdom has previously sent military equipment to Kiev, but only weapons that can be used defensively.
US embassy staff
Washington ordered all relatives of US diplomatic personnel in Ukraine this weekend to leave the country. The reason was the threat of a possible Russian invasion. A number of diplomats are also leaving. According to the State Department, the US will not be able to evacuate them all in time, if Russia invades the country.
The United Kingdom and Germany have also started recalling some of their diplomatic personnel. The British Foreign Office stressed that the embassy remains open for all essential matters.
The European Union announced Monday morning through foreign affairs coordinator Josep Borrell that it sees no reason to recall the families of its diplomats from Ukraine for the time being. Borrell said the EU “does not want to dramatize the situation.” According to him, Brussels will only follow the US example if US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has new information that would necessitate an evacuation.
Search for solution
Blinken will join a meeting of EU foreign ministers on Monday via video link about Russian threats against Ukraine. Borrell’s statement indicates that the EU still hopes the US and Russia can find a diplomatic solution and fears that the withdrawal of diplomatic personnel will be seen as a sign of weakness by Moscow.
The Ukrainian government has said it is not at all pleased with the decision by the Americans to recall some of their personnel. The foreign ministry called the move “premature” and “exaggerated”, though Kiev said it would respect the right of foreign states to ensure the security of their diplomatic missions.