Just this weekend, the Ukrainian president stated that he is not convinced by the American predictions. “If they (the Americans) are 100 percent sure of an invasion, share that with us. To date, we have not seen this evidence,” he told the Ukrainian press.
Signal
Zelensky even invited Joe Biden to visit Kiev on Sunday. “I am convinced that your arrival in Kiev in the coming days, which will be crucial to stabilize the situation, will send a strong signal.” Zelensky promised the US president that Kiev is “safe and well protected.” But as he uttered those words, the US embassy in Kiev was already busy evacuating.
President Volodimir Zelensky tries to keep calm
Ⓒ EPA
The Ukrainian president is doing everything he can to radiate calm. According to his supporters, he also has little choice, if he were to panic it could cause a run on the already fragile Ukrainian banks. There could also be an unprecedented hamster rage.
Crisis
In recent weeks, Ukrainian allies seem to be taking the crisis much more seriously than Zelensky. Most Western countries are closing their embassies in Kiev. According to the Ukrainian president, those measures are panic-mongering. “The best friend of our enemies is panic in our country,” he declared during a visit to southern Ukraine this weekend.
The words appear to be addressed to Joe Biden, who uses every opportunity to warn of an imminent Russian attack. There are various theories about the motives of the American president. According to his critics, Biden is trying to divert attention from his failing domestic policy. But his supporters see the president’s statements as part of a diplomatic game of poker. By constantly reminding Putin that the US knows exactly what he’s up to, he hopes to mow the ground for the Russian president and undermine his credibility.
Propagandist
The question is whether this tactic works. At least not on Russian TV. There, TV host Dimitri Kiselyov, a prominent propagandist for Putin, used his show to accuse Ukrainian nationalists – without providing evidence – of having “barbarically killed thousands of civilians in the Donbass”. In a segment he called “they are preparing to kill,” he showed an interview with a pro-Russian separatist who claims Ukrainian nationalists are threatening to “kill you all, and hang your children.”
Joe Biden has been invited to Kiev.
Ⓒ REUTERS
A spokeswoman for the Russian Foreign Ministry accused President Biden and the West of war propaganda on Monday. “Aggressive rhetoric provides an excuse for arms supplies to Ukraine, the deployment of Western military instructors, the conduct of NATO military exercises close to Russia’s borders, and the creation by Western countries of an offensive combined weapons infrastructure. What the US and Britain are doing is classic war propaganda.”
Weaponry
Russia still vehemently denies planning an attack, but more Russian weapons are still surfacing on Ukraine’s borders. On Sunday, images were shown of Russian attack helicopters in the border region and joint air force exercises with Belarus. Putin continues to demand that Ukraine forever give up its right to join NATO.