19

Feb

Biden sure Putin will invade Ukraine in days as civilians bussed out

MOSCOW/KYIV/DONETSK, Feb 18 (Reuters) - Russia's Vladimir Putin has decided to invade Ukraine within days, U.S. President Joe Biden said on Friday after separatists backed by Moscow told civilians to leave breakaway…

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18

Feb

EU mulls new measures against Belarus, withdrew some staff from Kyiv

BRUSSELS, Feb 18 (Reuters) - The European Union is considering new restrictive measures to close loopholes on existing sanctions against Belarus, diplomats said, an issue that is likely to come up at…

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18

Feb

Clashes in east Ukraine on Thursday considered worst since 2015

MOSCOW, Feb 18 (Reuters) - Clashes that took place in eastern Ukraine on Thursday were the biggest since 2015 in a long-running conflict between Russian-backed separatists and the Ukrainian army, a diplomatic…

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18

Feb

UPDATED – Putin to oversee nuclear drills on Saturday amid tensions

MOSCOW, Feb 18 (Reuters) - President Vladimir Putin will oversee exercises by Russia's nuclear forces on Saturday involving the launch of ballistic and cruise missiles, the Interfax news agency cited the defence…

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18

Feb

UPDATED: Ukraine, rebels accuse each other of fresh shelling

MOSCOW, Feb 18 (Reuters) - Ukrainian government forces and Russian-backed rebels in the country's east traded fresh accusations of shelling and other ceasefire violations on Friday, escalating tensions amid fears of a…

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17

Feb

Russia ‘likely’ to launch ‘limited’ military attack against Ukraine, says Estonian intelligence

 Russia is continuing to move troops to the Ukrainian border and will likely launch a "limited" military attack against the country, the head of the Estonian Foreign Intelligence Service said. The attack…

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17

Feb

Ukraine’s Zelenskiy plays down chances of NATO membership – Bild

BERLIN, Feb 17 (Reuters) - Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy played down the chances of his country joining NATO in an interview with Germany's Bild newspaper on Thursday. With Russia intent…

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17

Feb

UK forces have finished military training in Ukraine -minister

LONDON, Feb 17 (Reuters) - Britain has finished its military training activities in Ukraine and the only remaining UK troops in the country are there to protect the ambassador, Britain's Armed Forces…

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17

Feb

UPDATED – Ukraine, West fear ‘provocation’ as shelling reported in east

MOSCOW/KYIV, Feb 17 (Reuters) - Kyiv and its Western allies said they feared that Russia might be trying to create a pretext to unleash war on Thursday, after reports of…

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17

Feb

UPDATED – Kremlin says troop pullback takes time, in rebuff of US scepticism

MOSCOW, Feb 17 (Reuters) - The Kremlin on Thursday rejected what it called "unfounded accusations" by the United States and NATO that it was not withdrawing its forces from near Russia's border…

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17

Feb

Dollar spikes on Ukraine jitters after Russia reports attack

SINGAPORE, Feb 17 (Reuters) - The dollar bounced on Thursday after a Russian news report of mortar fire in eastern Ukraine jangled market nerves and sent investors in to safe…

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17

Feb

U.S. warns against Russian false claims being used as pretext for Ukraine invasion

The United States warned that Russia could use false claims about the conflict in Ukraine's Donbass region, including reports of mass graves and allegations of chemical weapons production, to justify…

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16

Feb

Extra flights out of Ukraine fill up ahead of feared invasion

Latvian flag carrier airBaltic is setting up extra flights out of Kyiv this week to accommodate a passenger spike after European countries told their nationals to leave Ukraine or risk…

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16

Feb

U.S. Blinken warns Russia against declaring Ukraine breakaway regions independent

WASHINGTON, Feb 16 (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Wednesday criticized a move by Russian lawmakers toward recognizing two Russian-backed breakaway regions in eastern Ukraine as independent, saying it…

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16

Feb

Ryanair says it has a duty to fly to Ukraine as long as no war

LISBON, Feb 16 (Reuters) - Ryanair, one of the largest foreign airlines in Ukraine, said on Wednesday it had a duty to fly passengers in and out of the country as long…

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16

Feb

‘Prepared for the worst’: Polish PM braces for Ukrainian refugees

WARSAW, Feb 16 (Reuters) - Poland is planning for a possible influx of refugees from Ukraine in case of a Russian invasion, Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki said on Wednesday, despite…

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16

Feb

China says U.S. is exaggerating Russian threat to Ukraine

BEIJING, Feb 16 (Reuters) - China accused the United States of "playing up the threat of warfare and creating tension", as U.S. President Joe Biden warned that more than 150,000 Russian troops…

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16

Feb

UPDATED: EU leaders to meet on Russia on Thursday – EU official

BRUSSELS, Feb 16 (Reuters) - European Union leaders will meet to discuss the buildup of troops by Russia on the Ukrainian border on Thursday at 1130 GMT, an EU official said. The…

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16

Feb

Ukraine defence minister sees stable security situation

KYIV, Feb 16 (Reuters) - Ukraine's Defence Minister Oleksii Reznikov said on Wednesday the latest threat assessments did not contain "anything unexpected" and were consistent with earlier views. In a televised statement…

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16

Feb

Poland raises alert against cyber attacks

WARSAW  (Reuters) - Poland has alerted the security services and public administration against threats in cyberspace, the Government Centre for Security said, just hours after Ukraine reported its defence ministry and two…

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16

Feb

Ukraine observes ‘day of unity’

KYIV, Feb 16 (Reuters) - Ukrainians raised national flags and played the country's anthem on Wednesday to show unity against fears of a Russian invasion that Western powers have said…

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16

Feb

UPDATED: Kremlin denies Russian involvement in cyber attacks in Ukraine

MOSCOW, Feb 16 (Reuters) - The Kremlin denied on Wednesday that Russia was behind denial of service cyber attacks on Ukraine's defence ministry and two banks, but said that it was not…

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15

Feb

Russia returns some troops to base in areas near Ukraine

Some troops in Russia's military districts adjacent to Ukraine are returning to their bases after completing drills, Russia's defence ministry was quoted as saying on Tuesday. Russia's Interfax news agency cited the…

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15

Feb

Ukraine would welcome Vatican mediation, wants papal visit soon – ambassador

Ukraine is open to a Vatican mediation of its conflict with Russia and wants Pope Francis to visit as soon as possible, even in the current situation, Kyiv's new ambassador…

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15

Feb

Russian mercenaries with spy links increasing presence in Ukraine – Western sources

Russian mercenaries with ties to Moscow's spies have increased their presence in Ukraine in recent weeks, stoking fears among some NATO members that Russia could try to engineer a pretext for an invasion,…

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14

Feb

More airlines likely to avoid Ukraine’s airspace – advisory firm

Feb 14 (Reuters) - More airlines are likely to avoid Ukraine's airspace amid insurance issues and a decision by leading European carriers to stop overflights after a U.S. warning that…

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14

Feb

Why Putin is so preoccupied with Ukraine and why he has chosen to bring the crisis to a head now

Ukraine has become the main flashpoint in Moscow's relations with the West, with Russian troops massed near its border and NATO's forces on standby in case Russia attacks its neighbour.…

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14

Feb

Eastern Europe braces for refugees as Russia-Ukraine conflict simmers

WARSAW/BUDAPEST, Feb 14 (Reuters) - Countries in Eastern Europe are making preparations for potentially hundreds of thousands of people fleeing Ukraine if the crisis with Russia escalates, with some Polish…

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14

Feb

Ukraine’s right to join NATO cannot be traded away – UK PM Johnson

LONDON, Feb 14 (Reuters) - The sovereign right of the Ukrainian people to join NATO cannot be traded away, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said on Monday, adding he would…

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14

Feb

Russia’s Lavrov proposes Russia continue diplomatic work

MOSCOW, Feb 14 (Reuters) - Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Monday suggested to President Vladimir Putin that Moscow continue along the diplomatic path in its efforts to extract security…

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14

Feb

UPDATED: EU is ready to take action if Russia invades Ukraine

BRUSSELS, Feb 14 (Reuters) - The European Union is preparing several responses to any further moves by Russia to destabilise Ukraine, but the bloc does not know exactly what Moscow…

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14

Feb

UPDATED: Ukraine hints at concessions to Russia as Scholz heads to region

MOSCOW/KYIV, Feb 14 (Reuters) - Ukraine's ambassador to Britain on Monday backtracked on remarks suggesting that Kyiv would reconsider its attempt to join NATO as Russia masses a huge force…

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14

Feb

Attack on Ukraine could happen ‘with no notice’, warns British armed forces minister

Warnings of an imminent invasion are ramping up, with British armed forces minister James Heappey saying an attack "could effectively happen with no notice".  Speaking to Sky's Kay Burley, he…

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14

Feb

UPDATED: Ukraine sees NATO, EU membership as priority- Zelenskiy’s spokesman

Ukraine's aspirations to join NATO and the European Union are envisaged in its constitution and remain the absolute priority to the country, President Volodymyr Zelenskiy's spokesman said on Monday responding…

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14

Feb

U.S. officials won’t confirm reports on possible Russia invasion of Ukraine on Wednesday

Senior U.S. officials said they could not confirm reports that U.S. intelligence indicates that Russia is planning to invade Ukraine on Wednesday, but said they would try to prevent any…

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13

Feb

Poland preparing for potential influx of Ukrainian refugees – Interior Minister

WARSAW (Reuters) - Poland is preparing for "various scenarios" for a possible influx of refugees if Russia were to attack Ukraine, Interior Minister Mariusz Kaminski said on Sunday. Washington has said Russia,…

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13

Feb

Ukraine crisis – Germany to warn Russia of ‘heavy consequences’ – Pope calls for peace – US begins OSCE staff pullout

Germany's Scholz to warn Russia of 'heavy consequences' if Ukraine attacked, source says The German chancellor will tell President Vladimir Putin at a meeting this week that Russia will face…

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13

Feb

Responding to Ukraine tensions, Taiwan says it is watching situation with China

TAIPEI, Feb 12 (Reuters) - Taiwan is closely watching the situation in the narrow strait that separates it from China and raising its preparedness in response to what is happening…

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13

Feb

Biden tells Putin Ukraine invasion would bring decisive response

WASHINGTON/MOSCOW (Reuters) - U.S. President Joe Biden told Russia's Vladimir Putin on Saturday that the West would respond decisively to any invasion of Ukraine, adding such a step would produce…

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13

Feb

Blinken says Ukraine embassy drawdown prudent given high risk of Russian invasion

HONOLULU, Feb 12 (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Saturday the risk of Russian military action in Ukraine is high and imminent enough to justify the…

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12

Feb

The military balance: How Ukraine’s armed forces shape up against Russia’s

President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has signed a decree on increasing the size of Ukraine's armed forces by about 100,000 troops over three years and raising soldiers' pay. Ukraine's armed forces are…

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12

Feb

Lithuania prepares to take in refugees from Ukraine if needed

Lithuania would be ready to take in people fleeing war in Ukraine if Russia decided to invade its neighbour, Lithuanian Prime Minister Ingrida Šimonytė said this week. “While we do…

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12

Feb

UPDATED: Lavrov, in Blinken call, accuses U.S. of ‘propaganda’ about Russian aggression

MOSCOW, Feb 12 (Reuters) - Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov during a phone call with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken accused Washington of waging a "propaganda campaign" about possible…

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12

Feb

UK troops sent to help train Ukrainian army to leave country

British troops helping with training in Ukraine will leave the country this weekend, the armed forces minister said as he warned that Russia could now launch an attack “at no…

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12

Feb

Sources report U.S. to pull out its OSCE mission staff from Ukraine

KYIV/DONETSK, Ukraine Feb 12 (Reuters) - The United States ordered some embassy staff to leave Ukraine on Saturday due to a Russian military buildup, while two sources said Washington was…

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12

Feb

Ukraine’s government calls for calm amid war fears

KYIV, Feb 12 (Reuters) - The Ukrainian government urged citizens on Saturday to stay calm and united, saying the armed forces are ready to repel any attack on the country…

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12

Feb

UPDATED: U.S. State Department orders non-emergency embassy staff to leave Ukraine as Germany as well tells citizens to leave

The U.S. State Department has ordered non-emergency U.S. embassy staff to leave Ukraine amid rising tensions with Russia, the embassy said on Saturday. "Despite the reduction in diplomatic staff, the…

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12

Feb

Russia says it has ‘optimised’ diplomatic staff numbers in Ukraine

MOSCOW, Feb 12 (Reuters) - Russia has decided to "optimise" its diplomatic staff numbers in Ukraine, fearing "provocations" by Kyiv or other party, a spokeswoman for the Russian foreign ministry…

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12

Feb

UPDATED: U.S. to send 3,000 additional troops to Poland, officials say

WASHINGTON, Feb 12 (Reuters) - The United States will send 3,000 additional troops to Poland, Poland's Defence Minister said late on Friday, confirming an earlier Reuters report, as Russia held…

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12

Feb

UPDATED: Russia has enough troops massed to invade Ukraine, Biden-Putin and Lavrov-Blinken talks planned Saturday

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said he will speak to Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Saturday, adding that Washington and its allies would swiftly impose severe economic sanctions…

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11

Feb

EXPLAINER – Europe’s banks fear payment system could be casualty of Russia-Ukraine crisis

FRANKFURT (Reuters) - Amid fears of a Russian invasion of Ukraine, Italy's UniCredit has backed out of a potential acquisition in Russia and Austria's Raiffeisen Bank International has set aside…

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11

Feb

Russia says EU, NATO response to letter on security disrespectful

MOSCOW, Feb 11 (Reuters) - Russia's foreign ministry on Friday dismissed a joint response by NATO and the European Union to its questions on security as disrespectful and lacking substance.…

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11

Feb

Kremlin cites Truss error as evidence West doesn’t understand Ukraine conflict

MOSCOW, Feb 11 (Reuters) - The Kremlin on Friday cited a geographical gaffe by British Foreign Secretary Liz Truss as an example of how poorly informed Western leaders were about…

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11

Feb

UPDATED: Russia masses more troops near Ukraine

MOSCOW/ADELAIDE, Feb 11 (Reuters) - Russia is now massing yet more troops near Ukraine and an invasion could come at any time, perhaps before the end of this month's Winter…

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11

Feb

UPDATED: Finland signs deal to buy 64 U.S.-built stealth jets

HELSINKI/WASHINGTON, Feb 11 (Reuters) - Finland signed a $9.4 billion agreement on Friday to buy U.S. F-35 fighter jets, reaching a deal to bring 64 radar-evading warplanes to a country…

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11

Feb

UPDATED: Russian invasion of Ukraine could come at any time – Blinken

MELBOURNE, Feb 11 (Reuters) - Russia has sent more forces to its border with Ukraine and could launch an invasion at any time, including during the Beijing Winter Olympics, U.S.…

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10

Feb

Ukraine says Russian drills in Black Sea made shipping ‘virtually impossible’

KYIV, Feb 10 (Reuters) - Ukraine sharply criticized Russian naval exercises near its southern coast on Thursday, saying their presence had made navigation in the Black Sea and Azov Sea…

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