Ukraine celebrates ‘Unity Day’, Joe Biden keeps pressure on Moscow

Ukraine is celebrating this Wednesday, February 16, 2022, a “Day of Unity” at the call of its President Volodymyr Zelensky, the immediate risks of war seeming to be receding but Washington once again warning that a devastating Russian attack remained possible .

The Ukrainian head of state chose the date of this great display of patriotism in reaction to reports from American intelligence services suggesting that the Russian invasion of the country, feared by Westerners for months, could take place on February 16 .

Intense diplomatic negotiations have been underway for days in an attempt to reduce the tension caused by the deployment of tens of thousands of Russian troops along Ukraine’s borders.

Yesterday, Tuesday, hope emerged with the announcement by Moscow of the partial withdrawal of its soldiers, the day of the visit to the country of German Chancellor Olaf Scholz.

Such a withdrawal “would be positive” but still needs to be verified, US President Joe Biden later qualified in a brief speech.

According to him on the contrary, these troops, now estimated at “more than 150,000” remain in “a threatening position” and “an invasion remains quite possible”.

His Secretary of State Antony Blinken had previously demanded from Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, during a new telephone call, a “verifiable, credible and significant de-escalation”.

Antony Blinken also spoke with the heads of French, German and British diplomacy.

“Partial withdrawal”

Across their country on Wednesday, Ukrainians were invited to hang their national flag or display its blue and yellow colors by President Volodymyr Zelensky, always straight in his boots and refusing “panic” in the face of threats of invasion.

The Russian Ministry of Defense announced yesterday, Tuesday, that part of the troops deployed on the Ukrainian borders were returning the same day to garrison, broadcasting for this purpose images of armored vehicles loaded on a train.

Vladimir Putin has confirmed this “partial withdrawal” but Russia is however continuing important maneuvers in Belarus, a pro-Russian neighbor of Ukraine, until February 20.

The most positive, faced with these announcements, was German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, received in the Kremlin by Vladimir Putin. He hailed “a good sign”, and felt that there were “enough grounds for discussion” with Russia “for things to evolve positively”.

Putin and Scholz have assured that they want a process of negotiations on security issues in Europe.

“Not on the agenda”

The Russian president for his part assured that, “of course”, he did not want a war, while hammering that the expansion of NATO constituted a threat for Russia -Moscow demands the guarantee that Kiev will not be able to never join.

“There is one fact: Ukraine’s membership in NATO is not on the agenda,” replied Olaf Scholz. “Everyone needs to take a step back and realize that we cannot have a possible military conflict over an issue that is not on the agenda,” he added.

In the meantime, the United States, which continues to raise the specter of a Russian invasion of Ukraine that could intervene “at any time”, has maintained pressure on the rival power.

Western sanctions against Russia in the event of a military offensive “are ready”, warned Joe Biden, repeatedly promising a “determined” response.

These “powerful” measures will notably put “pressure on their largest and most important financial institutions and on key industries”, added the American president.

He also said he was “ready to respond” to any “asymmetrical attack” against the United States or its NATO allies, which may include cyberattacks, of which financial institutions and Ukrainian policies.

President Biden, however, continued to reach out to his Russian counterpart. “We must give diplomacy every chance,” he said, assuring that the “security concerns” of each camp could find appropriate solutions.

Moscow, which denies any desire to invade Ukraine, deplores the rejection by the West of its main demands, namely the end of the Alliance’s enlargement policy, the commitment not to deploy arms offensives near Russian territory and the withdrawal of NATO infrastructure from Eastern Europe.

Westerners have offered in exchange talks on subjects such as arms control, visits to sensitive installations or discussions on Russian security fears – an offer renewed yesterday, Tuesday, by Joe Biden.

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