Ukraine

‘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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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Russia has not ruled out evacuating diplomats from Ukraine

MOSCOW, Feb 10 (Reuters) - Russia has not ruled out evacuating its diplomats from Ukraine to protect them from provocations by Kyiv and third countries, the TASS news agency cited…

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EU delivers collective reply to Russian security proposals

MOSCOW/BRUSSELS, Feb 10 (Reuters) - The European Union said on Thursday it had delivered a single letter in response to Russia's proposals to member states on European security on behalf…

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UPDATED: UK’s Johnson says next few days ‘most dangerous moment’ in Ukraine crisis

BRUSSELS, Feb 10 (Reuters) - The next few days could be the most dangerous moment in Europe's biggest security crisis for decades as Russia stages war games in Belarus, British…

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UK readies 1,000 troops for humanitarian support over Ukraine tensions

LONDON (Reuters) - Britain ordered 1,000 troops to be on a state of readiness to provide support in the event of a humanitarian crisis caused by any Russian aggression, ahead…

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Ukraine’s Catholic leader invites Pope to visit and help bring peace

The leader of Ukraine's Eastern-rite Catholics said he has invited Pope Francis to visit the country, calling it a huge gesture that would help being peace at a time of…

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Crypto donations soar to groups backing Ukraine’s government – Elliptic report

Bitcoin donations have soared to Ukrainian volunteer and hacking groups, some of which have supplied equipment to government forces, according to a report showing such groups received more than $550,000…

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Denmark steps up military readiness amid Ukraine crisis

COPENHAGEN (Reuters) - Denmark said it would sharpen its military readiness including the deployment of two fighter jets to an island in the Baltic Sea "due to the unacceptable Russian…

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France’s Macron calls for calm to resolve Ukraine crisis

KYIV (Reuters) - French President Emmanuel Macron, the first leader of a major Western power to meet Vladimir Putin since Russia massed troops near Ukraine, said he believed steps can…

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Ukraine’s army plans drills with drones, anti-tank missiles from Feb 10

Ukraine's army will conduct military drills from Feb. 10 to Feb. 20 in response to Russian exercises in Belarus near the Ukrainian northern border, Ukrainian Defence Minister Oleksii Reznikov said…

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You can count on us, Germany tells Ukraine as both sides play down differences

Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock promised unequivocal German support for Ukraine on a visit to Kyiv as the two sides sought to narrow differences on Ukraine's request for weapons to prepare…

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Biden pledges end to Nord Stream 2 if Russia invades Ukraine

U.S. President Joe Biden said on Monday that the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline would be halted if Russia invades Ukraine and stressed unity with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz as…

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UPDATED: Macron tells Putin he seeks to avoid war and build trust, Russian President says talks ‘useful’

Updated 0555 - Putin says some of Macron's ideas could form basis to move forward Russian President Vladimir Putin described Monday's talks with French President Emmanuel Macron in the Kremlin…

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Biden, Germany’s Scholz to stress unified front against any Russian aggression toward Ukraine

WASHINGTON, Feb 7 (Reuters) - U.S. President Joe Biden and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz will underscore their unity in opposing any Russian aggression against Ukraine when they meet at the…

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Ukraine foreign minister urges people to ignore ‘apocalyptic predictions’

KYIV (Reuters) - Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba on Sunday urged people to ignore "apocalyptic predictions" about an imminent Russian invasion, saying his country was strong and had unprecedented international…

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Russian attack on Ukraine possible ‘any day’ but diplomacy still an option -White House

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Russian President Vladimir Putin could order an attack on Ukraine within days or weeks, White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan warned on Sunday, as Washington and…

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