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U.S. Would 'Consult Internationally' Before Any Response To Russian Moves On Ukraine
December 02, 2021
By RFE/RL
SEE ALSO:
Blinken Set To Meet Lavrov With Nerves On Edge Over Russian Troop Buildup Near Ukraine
Asked whether the U.S. reaction would be strictly economic, Austin declined to answer directly, saying only that the "best methods" would be used.
Austin also called on Moscow to be transparent about its military buildup and voiced hope that the United States and Russia could work to "resolve issues and concerns and lower the temperature in the region."
NATO chief says allies must prepare for the worst in Ukraine
December 02, 2021
By RFE/RL
U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin (file photo)
Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has suggested that any U.S. response to Russia's actions toward Ukraine would be carried out in conjunction with the international community.
"Whatever we do will be done as a part of an international community," Austin said on December 2 while on a visit to South Korea.
"The best case though is that we won't see an incursion by the Soviet Union into the Ukraine," he added, accidentally referring to Russia as the former Soviet Union.
Austin spoke after U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who is scheduled to meet Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in Stockholm on December 2, warned Moscow to end its troop buildup near the Ukrainian border or face hard-hitting sanctions.
Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has suggested that any U.S. response to Russia's actions toward Ukraine would be carried out in conjunction with the international community.
"Whatever we do will be done as a part of an international community," Austin said on December 2 while on a visit to South Korea.
"The best case though is that we won't see an incursion by the Soviet Union into the Ukraine," he added, accidentally referring to Russia as the former Soviet Union.
Austin spoke after U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who is scheduled to meet Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in Stockholm on December 2, warned Moscow to end its troop buildup near the Ukrainian border or face hard-hitting sanctions.
SEE ALSO:
Blinken Set To Meet Lavrov With Nerves On Edge Over Russian Troop Buildup Near Ukraine
Asked whether the U.S. reaction would be strictly economic, Austin declined to answer directly, saying only that the "best methods" would be used.
Austin also called on Moscow to be transparent about its military buildup and voiced hope that the United States and Russia could work to "resolve issues and concerns and lower the temperature in the region."
With reporting by Reuters and AP
NATO chief says allies must prepare for the worst in Ukraine
By David Keyton, The Associated Press and Lorne Cook, The Associated Press
Dec 1, 2021
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Dec 1, 2021
This image released by the Russian Defense Ministry Press Service shows, Russian military vehicles move during drills in Crimea on April 22, 2021. (Russian Defense Ministry Press Service via AP, File)
RIGA, Latvia (AP) — NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg warned Tuesday that the U.S.-led military organization must prepare for the worst as concern mounts that Russia could be preparing to invade Ukraine.
NATO is worried about a Russian buildup of heavy equipment and troops near Ukraine’s northern border, not far from Belarus. Ukraine says Moscow kept about 90,000 troops in the area following massive war games in western Russia earlier this year, and could easily mobilize them.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said last week that his country’s intelligence service had uncovered plans for a Russia-backed coup d’état. Russia denied the allegation and rejected the assertion that it is planning to invade Ukraine.
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Russia preparing to attack Ukraine by late January: Ukraine defense intelligence agency chief
Russia is building toward the ability to carry out an attack on Ukraine, the head of it's defense intelligence agency told Military Times.
By Howard Altman
“You can discuss whether the likelihood for an incursion is 20% or 80%, it doesn’t matter. We need to be prepared for the worst,” Stoltenberg told reporters in Riga, Latvia, after chairing talks among NATO foreign ministers focused on the threat posed by Russia.
“There is no certainty, no clarity about exactly what are the Russian intentions, and they may actually evolve and change,” the NATO chief continued. Referring to Russia’s seizure in 2014 of Ukraine’s Crimean Peninsula, Stoltenberg added: “They’ve done it before.”
Asked about the decision to activate NATO’s crisis response planning system, which helps analyze potential crises and prepare a response to them, he said: “Allies agree that we need to have the plans in place to be sure that we are always able to protect all allies against any potential threat.”
The United States has shared intelligence with European allies warning of a possible invasion. European diplomats acknowledge the Russian troop movements, but some countries have played down the threat of any imminent invasion ordered by Moscow.
“We are very concerned about the movements we’ve seen along Ukraine’s border. We know that Russia often combines those efforts with internal efforts to destabilize a country. That’s part of the playbook, and we’re looking at it very closely,” U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said.
“Any renewed aggression would trigger serious consequences,” Blinken warned.
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The Ukraine military's assessment of a how a potential attack by Russia would play out. (Courtesy of Ukraine military).
German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas also said “Russia would have to pay a high price for any form of aggression.”
Maas said “honest and sustainable de-escalation steps, which can only go via the route of talks, are all the more important now.”
Russia annexed Crimea in 2014 after Ukraine’s Moscow-friendly president was driven from power by mass protests. Weeks later, Russia threw its weight behind a separatist insurgency that broke out in Ukraine’s east.
Ukraine and the West have accused Russia of sending troops and weapons to back the rebels. Moscow denies that, saying that Russians who joined the separatists were volunteers. More than 14,000 people have died in more than seven years of fighting, which also has devastated Ukraine’s eastern industrial heartland, known as Donbas.
A 2015 peace agreement brokered by France and Germany helped end large-scale battles, but efforts to reach a political settlement have failed and sporadic skirmishes have continued along the tense line of contact. Russia has refused recent overtures for talks with France and Germany.
But Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said it is NATO that threatens peace in the region.
“Significant units and military equipment of NATO countries, including the U.S. and Britain, are being deployed closer to our borders,” Lavrov said during a news conference in Moscow. He alleged that the West has long provoked Ukraine “into anti-Russian actions.”
Whatever Russia’s intentions, NATO would not be able to provide Ukraine with any substantial military support in time to make a difference against Russian forces, so economic measures like Western sanctions are more likely to be used to inflict a financial cost on Moscow.
Stoltenberg underlined that Ukraine is not part of the military organization and so cannot benefit from the collective security guarantee available to member countries.
Meanwhile, Belarusian Defense Minister Viktor Khrenin announced that Belarus will conduct joint military drills with Russia “to cover the southern borders,” a reference to the border area near Ukraine, according to Belarus state news agency Belta. It’s unclear when this would happen.
Cook reported from Brussels. Dasha Litvinova in Moscow, Geir Moulson in Berlin and Jill Lawless in London contributed.
RIGA, Latvia (AP) — NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg warned Tuesday that the U.S.-led military organization must prepare for the worst as concern mounts that Russia could be preparing to invade Ukraine.
NATO is worried about a Russian buildup of heavy equipment and troops near Ukraine’s northern border, not far from Belarus. Ukraine says Moscow kept about 90,000 troops in the area following massive war games in western Russia earlier this year, and could easily mobilize them.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said last week that his country’s intelligence service had uncovered plans for a Russia-backed coup d’état. Russia denied the allegation and rejected the assertion that it is planning to invade Ukraine.
RELATED
Russia preparing to attack Ukraine by late January: Ukraine defense intelligence agency chief
Russia is building toward the ability to carry out an attack on Ukraine, the head of it's defense intelligence agency told Military Times.
By Howard Altman
“You can discuss whether the likelihood for an incursion is 20% or 80%, it doesn’t matter. We need to be prepared for the worst,” Stoltenberg told reporters in Riga, Latvia, after chairing talks among NATO foreign ministers focused on the threat posed by Russia.
“There is no certainty, no clarity about exactly what are the Russian intentions, and they may actually evolve and change,” the NATO chief continued. Referring to Russia’s seizure in 2014 of Ukraine’s Crimean Peninsula, Stoltenberg added: “They’ve done it before.”
Asked about the decision to activate NATO’s crisis response planning system, which helps analyze potential crises and prepare a response to them, he said: “Allies agree that we need to have the plans in place to be sure that we are always able to protect all allies against any potential threat.”
The United States has shared intelligence with European allies warning of a possible invasion. European diplomats acknowledge the Russian troop movements, but some countries have played down the threat of any imminent invasion ordered by Moscow.
“We are very concerned about the movements we’ve seen along Ukraine’s border. We know that Russia often combines those efforts with internal efforts to destabilize a country. That’s part of the playbook, and we’re looking at it very closely,” U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said.
“Any renewed aggression would trigger serious consequences,” Blinken warned.
The Ukraine military's assessment of a how a potential attack by Russia would play out. (Courtesy of Ukraine military).
German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas also said “Russia would have to pay a high price for any form of aggression.”
Maas said “honest and sustainable de-escalation steps, which can only go via the route of talks, are all the more important now.”
Russia annexed Crimea in 2014 after Ukraine’s Moscow-friendly president was driven from power by mass protests. Weeks later, Russia threw its weight behind a separatist insurgency that broke out in Ukraine’s east.
Ukraine and the West have accused Russia of sending troops and weapons to back the rebels. Moscow denies that, saying that Russians who joined the separatists were volunteers. More than 14,000 people have died in more than seven years of fighting, which also has devastated Ukraine’s eastern industrial heartland, known as Donbas.
A 2015 peace agreement brokered by France and Germany helped end large-scale battles, but efforts to reach a political settlement have failed and sporadic skirmishes have continued along the tense line of contact. Russia has refused recent overtures for talks with France and Germany.
But Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said it is NATO that threatens peace in the region.
“Significant units and military equipment of NATO countries, including the U.S. and Britain, are being deployed closer to our borders,” Lavrov said during a news conference in Moscow. He alleged that the West has long provoked Ukraine “into anti-Russian actions.”
Whatever Russia’s intentions, NATO would not be able to provide Ukraine with any substantial military support in time to make a difference against Russian forces, so economic measures like Western sanctions are more likely to be used to inflict a financial cost on Moscow.
Stoltenberg underlined that Ukraine is not part of the military organization and so cannot benefit from the collective security guarantee available to member countries.
Meanwhile, Belarusian Defense Minister Viktor Khrenin announced that Belarus will conduct joint military drills with Russia “to cover the southern borders,” a reference to the border area near Ukraine, according to Belarus state news agency Belta. It’s unclear when this would happen.
Cook reported from Brussels. Dasha Litvinova in Moscow, Geir Moulson in Berlin and Jill Lawless in London contributed.
Russia has no right to veto Ukraine's accession to NATO, - Stoltenberg
The issue of Ukraine's readiness to join the alliance should be decided directly by the country and its 30 allies
Source : 112 Ukraine
2 December 2021
The decision on the degree of Ukraine's readiness to join NATO will be made by the members of the alliance. Russia has no veto on this issue as NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg stated.
“Only Ukraine and 30 NATO Allies that decide when Ukraine is ready to join NATO. Russia has no veto. Russia has no say. And Russia has no right to establish a sphere of influence, trying to control their neighbors,” Stoltenberg stated.
Related: NATO expansion on Ukraine's territory could be "red line" for Russia, - Putin
He noted that Ukraine is an independent, sovereign state with internationally recognized borders, guaranteed by Russia and all other powers. And these internationally recognized boundaries must be respected.
“NATO is not a threat to anyone, but NATO respects the decision of countries like the Baltic countries, Poland, when they decided to join. And we will also respect the decision of Ukraine, that they aspire for NATO membership. We have stated that they will become a member, but of course, it's up to us, 30 NATO Allies, to decide when Ukraine is ready for membership when they meet the NATO standards,” he added.
Related: NATO to consider options for responding to Russia's military activity near Ukraine's border
Earlier, Russian President Vladimir Putin suggested starting negotiations on guarantees of NATO's eastward non-expansion. According to Putin, Moscow needs legal guarantees, since "Western colleagues did not fulfill their respective oral obligations."
The issue of Ukraine's readiness to join the alliance should be decided directly by the country and its 30 allies
Source : 112 Ukraine
2 December 2021
The decision on the degree of Ukraine's readiness to join NATO will be made by the members of the alliance. Russia has no veto on this issue as NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg stated.
“Only Ukraine and 30 NATO Allies that decide when Ukraine is ready to join NATO. Russia has no veto. Russia has no say. And Russia has no right to establish a sphere of influence, trying to control their neighbors,” Stoltenberg stated.
Related: NATO expansion on Ukraine's territory could be "red line" for Russia, - Putin
He noted that Ukraine is an independent, sovereign state with internationally recognized borders, guaranteed by Russia and all other powers. And these internationally recognized boundaries must be respected.
“NATO is not a threat to anyone, but NATO respects the decision of countries like the Baltic countries, Poland, when they decided to join. And we will also respect the decision of Ukraine, that they aspire for NATO membership. We have stated that they will become a member, but of course, it's up to us, 30 NATO Allies, to decide when Ukraine is ready for membership when they meet the NATO standards,” he added.
Related: NATO to consider options for responding to Russia's military activity near Ukraine's border
Earlier, Russian President Vladimir Putin suggested starting negotiations on guarantees of NATO's eastward non-expansion. According to Putin, Moscow needs legal guarantees, since "Western colleagues did not fulfill their respective oral obligations."
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