A local resident of the village of Stanytsia Luhanska, Ukrainian-controlled Luhansk region, gestures as she clears debris from her home following shelling by Russian-backed separatists on February 18, 2022.
Aleksey Filippov / AFP via Getty Images
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Aleksey Filippov / AFP via Getty Images
A local resident of the village of Stanytsia Luhanska, Ukrainian-controlled Luhansk region, gestures as she clears debris from her home following shelling by Russian-backed separatists on February 18, 2022.
Aleksey Filippov / AFP via Getty Images
French President Emmanuel Macron and Russian President Vladimir Putin Talking on the phone On Sunday and agreed to work towards holding a meeting within hours to discuss a possible ceasefire in Ukraine, the Élysée Palace said in a statement.
The call comes amid growing tensions plus ongoing violence between Ukrainian forces and Russian-backed separatists in the east of the country, where shelling over the past few days has caused Two Ukrainian soldiers were killed and five wounded. New York Times.
Immediately after the call with Putin, Macron talk to the president of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who swore to honor any possible ceasefire.
Ukraine’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement Earlier on Sunday, Russian-backed separatists continued to fire mortars along the Luhansk-Shchastya humanitarian corridor in the Donbas region of eastern Ukraine, which borders Russia.
Meanwhile, Russian troops remain arrayed on the border, some of whom took part in live-fire drills on Saturday personally overseen by Russian President Vladimir Putin from Moscow. The Kremlin continues to insist that there are no plans to invade Ukraine.
US officials push for diplomacy but prepare for war
Ukraine’s allies, including the United States, continue to cast doubt on Moscow’s assurances that it has no plans to invade Ukraine. President Biden said that he convinced Russia to invade its neighbours.
White House press secretary Jen Psaki announced a day earlier that Biden was expected to convene a meeting of the National Security Council.
Vice President Kamala Harris, speaking to reporters on Sunday after appearing at the Munich Security Conference, warned of the possibility of war in Europe – which could be the biggest conflict on continent since World War II.
“Let’s really take a moment to understand the importance of what we’re talking about. It’s been over 70 years, and over those 70 years, as I mentioned yesterday, there’s been peace and security.” , Harris said. “We’re talking about the real possibility of war in Europe.”
Harris said the United States and its allies had agreed on a plan to punish Russia with strong sanctions should it invade Ukraine, although she said the administration was still holding out hope for a foreign solution. assigned to the crisis.
Russian state media accuse Ukrainian forces of killing civilians, as experts worry about fake flags
Amid the frantic search for a diplomatic breakthrough, Western experts and leaders remain on guard over the prospect that Russia could use disinformation – such as falsely claiming that Ukraine is on the rise. Military attack plan – to justify an invasion.
Against this backdrop, Ukrainian officials have sought to refute claims published in Russian state media over the weekend about the Ukrainian military’s use of force. However as Washington Post reportedThere is no evidence to support those claims.
ONE story in the Russian newspaper Pravda said Ukrainian troops killed two civilians in Luhansk and some of their shells fell in Russia’s Rostov region.
Dmytro Kuleba, Ukraine’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, denied the country was responsible for any such military action.
“We categorically deny all allegations that any projectiles believed to have been fired by Ukraine fell on Russian territory,” Kuleba said. say on saturday. “Ukraine has never opened fire like this. We call for an immediate and fair international investigation into the incidents reported by Russian media.”
Russian state media also reiterated the separatists’ claims Ukraine that is expanding its military presence in the face of a planned attack in the east of the country, even as top Ukrainian officials continue to campaign for peace. The head of the Donetsk rebel government has called for mass evacuations to Russia, despite Ukrainian officials and journalists calling claims of an impending attack in Ukraine a lie.
