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image source, Archyde.com
Ukraine also held military exercises this Saturday.
Tensions and uncertainty are growing on Ukraine’s eastern borders and also in the capital, Kiev.
More than a dozen nations have urged their citizens to leave Ukraine amid warnings from Western powers that an invasion by Russia might be imminent.
Many countries, including Australia, the United States, Italy, Israel, the Netherlands and Japan, have told their citizens to leave Ukraine. Some have also evacuated diplomatic staff and their families.
And it is that Moscow has accumulated more than 100,000 soldiers and deployed heavy war equipment along the border with Ukraine, although it denies any invasion attempt.
Russian troops are also holding military exercises in Belarus in the north, while other naval exercises in the Sea of Azov in the southeast have led to accusations that the Kremlin is blocking Ukraine’s access to the sea.
The increase in tensions led this Saturday to a new call between the Russian leader, Vladimir Putin, and the president of the United States, Joe Biden, who once more warned Moscow of the costs of an invasion.
As reported by the White House, Biden assured Putin that his country and the transatlantic community would impose “swift and severe sanctions” on Russia if it attacks the neighboring country.
“While the United States remains prepared to engage in diplomacy … we are equally prepared for other scenarios,” a statement said.
The Kremlin described the call as taking place amid “peak hysteria” from the United States and its allies, saying Putin had once more told his counterpart that they had not addressed Russia’s security concerns, though they would continue to talk.
French President Emmanuel Macron also spoke to Putin by phone on Saturday, telling him that “a sincere dialogue is not compatible with escalation,” according to notes released by the French embassy.
For his part, the president of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky, once more called for calm and considered that the invasion warnings might fuel the panic, which he called “the best friend of our enemies“.
An “imminent” invasion
The White House warned on Friday that an invasion might happen at any time and might start with bombardments from the air, suggesting that Americans leave the country within 24-48 hours.
Russia, however, characterized such accusations as “provocative speculation“.
image source, EPA
Biden spoke once more this Saturday with Putin.
In the midst of this situation, many countries have also closed their embassies in Kiev.
Washington has ordered non-essential personnel to leave diplomatic representation in the capital and will suspend consular services from Sunday, although “a small consular presence” will remain in the western city of Lviv “to handle emergencies.”
Canada is also moving its embassy staff to Lviv, near the Polish border, Canadian media reported.
The UK’s ambassador to Ukraine, Melinda Simmons, tweeted that she and a “core team” would stay in Kiev.
Russia itself announced that it was withdrawing its diplomatic personnel from the country, citing “possible provocative acts by the Kiev regime or third countries.”
The US also withdrew from Ukraine some 150 military advisers who were training Ukrainian soldiers and the Dutch airline KLM announced that it would stop flying to Ukrainewith immediate effect.
Zelensky, for his part, said that if the Western powers had any firm evidence of an impending invasion, he had yet to see it.
“I think there is too much information in the media regarding a deep and large-scale war,” he said.
“We understand all the risks, we understand that they exist. If you or anyone else has additional 100% reliable information regarding the Russian Federation’s invasion of Ukraine… please share it with us,” he added.
In Kiev, several thousand people marched through the city on Saturday, chanting slogans pledging loyalty to Ukraine and resistance to any Russian invasion.
image source, Archyde.com
The march in Kiev
The march was organized by a right-wing nationalist group called Gonor and far-right anti-Zelensky activist Sergiy Sternenko, but it also attracted others.
BBC reporter Eleanor Montague says the demonstration was not huge, but it was the first significant display of public sentiment since tensions rose and ended in the Maidan, the city’s most famous square.
Sasha Nizelska, who works as a nanny in Kiev, told the BBC that she would resist a Russian attack with all means at her disposal.
The sentiment was echoed by people of all ages who attended the rally.
a calm city
Analysis by Paul Adams, BBC diplomatic correspondent
With foreign embassies withdrawing staff and a host of countries now telling their citizens to leave Ukraine, Kiev still doesn’t feel like a city in crisis.
The government here is telling people to remain calm and unified and, in the words of a statement this morning, refrain from actions that undermine stability and spread panic.
President Zelensky said that the country had to be prepared for any eventuality.
All over Ukraine, foreign citizens are now making hasty plans.
Stuart McKenzie, who has lived in Kiev for 28 years and runs a successful business, hopes to take his wife and two children on a flight. But he is ready, if necessary, to put the family in the car and drive 500 kilometers to Poland.
He loves Ukraine and can’t believe it has come to this.
At the British embassy, we found tight-lipped staff loading bags into a car and driving away. Nobody seemed willing to talk.
Not far to the north, across the border from Belarus, Russia’s war games are already underway.
Russian Defense Ministry footage, released this morning, showed several rocket launchers being fired.
Moscow still says it has no plans to invade. But there is much the Russians can do without ever setting foot inside Ukraine.
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