Ukraine

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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Factbox: NATO troops and possible reinforcements in Eastern Europe, Baltics

PRAGUE (Reuters) - The United States has announced plans to send nearly 3,000 extra troops to Poland and Romania to shield NATO allies in Eastern Europe from a potential spillover…

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Germany discussing sending more troops to Lithuania – defence minister

BERLIN, Feb 6 (Reuters) - Germany is considering deploying additional troops to Lithuania, Defence Minister Christine Lambrecht said, as tensions remained high over Russia's military build-up near Ukraine. In an…

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Russian forces at 70% of level needed for full Ukraine invasion

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Russia has in place about 70% of the combat power it believes it would need for a full-scale invasion of Ukraine and is sending more battalion tactical…

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Putin to meet Macron, Biden to meet Scholz

MOSCOW, Feb 4 (Reuters) - Russian President Vladimir Putin and his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron will discuss Russia's demands for security guarantees from the West during Macron's visit to Moscow…

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EU has ‘robust’ Russia sanctions ready if needed over Ukraine – von der Leyen

BERLIN, Feb 4 (Reuters) - The European Union has prepared a "robust and comprehensive" package of sanctions to unleash on Russia if it continues its aggression towards Ukraine, EU Commission…

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U.S. warns Russia has formulated several options as an excuse to invade Ukraine

WASHINGTON/MOSCOW/KYIV, Feb 4 (Reuters) - Russia has formulated several options as an excuse to invade Ukraine, including the potential use of a propaganda video showing a staged attack, the United…

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UPDATED: Kremlin says U.S. troop boost fuels tensions in Europe

MOSCOW, Feb 3 (Reuters) - Russia accused the United States on Thursday of ramping up tensions and ignoring Moscow's calls to ease a standoff over Ukraine, a day after Washington…

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As U.S. pledges troops, France prepares Romania plans

BUCHAREST (Reuters) - France will on Thursday aim to refine plans to send troops to Romania as part of a future NATO mission as it seeks to give further reassurance…

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Erdogan visits Ukraine hoping to play mediator with Russia

ANKARA, Feb 3 (Reuters) - President Tayyip Erdogan is set to visit his counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky in Ukraine on Thursday after pitching Turkey as a mediator to ease tensions with…

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Factbox: Five potential flashpoints between Russia and Ukraine

MOSCOW/KYIV (Reuters) - Are Russian forces getting ready for war in Ukraine? That is certainly the fear among Western leaders and in Ukraine as Russia and the West prepare for…

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Austria’s RBI says Russia and Ukraine businesses running normally

VIENNA, Feb 2 (Reuters) - Raiffeisen Bank International's operations in Russia and Ukraine have not been affected by tensions between the neighbours that have prompted Western sanction threats should Russia…

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U.S. willing to discuss troop and missile limits with Russia

MADRID, Feb 2 (Reuters) - Washington is willing to discuss promising not to deploy ground-launched missiles or combat forces in Ukraine if Russia agrees to do the same, according to…

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Kremlin says has plans in place to hedge against possible U.S. sanctions

MOSCOW, Feb 2 (Reuters) - The Kremlin said on Wednesday that Russia had plans in place to hedge against possible U.S. sanctions and to minimise their consequences and urged the…

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What’s NATO, and why does Ukraine want to join?

by Alastair Kocho-WilliamsProfessor of History, Clarkson University International concern about Russia’s provocative stance toward Ukraine continues, even as Russian President Vladimir Putin denies plans for an attack — and Ukrainian President Volodymyr…

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Defiant Putin says West has ignored Russia’s security concerns

Russian President Vladimir Putin accused the West on Tuesday of ignoring Russia's security concerns and deliberately creating a scenario designed to lure it into war. In his first direct public…

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Ukraine announces plan to boost army, Europeans rally behind Zelenskiy

President Volodymyr Zelenskiy signed a decree on Tuesday to boost Ukraine's armed forces by 100,000 troops over three years and raise soldiers' pay, as European leaders lined up to back…

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