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Russia stated there have been no plans but for a meet between US President Joe Biden and Russia’s Vladimir Putin following information that the 2 leaders would meet to debate the Ukraine disaster.
“No, thus far there are not any concrete plans on that account,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov informed reporters in Moscow on Monday.
“In fact, we don’t rule it out,” Peskov stated, noting {that a} assembly was “potential if the heads of state contemplate it applicable.”
Peskov additionally stated that Russia’s Overseas Minister Sergey Lavrov might meet his Western counterparts this week, together with US State Secretary Anthony Blinken and French Overseas Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian.
Paris says Biden and Putin accepted ‘the precept of such a summit’
Hours earlier than,the French Elysee Palace and the White Home stated that US president Joe Biden and Russia’s Vladimir Putin agreed to a proposal to carry a US-Russia summit on Ukraine.
Each Biden and Putin, whom Macron spoke to in separate cellphone calls on Sunday, have “every accepted the precept of such a summit,” the Elysee stated in a press release early Monday.
“[The summit] can solely be held if Russia doesn’t invade Ukraine,” it added.
Washington confirmed it’s “dedicated to pursuing diplomacy till the second an invasion begins,” White Home press secretary Jen Psaki stated in a press release. “President Biden accepted in precept a gathering with President Putin… if an invasion hasn’t occurred.”
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Russian Overseas Minister Sergey Lavrov are additionally scheduled to fulfill on Thursday. The Elysee stated the content material of the proposed US-Russia summit shall be deliberate by Blinken and Lavrov.
Early on Monday, the White Home stated Biden would take part in a digital G7 leaders’ assembly held on February 24 to debate the state of affairs concerning Russia and Ukraine.
A necessity ‘to accentuate’ diplomacy
Earlier on Sunday, Macron and Putin agreed to intensify the seek for options to the Ukraine standoff throughout an almost two-hour cellphone name.
The pair agreed on “the necessity to favor a diplomatic answer to the continued disaster and to do the whole lot to attain one,” Macron’s workplace stated, including that each international locations’ international ministers would meet “within the coming days.”
In keeping with the Kremlin’s model of the decision, Putin blamed Kyiv for a army escalation in jap Ukraine and agreed on the necessity to “intensify efforts to search out options by diplomatic means.”
Moscow stated the talks would happen within the Normandy format, which means with representatives of Russia and Ukraine below Franco-German moderation.
Macron then known as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, only a day after Kyiv stated it wouldn’t reply to what it known as Russia’s “provocations,” based on the Elysee, and remained open to “dialogue” with Moscow.
The 2 leaders mentioned the “want and potential methods of instant de-escalation,” Zelenskyy wrote on Twitter.
Earlier, Zelenskyy known as on Putin to fulfill him and search a diplomatic decision to the disaster.
EU chief: Russia might lose monetary market entry
European Fee President Ursula von der Leyen stated on Sunday that Russia could be reduce off from worldwide monetary markets and denied entry to main export items if it invaded Ukraine.
“Russia would in precept be reduce off from the worldwide monetary markets,” von der Leyen informed German public broadcaster ARD.
Von der Leyen went on to say that sanctions could be imposed on “all items we make that Russia urgently must modernize and diversify its financial system, the place we’re globally dominant and so they don’t have any alternative.”
She added that sanctions wouldn’t be imposed till after an invasion. Ukrainian President Zelenskyy had known as for instant sanctions on Saturday.
“The transfer to sanctions is so monumental and consequential that we all know we should at all times give Russia an opportunity to return to diplomacy and the negotiating desk,” she stated.
“This window remains to be open.”
In the meantime, Reuters information company reported, citing unnamed sources, that the US has ready an preliminary package deal of sanctions in opposition to Russia.
In keeping with Reuters, the measures are set to incorporate barring US monetary establishments from processing transactions for main Russian banks, and would solely be imposed in case of an invasion.
Russia: Western international locations ought to ‘come to purpose’
Putin’s spokesperson, Dmitry Peskov, stated there was “no level of Russia attacking somebody.” He urged Western companions to “come to purpose.”
“However let’s remind that all through its historical past, Russia has by no means attacked anybody. And Russia, which has survived so many wars, is the final nation in Europe that desires to speak in any respect, even to say the phrase struggle,” Peskov informed the state-run Russia 1 broadcaster.
European Council President Charles Michel stated, “The large query stays: does the Kremlin need dialogue?”
“We can’t eternally provide an olive department whereas Russia conducts missile exams and continues to amass troops,” Michel stated on the Munich Safety Convention.
He stated, “One factor is for certain: if there’s additional army aggression, we are going to react with huge sanctions.”
French President Macron is anticipated to debate the disaster with US President Joe Biden and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz in a while Sunday.
The Group for Safety and Co-operation (OSCE) is anticipated to carry Ukraine talks on Monday.
Blinken: All indicators counsel Russia getting ready to invading Ukraine
US Secretary of State Blinken informed CNN on Sunday that “the whole lot we’re seeing means that that is lifeless severe, that we’re getting ready to an invasion [of Ukraine].”
“However till the tanks are literally rolling and the planes are flying, we are going to use each alternative and each minute we’ve to see if diplomacy can nonetheless dissuade President Putin from carrying this ahead.”
Blinken insisted that the deterrent affect of sanctions could be misplaced if they’re triggered earlier than an invasion regardless of Ukrainian President Zelenskyy’s passionate plea on Saturday to unleash them.
Blinken informed ABC’s “This Week” that US President Joe Biden has made “very clear that he is ready to fulfill President Putin at any time, in any format, if that may assist forestall a struggle.”
Individuals in Russia informed to have evacuation plans
The US embassy in Russia cautioned Individuals to have evacuation plans, citing the specter of assaults in Moscow and alongside the Russian border with Ukraine.
“There have been threats of assaults in opposition to purchasing facilities, railway and metro stations, and different public gathering locations in main city areas, together with Moscow and St. Petersburg in addition to in areas of heightened stress alongside the Russian border with Ukraine,” the embassy stated.
“Overview your private safety plans,” the embassy stated. “Have evacuation plans that don’t depend on US authorities help.”
The steering was criticized by the Russian Overseas Ministry. Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova questioned if the US embassy had handed on the details about potential assaults to Russian authorities.
“And if not, how is one to know all of this?” she stated.
A diplomatic finish has ‘finest curiosity for all’
Chatting with media after attending the Munich Safety Convention, US Vice President Kamala Harris on Sunday stated she hopes an invasion of Ukraine might nonetheless be prevented.
“We might all not simply desire, we need, we consider that it’s in one of the best curiosity for all that there’s a diplomatic finish to this second,” she stated.
Harris warned there’s a “actual risk of struggle in Europe”
Harris stated it was necessary to not underestimate the importance: “We’re speaking about the true risk for struggle in Europe.”
She was returning to the US on Sunday to take part within the Nationwide Safety Council assembly.
Ukraine says it is time to implement some sanctions in opposition to Russia
Ukraine’s Overseas Minister Dmytro stated that it was time for the West to implement a minimum of a part of its sanctions in opposition to Russia.
“Russia needs to be stopped proper now. We see how occasions are unfolding,” Kuleba stated.
His assertion on the Munich Safety Convention got here quickly after Russia and Belarus introduced an extension of army drills close to Ukrainian borders.
“It is time to act. I am formally saying that there are all of the grounds to implement a minimum of part of sanctions ready in opposition to Russia, now,” Kuleba stated.
Earlier, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson informed the BBC that Putin may not be pondering logically, so the specter of sanctions is probably not sufficient to discourage a Russian invasion.
“We’ve got to simply accept in the meanwhile that Vladimir Putin is probably pondering illogically about this and does not see the catastrophe forward,” Johnson stated.
The US and Britain would cease Russian firms from “buying and selling in kilos and {dollars},” a transfer that Johnson stated would “hit very, very laborious.”
Latvia and Lithuania additionally name for sanctions
Latvia and Lithuania have additionally urged Western allies to impose sanctions on Russia with instant impact.
The choice to maintain Russian troops in Belarus for joint army workouts that had been scheduled to finish on Sunday is a “game-changer for safety of NATO international locations bordering Belarus,” Lithuanian Overseas Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis tweeted on Sunday.
“NATO reinforcements and EU sanctions are so as,” he added.
“It’s clear that the trans-Atlantic neighborhood wants to start implementing sanctions in opposition to Russia and NATO ought to deploy extra forces within the area,” his Latvian counterpart Edgars Rinkevics on Twitter.
Donbas sees the worst shelling in years
Russian-backed separatists within the Donbas have claimed that Ukrainian forces have killed two civilians.
The incident occurred in Pionorskoye within the self-proclaimed Luhansk Individuals’s Republic, a spokesperson informed Russian information company Interfax on Sunday.
Ukrainian authorities forces and pro-Russian rebels have reported elevated shelling within the east over the previous few days.
Kyiv stated two Ukrainian servicemen died from accidents sustained from the shelling, whereas one other 4 servicemen have been injured and receiving therapy.
Leaders of Luhansk and Donetsk ordered a full army mobilization on Saturday.
Washington and different Western allies say the obvious flare-up might kind a part of a Russian pretext to invade Ukraine.
UEFA Champions League closing in Russia
European soccer governing physique UEFA stated there are “at the moment no plans” to maneuver the Champions League closing from Russia.
The ultimate is scheduled for Might 28 within the St Petersburg Enviornment.
UEFA informed the German dpa press company it might proceed to observe the disaster between Russia and Ukraine.
jsi, lo/fb (AFP, AP, dpa, Interfax, Reuters)
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