Joe Biden on Saturday night warned Vladimir Putin that the US would “impose swift and severe costs on Russia” if his forces invaded Ukraine. In a phone call that lasted more than an hour, the US president said an invasion would “produce widespread human suffering and diminish Russia’s standing”.
The call was the culmination of a frantic day of diplomatic activity aimed at averting a war in Ukraine, which the US has warned could start as soon as Wednesday.
It brought “no fundamental change” to the worsening crisis, according to a senior US official briefing reporters afterwards. The official said the two leaders agreed to stay engaged in the coming days “but Russia may decide to proceed with military action anyway”, adding there was no evidence of “meaningful” de-escalation on the Ukrainian border.
In Moscow, Yuri Ushakov, a senior foreign policy adviser, called the conversation between the leaders “balanced and businesslike” and confirmed “the presidents have agreed to continue contacts at all levels”. But he rejected US claims that a Russian attack was imminent. “Hysteria has reached its peak,” Ushakov said.
Earlier, Emmanuel Macron held a separate conversation with the Russian president, which was reported to last one hour and 40 minutes, while the US secretary of state, Antony Blinken, also spoke to his Russian counterpart, Sergei Lavrov.
Blinken called for “a diplomatic resolution to Russia’s unprovoked military buildup around Ukraine”. Lavrov accused the US of ignoring its security proposals, which include a guarantee that Ukraine would not join Nato and a withdrawal of Nato forces from eastern Europe.
The US has said there is a high risk of a Russian attack on Ukraine before the end of the Winter Olympics in China on 20 February, and the CIA is reported to have briefed allies that Russian troops have been ordered to be ready by Wednesday. But Ukraine’s president yesterday hit out at the US for causing “panic”.
“I think there’s too much out there about a full-scale war from Russia, and people are even naming dates. The best friend for our enemies is panic in our country, and all this information only creates panic, it doesn’t help us,” said Volodymyr Zelenskiy, who has been saying for weeks that the tone of the US messaging is helping to cause panic and economic pain in Ukraine and is thus playing into Putin’s hands.
Zelenskiy was speaking in the Kherson region, where he was observing drills by interior ministry troops. Ukrainian forces began 10 days of training on Thursday, to coincide with Russian exercises in Belarus that have been seen as a key part of Russia’s threatening buildup.
Read more from my colleagues Julian Borger in Washington, Shaun Walker in Kyiv and Michael Savage in London:
Ministers must learn lessons from the “chaos” of the Afghanistan evacuation to help people fleeing Ukraine in the event of a Russian invasion, Labour has said.
Britons have been told by the foreign office to leave Ukraine immediately as fears grow that Vladimir Putin will order an attack in the coming days.
Foreign secretary Liz Truss has faced calls to ensure UK nationals can leave safely, but also to prepare for a vast number of Ukrainian refugees in the event of an invasion.
Truss’ Labour shadow David Lammy called for a series of assurances citing what happened in Afghanistan last summer, PA news reports.
He asked whether phone lines will be staffed 24/7 so parliamentarians can help constituency cases, if extra resources are in place to process visas and if embassy staff are being bolstered in neighbouring nations.
Lammy also asked what conversations were being conducted with the UN refugee agency, the International Committee of the Red Cross and non-governmental organisations in the event of “large-scale movements of displaced people”.
He wrote:
The opposition stands united with the government in the face of Russian aggression and in support of Ukraine’s sovereignty.
However, following the chaos of the evacuation from Afghanistan, we ask the government for reassurance that the right lessons have been learned.
The first duty of any government is to keep its people safe. The government must act now to ensure it is prepared to provide safety for British citizens in case of any incursion.
Ministers have ruled out RAF airlifts out of Kyiv, as seen in Afghanistan, in part because of the nature of the aerial warfare that would be likely in Ukraine.
Updated
The Australian government has temporarily suspended its embassy operations and will evacuate staff, amid warnings a Russian invasion of Ukraine is increasingly imminent.
Foreign minister Marise Payne issued a statement on Sunday morning saying the government would move its operations to Lviv, a few hundred kilometres west of Kyiv and close to the Polish border.
She said:
Given the deteriorating security situation caused by the build up of Russian troops on Ukraine’s border, the government has directed the departure of staff at the Australian Embassy in Kyiv and temporarily suspended operations at our embassy in Kyiv.
We will be moving our operations to a temporary office in Lviv.
She also urged Australians in Ukraine to leave the country, warning security conditions could change at short notice.
She said:
We continue to urge Russia to remain engaged in reciprocal diplomatic dialogue on what would be an extraordinary unilateral action.
We support Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. We support a unified European and Nato response.
She added that Australia was “standing together with Ukraine at this very difficult time”.
Updated
Summary
Here are the key developments from this evening:
- Joe Biden and Vladimir Putin talked by phone for over an hour on Saturday in what is widely seen as a last-ditch effort to fend off a Russian invasion of Ukraine which the US has warned could start as early as Wednesday. A statement said that during the call Biden made clear if Russia undertakes a further invasion of Ukraine the US and allies “will respond decisively and impose swift and severe costs on Russia”. It added that the US was “prepared to engage in diplomacy” but “are equally prepared for other scenarios”.
- Vladimir Putin told Joe Biden in a phone call on Saturday that the US response to Russia’s main security demands had not taken into account key concerns and that Moscow would respond soon, the Kremlin said. Kremlin official Yuri Ushakov said the phone call took place against a backdrop of “hysteria” in the west about an impending Russian invasion that he said was absurd.
- Sincere negotiations are incompatible with an escalation in tensions over Ukraine, the French president, Emmanuel Macron, told Vladimir Putin on Saturday, the Élysée Palace said. Following the French president’s trip to Moscow earlier this week, Macron and Putin discussed ways to move forward on the implementation of the Minsk Agreements as well as conditions for security and stability in Europe. The call lasted close to 90 minutes, the Élysée added.
- During a call between the US secretary of state, Antony Blinken, and Russian foreign minister, Sergey Lavrov, Blinken warned of “a resolute, massive and united Transatlantic response” to any Russian aggression. Lavrov said the US and EU have ignored Russian proposals on security and accused the US of a “propaganda campaign” about possible Russian aggression. Blinken had earlier said he would speak to his Russian counterpart, the foreign minister, Sergei Lavrov, to advise that the US was prepared for either diplomacy or “aggression” and warned of economic sanctions in the event of an invasion. “If President [Vladimir] Putin decides to take military action, we will swiftly impose severe economic sanctions in coordination with allies and partners around the globe,” Blinken said during a trip to Fiji. “We will bolster Ukraine’s ability to defend itself, we will reinforce our allies on the eastern flank of Nato.” More on that here.
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The US has picked up intelligence Russia is discussing next Wednesday as the target date for starting military action, officials told the New York Times, but they acknowledged it’s possible mentioning a particular date could be part of a Russian disinformation effort.
- The US State Department ordered non-emergency staff from the US embassy in Kyiv to leave. A small number of diplomats will stay in the capital, some will pull back to Lviv in the west to provide emergency consular services while most will be posted in neighbouring countries. Washington has stressed that it will not be sending US troops to Ukraine in case of a Russian attack, meaning that it would not be able to arrange evacuation plans for its citizens should war break out. Earlier on Saturday, Russia said it was also starting to pull some embassy staff out of Ukraine, citing fears of “possible provocations from the Kyiv regime”.
- Several thousand Ukrainians rallied in Kyiv on Saturday to show unity amid fears of a Russian invasion, as Ukraine’s leader told people not to panic and pushed back against what he said was a glut of bleak war predictions being reported in the media. Volodymyr Zelenskiy, who attended police drills in the southern Kherson region, said a Russian attack could happen at any time, but pushed back against what he called excessive amounts of information about a major looming war. “The best friend of our enemies is panic in our country. And all this information is just provoking panic and can’t help us,” he said. “I can’t agree or disagree with what hasn’t happened yet. So far, there is no full-scale war in Ukraine.”
- The US did not carry out operations in Russian territorial waters, the US military said on Saturday, after Russia said it had chased away a US submarine in Russian waters in the Pacific. The US military spokesman captain Kyle Raines said in a statement: “There is no truth to the Russian claims of our operations in their territorial waters.”
- Passengers arriving in the UK on one of the first flights from Kyiv since the call for Britons to immediately leave Ukraine have described growing alarm in the country. The Foreign Office on Friday warned British nationals to leave Ukraine immediately while commercial flights are still available and the land border with Poland remains open. The number of British nationals in Ukraine is believed to be in the low thousands.
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British troops helping with training in Ukraine will leave the country this weekend, the armed forces minister James Heappey said as he warned that Russia could launch an attack “at no notice”.
Here’s an explainer of what Putin wants in Ukraine. The massive military buildup could be a bluff, or a political ploy designed for a Russian audience. Either way, the US is digging in:
Updated
The US did not carry out operations in Russian territorial waters, the US military said on Saturday, after Russia said it had chased away a US submarine in Russian waters in the Pacific.
The US military spokesman captain Kyle Raines said in a statement:
There is no truth to the Russian claims of our operations in their territorial waters.
I will not comment on the precise location of our submarines but we do fly, sail, and operate safely in international waters.
Joe Biden and Vladimir Putin talked by phone for over an hour on Saturday in what is widely seen as a last-ditch effort to fend off a Russian invasion of Ukraine which the US has warned could start as early as Wednesday.
The White House said that the Kremlin had suggested the call and Biden had accepted, and it began shortly after 11am Washington time, ending just over an hour later.
A statement said that during the call Biden made clear if Russia undertakes a further invasion of Ukraine the US and allies “will respond decisively and impose swift and severe costs on Russia”. It added that the US was “prepared to engage in diplomacy” but “are equally prepared for other scenarios”.
Western intelligence agencies have predicted that a Russian attack would be immediately preceded by a fabricated pretext, such a “false-flag” attack on Russia or the Donetsk and Luhansk regions run by Moscow-backed separatists.
Michael Kofman, the director of Russia Studies at the Center for Naval Analyses, said the Russia Duma was due to consider recognition of Donetsk and Luhansk as independent republics on Monday.
Kofman said on Twitter:
14 February looks like it may offer a basis for Russia to extend security guarantees, and militarily protect those considered to be Russian citizens living in the separatist regions.
This may be interpreted as a clause which formally authorises the Russian state to use force in Ukraine.
Read the full story here:
Vladimir Putin told Joe Biden in a phone call on Saturday that the US response to Russia’s main security demands had not taken into account key concerns and that Moscow would respond soon, the Kremlin said.
Kremlin official Yuri Ushakov said the phone call took place against a backdrop of “hysteria” in the west about an impending Russian invasion that he said was absurd.
He said that Biden in the phone call warned Putin of major potential sanctions, but did not place special emphasis on it.
Updated
Foreign secretary Liz Truss said she spoke to US secretary of state Antony Blinken on Saturday, and shared her “acute concerns” that Russia could launch further military aggression against Ukraine within days.
Spoke to @SecBlinken today about acute concerns that Russia may launch further military aggression against Ukraine in coming days.
— Liz Truss (@trussliz) February 12, 2022
We agree Russia will face massive consequences for any invasion, including severe sanctions.
Russia must deescalate and engage with @NATO proposals
Several thousand Ukrainians rallied in Kyiv on Saturday to show unity amid fears of a Russian invasion, as Ukraine’s leader told people not to panic and pushed back against what he said was a glut of bleak war predictions being reported in the media, AFP reports.
Tension has mounted as Russia has built up more than 100,000 troops near Ukraine and carried out large-scale exercises. The US said on Friday an invasion could start at any moment. Russia denies planning to invade.
Ukrainians filed through the centre of Kyiv in a column, chanting “Glory to Ukraine” and carrying Ukrainian flags and banners that said “Ukrainians will resist” and “Invaders must die”.
The Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, who attended police drills in southern Kherson region, said a Russian attack could happen at any time, but pushed back against what he called excessive amounts of information about a major looming war.
It came amid reports that an invasion could happen as soon as Wednesday.
He said:
The best friend of our enemies is panic in our country. And all this information is just provoking panic and can’t help us. I can’t agree or disagree with what hasn’t happened yet. So far, there is no full-scale war in Ukraine.
Read more here:
The EU is not withdrawing its diplomatic presence from Ukraine, its foreign policy chief said on Saturday, after the US warned that Russian forces could invade at any time.
Josep Borrell said in a statement:
The EU and its member states are coordinating their actions in view of the current threats on Ukraine. Our diplomatic missions are not closing. They remain in Kyiv and continue to operate in support to EU citizens and in cooperation with the Ukrainian authorities.
We recall that any further military aggression against Ukraine will have massive consequences and severe cost in response.
Joe Biden and Vladimir Putin talked by phone for over an hour on Saturday in what is widely seen as a last-ditch effort to fend off a Russian invasion of Ukraine which the US has warned could start as early as Wednesday.
The White House said that the Kremlin had suggested the call and Biden had accepted, and it began shortly after 11am Washington time, ending just over an hour later.
Earlier in the day, Emmanuel Macron held a separate conversation with the Russian leader, which was reported to have lasted one hour and 40 minutes, in which the French president said a “sincere dialogue” was incompatible with the escalating tensions, as Russia continued to move troops from staging areas to positions closer to the border. Moscow did not immediately publish its version of the call.
The US secretary of state, Antony Blinken, also talked to his counterpart, Sergei Lavrov, earlier on Saturday to call for “a diplomatic resolution to Russia’s unprovoked military buildup around Ukraine”.
Blinken said:
I reiterated that further Russian aggression would be met with a resolute, massive, and united transatlantic response.
The US has said there was a high risk of a Russian attack on Ukraine before the end of Winter Olympics in China on 20 February, and the CIA was reported to have briefed allies that Russian troops have been ordered to be ready by Wednesday.
Read the full story here:
French president Emmanuel Macron will speak to German chancellor Olaf Scholz and the presidents of Ukraine and the US on Saturday as fears mount that Russia is preparing to invade Ukraine, Macron’s office said.
Macron stressed during a call with Russian president Vladimir Putin that the west would react with “determination” should Russia invade Ukraine, it added.
French presidential aides said Paris considered that Putin believed “that it was not he who took the initiative for the escalation”, but the west who approached the Russian border, AFP reports.
Putin’s goal was to achieve the “neutralisation of Ukraine. He knows that this is unacceptable (for the west) and that his military exercises carry a risk of additional escalation,”, they said.
He remained demanding and provocative “taking care nevertheless to keep all his options open”, they added.
France would strengthen advice to its nationals to tell them to avoid travelling to Ukraine, but would not ask them to leave the country, the president’s office said.
Updated
Biden warns of severe costs to Russia if it invades Ukraine
The White House has released some details of the conversation Joe Biden held with Vladimir Putin about Russia’s escalating military buildup on the borders of Ukraine.
The statement said:
President Biden was clear that, if Russia undertakes a further invasion of Ukraine, the United States together with our Allies and partners will respond decisively and impose swift and severe costs on Russia.
President Biden reiterated that a further Russian invasion of Ukraine would produce widespread human suffering and diminish Russia’s standing.
President Biden was clear with President Putin that while the United States remains prepared to engage in diplomacy, in full coordination with our Allies and partners, we are equally prepared for other scenarios.
Updated
Antony Blinken, the US secretary of state, stressed during a 35-minute call on Saturday with his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov that the path for diplomatic engagement remained open in the escalating crisis between the eest and Russia over Moscow’s troop buildup, a State Department official said.
Updated
A Russian naval vessel chased away a US submarine in Russian waters in the Pacific after it ignored the ship’s orders to surface, Interfax news agency cited the defence ministry as saying on Saturday.
Russia accused Washington of breaking international law and creating a national security threat over the incident, which came at a time of high tensions between Moscow and Washington over a Russian military buildup near Ukraine, Reuters reports.
There was no immediate comment from the US.
The crew of the Marshal Shaposhnikov frigate used “corresponding means” to make the submarine leave Russian waters, the defence ministry was quoted as saying.
It said it had called in the US defence attache over the incident.
The submarine was spotted near the Kuril islands early on Saturday as Russia was conducting naval exercises with its Pacific Fleet and it was ordered to surface immediately, the Russian ministry was quoted as saying.
It said the order was ignored by the US submarine’s crew, leading the Russian frigate to take unspecified action to make it leave.
“The US submarine ... left Russian territorial waters at maximum speed,” the defence ministry was quoted as saying.
Updated
The call for Britons to flee Ukraine as the threat of Russian invasion looms caused “quite a panic” and a rush to return home, according to a student who landed in the UK on one of the first commercial flights out of Kyiv since the warning.
Here’s a PA News report on the situation:
Passengers arrived at Gatwick Airport, south of London, on a direct flight from the Ukrainian capital shortly after noon on Saturday, just hours after the Foreign Office warned UK nationals in the country, thought to number in the low thousands, to “leave now while commercial means are still available”.
Those returning suggested there were mixed signals about the level of concern in the country about the threat of war.
Haider Ali spoke to the PA news agency after landing at Gatwick Airport from Kyiv on Saturday.
He said: “I’d been in two minds about coming back because of the advice coming out by the British Embassy, about the amber alert, red alert. A lot of people, a lot of students were waiting for the red alert, and it happened yesterday.
“Once that happened, everybody booked their tickets and left as soon as possible.”
The 21-year-old from Birmingham said his university, the Dnipro Medical Institute in Dnipro, a city in central Ukraine, had advised students to “get out as soon as you can”.
He said around half the students at the university are British.
The UK and other Nato countries have urged their citizens to leave as fears grow that Russian president Vladimir Putin could order an invasion in the coming days.
Ali said: “I think the main thing that people were getting worried about as well is, because it’s along the Dnieper River, a lot of the people were saying, if Putin wants to suffocate Kyiv, push his warships along that path as well.”
The student said he had paid 210 for his one-way flight ticket and thought prices would get much more expensive over the next three days as more people rush out of the country. He said he was hoping to return to Ukraine by June to continue his studies.
Ali said Ukrainians’ opinions were split on the likelihood of a Russian incursion, but that the perception that Western media were blowing the crisis out of proportion was changing.
He said: “The Ukrainians are generally very laissez-faire as in terms of people, but the last couple of days they’ve started to get worried. And when that happens, alarm bells should be ringing.”
Italy’s foreign ministry says Italian nationals in Ukraine should leave now and should not enter the country, amid growing fears of a Russian invasion.
“As a precautionary measure, we are asking Italian citizens to leave Ukraine or to postpone travel to Ukraine,” said foreign minister Luigi Di Maio.
Di Maio said he has also ordered staff from Italy’s embassy to leave.
He added:
Italy fully recognises the territorial integrity of Ukraine and the right of all sovereign states to determine their own alliances. We keep a channel of dialogue open with Moscow and we are all working for diplomatic a solution.
Joe Biden and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin concluded their call regarding the troop buildup around Ukraine, a White House official said on Saturday.
The secure call started at 11:04 a.m. Eastern time (4:04pm GMT) and ended more than an hour later at 12:06 pm (5:06pm GMT), the official said.
Updated
Vladimir Putin said nothing during a phone call with French president, Emmanuel Macron, on Saturday that indicated he was preparing to invade Ukraine, an official in the French presidency said.
The official told reporters after Macron and Putin spoke on the phone for nearly 90 minutes:
We see no indication in what President Putin says that he is going to go on the offensive.
We are nevertheless extremely vigilant and alert to the Russian (military) posture in order to avoid the worst.
France would, however, now be recommending that French nationals avoid trips to Ukraine, the official said.
Updated
The US department of state has issued a statement regarding the conversation between secretary of state, Antony J Blinken, and UK foreign secretary, Elizabeth Truss.
Ned Price, the spokesperson, said they spoke about their “acute and shared concerns” that Russia may be considering launching further military aggression against Ukraine in the coming days.
Price said:
Secretary Blinken emphasised the importance of working with our Nato allies and European partners in the region to impose swift, severe costs on Russia in response to any further military aggression by Russia against Ukraine.
They also discussed that international efforts should continue to seek a meaningful dialogue with Russia on mutual security concerns that could lead to a diplomatic resolution.
Blinken “reaffirmed” that any decision the US makes in Europe will be in consultation with its allies and partners, Price said.
The two also discussed UK-EU negotiations over the implementation of the Northern Ireland Protocol and preserving the gains of the Belfast/Good Friday agreement, Price said. They also talked about the importance of reaching a successful conclusion on talks with Iran on mutual return to full implementation of the joint comprehensive plan of action.
Updated
Athens has urged Greek citizens in Ukraine to contact embassy officials in Kyiv although it appears to have stopped short of advising them to pull out.
Athens’ foreign ministry said in a statement:
Greek citizens who are in Ukraine or travelling to the country are advised to keep in contact with the Embassy in Kyiv.
Ukraine is home to a large ethnic Greek community that traditionally has lived in the south eastern Donbas region around the city of Mariupol.
The minority is estimated at around 100,000 people although Greek officials also put the figure at almost twice that number. Some analysts have suggested that in the event of a Russian invasion, Hellenic navy ships could be dispatched to evacuate the community by sea.
Biden begins high-stakes phone call with Putin
Joe Biden and Vladimir Putin are currently talking on the phone.
The closely watched call between the US and Russian president on Ukraine comes as the US warns that a Russian invasion of its neighbour may be imminent.
The high stakes conversation started at 11:04 am Eastern time (4:04pm GMT), a White House official said.
More to follow
Updated
Summary
Here is a quick recap of some of the main developments from today so far:
-
Sincere negotiations are incompatible with an escalation in tensions over Ukraine, the French president, Emmanuel Macron, told Vladimir Putin on Saturday, the Élysée Palace said. Following the French president’s trip to Moscow earlier this week, Macron and Putin discussed ways to move forward on the implementation of the Minsk Agreements as well as conditions for security and stability in Europe. The call lasted close to 90 minutes, the Élysée added.
- The US defence secretary, Lloyd Austin, has spoken on the phone to his Russian counterpart, Sergey Shoygu, and they discussed Russia’s troop buildup in Crimea and around Ukraine, the Pentagon said. US president, Joe Biden, and Russia’s Vladimir Putin plan to speak by phone later on Saturday after the US and its allies warned Russia could invade Ukraine at any moment.
- During a call between the US secretary of state, Antony Blinken, and Russian foreign minister, Sergey Lavrov, Blinken warned of “a resolute, massive and united Transatlantic response” to any Russian aggression. Lavrov said the US and EU have ignored Russian proposals on security and accused the US of a “propaganda campaign” about possible Russian aggression. Blinken had earlier said he would speak to his Russian counterpart, the foreign minister, Sergei Lavrov, to advise that the US was prepared for either diplomacy or “aggression” and warned of economic sanctions in the event of an invasion. “If President [Vladimir] Putin decides to take military action, we will swiftly impose severe economic sanctions in coordination with allies and partners around the globe,” Blinken said during a trip to Fiji. “We will bolster Ukraine’s ability to defend itself, we will reinforce our allies on the eastern flank of Nato.” More on that here.
-
The US has picked up intelligence Russia is discussing next Wednesday as the target date for starting military action, officials told the New York Times, but they acknowledged it’s possible mentioning a particular date could be part of a Russian disinformation effort.
- The US State Department ordered non-emergency staff from the US embassy in Kyiv to leave. A small number of diplomats will stay in the capital, some will pull back to Lviv in the west to provide emergency consular services while most will be posted in neighbouring countries. Washington has stressed that it will not be sending US troops to Ukraine in case of a Russian attack, meaning that it would not be able to arrange evacuation plans for its citizens should war break out. Earlier on Saturday, Russia said it was also starting to pull some embassy staff out of Ukraine, citing fears of “possible provocations from the Kyiv regime”.
- Several thousand Ukrainians rallied in Kyiv on Saturday to show unity amid fears of a Russian invasion, as Ukraine’s leader told people not to panic and pushed back against what he said was a glut of bleak war predictions being reported in the media. Volodymyr Zelenskiy, who attended police drills in southern Kherson region, said a Russian attack could happen at any time, but pushed back against what he called excessive amounts of information about a major looming war. “The best friend of our enemies is panic in our country. And all this information is just provoking panic and can’t help us,” he said. “I can’t agree or disagree with what hasn’t happened yet. So far, there is no full-scale war in Ukraine.”
-
About 150 US troops from the Florida National Guard who are in Ukraine to help train Ukrainian forces are leaving the country as the threat of a Russian invasion increases, two US officials told Reuters. The officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the decision was made after the State Department ordered some US embassy staff in Ukraine to leave.
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British troops helping with training in Ukraine will leave the country this weekend, the armed forces minister James Heappey said as he warned that Russia could launch an attack “at no notice”. Heappey said the small number of UK personnel sent to train Ukrainian troops on anti-tank missiles would be withdrawn, alongside about 100 helping with wider troop training as part of Operation Orbital. Story here.
- Numerous countries including Germany have urged their citizens to leave Ukraine as tensions rise.
That’s all from me for today. Thank you so much for reading along. I’ll now be handing over to my colleague Nicola Slawson. Take care!
Updated
Slovakia recommended its citizens avoid travel to Ukraine, and is pulling out family members of diplomats at its embassy in Kyiv and a consulate in the western city of Uzhhorod, the foreign ministry said on Saturday.
EU and Nato member Slovakia shares a near 100-km (60 mile) border with Ukraine in the east.
“The decision is based on an evaluation of the latest shared intelligence information that speaks about further deterioration of the security environment and escalation of tensions,” a ministry spokesman said.
Poland, which also has a border with Ukraine, advised citizens against non-essential travel to the country, its ministry of foreign affairs said on Saturday, but has not yet decided to evacuate diplomatic staff or urged citizens to leave the country.
“Due to the changing security situation caused by military and political escalation on the part of the Russian Federation, Poland’s ministry of foreign affairs advises against non-essential travel to Ukraine,” the ministry said in a tweet.
A spokesperson for the ministry declined to provide any details about potential evacuation plans when approached by Reuters.
Updated
Macron tells Putin 'sincere dialogue' incompatible with escalation of tensions
The French president, Emmanuel Macron, told Vladimir Putin on Saturday that sincere negotiations were incompatible with an escalation in tensions over Ukraine, the Élysée Palace said.
Following the French president’s trip to Moscow earlier this week, Macron and Putin discussed ways to move forward on the implementation of the Minsk Agreements as well conditions for security and stability in Europe. The call lasted close to 90 minutes, the Élysée added.
Updated
Putin and Macron discussed Ukraine crisis in phone call, reports say
The Russian president, Vladimir Putin, and his French counterpart, Emmanuel Macron, have discussed the Ukraine crisis in a telephone call that lasted one hour and 40 minutes on Saturday, Interfax news agency cited the Kremlin as saying.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov gave no further details, Reuters reports.
Putin received Macron in the Kremlin earlier this week in the first summit Putin has held with a western leader since the Kremlin began massing troops near Ukraine last year.
Updated
Several thousand Ukrainians rallied in Kyiv on Saturday to show unity amid fears of a Russian invasion, as Ukraine’s leader told people not to panic and pushed back against what he said was a glut of bleak war predictions being reported in the media.
Tension has mounted as Russia has built up more than 100,000 troops near Ukraine and carried out large-scale exercises. The US said on Friday an invasion could start at any moment. Russia denies planning to invade.
Ukrainians filed through the centre of Kyiv in a column, chanting “Glory to Ukraine” and carrying Ukrainian flags and banners that said “Ukrainians will resist” and “Invaders must die”.
Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, who attended police drills in southern Kherson region, said a Russian attack could happen at any time, but pushed back against what he called excessive amounts of information about a major looming war.
“The best friend of our enemies is panic in our country. And all this information is just provoking panic and can’t help us,” he said. “I can’t agree or disagree with what hasn’t happened yet. So far, there is no full-scale war in Ukraine.”
The US and numerous western governments have urged their citizens to leave Ukraine, and Washington on Saturday said it was ordering most of its embassy staff to leave.
“We have to be ready each day. It did not begin yesterday. It began in 2014, so, we are ready and this is why we are here,” Zelenskiy said in a reference to Russia’s annexation of Crimea and backing for an anti-Kyiv separatist insurgency in the east.
He voiced frustrations just last month with dire assessments of a war. Such warnings have taken their toll on the economy, piling pressure on the national currency.
Joe Biden and Vladimir Putin will speak later on Saturday.
Updated
Turkey has advised its citizens not to travel to eastern Ukraine.
US orders removal of 150 troops from Ukraine out of 'abundance of caution'
About 150 US troops from the Florida National Guard who are in Ukraine to help train Ukrainian forces are leaving the country as the threat of a Russian invasion increases, two US officials have told Reuters.
The officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the decision was made after the State Department ordered some US embassy staff in Ukraine to leave.
The officials said it was not yet clear where the troops would be repositioned.
It was not immediately clear what would happen with the small number of US special operations forces in the country, said one of the officials.
“The decision was made out of an abundance of caution,” the official said.
Australia, New Zealand, Germany and the Netherlands on Saturday joined countries urging their citizens to leave Ukraine. Washington said on Friday that a Russian invasion, likely beginning with an air assault, could occur at any time.
Moscow has repeatedly disputed Washington’s version of events, saying it has massed more than 100,000 troops near the Ukrainian border to maintain its own security against aggression by Nato allies.
Updated
Swedish nationals should leave Ukraine as soon as possible in light of the “changing security situation”, the government said on Saturday. Up to 300 Swedes are in Ukraine, according to Sweden’s embassy in Kyiv.
Updated
The US defence secretary Lloyd Austin has spoken on the phone to his Russian counterpart, Sergey Shoygu, and they discussed Russia’s troop buildup in Crimea and around Ukraine, the Pentagon said.
US president Joe Biden and Russia’s Vladimir Putin plan to speak by phone later on Saturday after the US and its allies warned Russia could invade Ukraine at any moment.
Updated
The State Department has been briefing reporters on evacuations from the US embassy in Kyiv.
A small number of diplomats will stay in the capital, some will pull back to Lviv in the west to provide emergency consular services while most will be posted in neighbouring countries.
“I think prudence requires us to assume to plan for, and prepare for, a worst case scenario and the worst case scenario would obviously involve substantial Russian attacks on the Ukrainian capital,” a senior state department official said.
“These developments mean for private American citizens that it isn’t just time to leave Ukraine – it is past time for private citizens to leave Ukraine,” the official added, stressing that the consular staff were no longer in a position to help private citizens leave.
“We are not engaged in those activities, because up to this point in time, there have been ample opportunities via normal commercial means” to leave the country, the official said.
The official stressed that the embassy was not being shut down entirely and that a core staff of diplomats would stay on in Kyiv, “sufficient to be able to continue working closely with the Ukrainian government to be able to ensure we’ve got the best possible information for our senior leaders and the president about what’s happening broadly in society, and what the Ukrainian government is telling us about how the situation is unfolding”.
The official acknowledged stresses in the relationship with the Ukrainian government which has consistently complained about US alarmism but said Ukrainian officials had been “very professional”.
“The Ukrainians understand why we are taking these steps even if all of them don’t necessarily agree with our threat assessment.”
Updated
The United States government used its first trip to the South Pacific by a secretary of state in almost 40 years to warn Russia to back off Ukraine, Lice Movono reports from Nadi.
Antony Blinken told reporters in Fiji he would speak to his Russian counterpart, the foreign minister, Sergei Lavrov, to advise that the US was prepared for either diplomacy or “aggression” and warned of economic sanctions in the event of an invasion.
“If President [Vladimir] Putin decides to take military action, we will swiftly impose severe economic sanctions in coordination with allies and partners around the globe,” Blinken said.
“We will bolster Ukraine’s ability to defend itself, we will reinforce our allies on the eastern flank of Nato.”
Blinken also made an apparent swipe at China, whose influence has grown in the Pacific region in the past few decades and pushed for a “a free and open Indo-Pacific”.
“Pacific Islanders are proud. They believe that no matter their size, they alone should be able to choose their path, whether that’s how they manage their natural resources, or who they partner with. We share that belief. And we think the world is a more secure and prosperous place when core international principles like that are respected.”
Read more here: Ukraine: Blinken warns Russia US is prepared for ‘aggression’
As has been the case all along, the urgent threat assessments from the US do not necessarily go down well in Kyiv, Shaun Walker reports from the city.
President Volodymyr Zelenskiy had this to say today, the Ukrainskaya Pravda news site reports:
I think there’s too much out there about a full-scale war from Russia, and people are even naming dates. The best friend for our enemies is panic in our country, and all this information only creates panic, it doesn’t help us.
We should be ready on any day. We understand the risks, we understand they exist. If you or anyone else has extra information about the 100% invasion of Russia starting on the 16th, please, give it it to us.
US orders non-emergency embassy staff to leave Kyiv
In a reissued travel advisory, the United States on Saturday ordered all non-emergency Kyiv embassy staff to leave because of the threat of Russia invading Ukraine.
The advisory also repeated an earlier call by US president Joe Biden for Americans to leave the country immediately.
The State Department has “ordered the departure of most US direct hire employees from Embassy Kyiv due to the continued threat of Russian military action,” it said in the updated travel advisory.
“The Department of State will suspend consular services at the US Embassy in Kyiv,” it said, adding that a small consular presence would be maintained in Lviv in western Ukraine to handle emergencies.
Washington has stressed that it will not be sending US troops to Ukraine in case of a Russian attack, meaning that it would not be able to arrange evacuation plans for its citizens should war break out.
Earlier on Saturday, Russia said it was also starting to pull some embassy staff out of Ukraine, citing fears of “possible provocations from the Kyiv regime”.
The full text reads:
Ukraine – Level 4: Do Not Travel
Do not travel to Ukraine due to the increased threats of Russian military action and Covid-19; those in Ukraine should depart immediately via commercial or private means. If remaining in Ukraine, exercise increased caution due to crime, civil unrest, and potential combat operations should Russia take military action. Some areas have increased risk. Read the entire Travel Advisory.
On February 12, 2022, the Department of State ordered the departure of most US direct hire employees from Embassy Kyiv due to the continued threat of Russian military action. US citizens should not travel to Ukraine, and those in Ukraine should depart immediately using commercial or other privately available transportation options. The Department previously authorized the voluntary departure of US direct hire employees and ordered the departure of eligible family members on January 23, 2022.
As of Sunday, February 13, 2022, the Department of State will suspend consular services at the US Embassy in Kyiv. The Embassy will maintain a small consular presence in Lviv, Ukraine to handle emergencies, but will not be able to provide passport, visa or routine consular services. US citizens may seek these services at U.S. Embassies in neighboring countries. US citizens seeking emergency assistance in Ukraine should complete this online form and the State Department will respond.
US citizens who decide to remain in Ukraine and who do not depart immediately as advised, should also complete this online form so that we may better communicate with you.
There are continued reports of a Russian military build-up on the border with Ukraine, indicating potential for significant military action against Ukraine. The security conditions, particularly along Ukraine’s borders, in Russia-occupied Crimea, and in Russia-controlled eastern Ukraine, are unpredictable and can deteriorate with little notice. Demonstrations, which have turned violent at times, regularly occur throughout Ukraine, including in Kyiv.
US citizens in Ukraine should be aware that the US government will not be able to evacuate US citizens in the event of Russian military action anywhere in Ukraine. Military action may commence at any time and without warning and would also severely impact the US Embassy’s ability to provide consular services, including assistance to US citizens in departing Ukraine. For more information, please review what the US government can and cannot do to assist you in a crisis overseas.
Updated
Jordan has called on its nationals to leave Ukraine in light of the “current developments”, the foreign ministry said in a statement on Saturday. It also called on citizens to postpone any plans to visit the country.
Blinken warns Lavrov of “a resolute, massive and united Transatlantic response” to Russian aggression
During the call between US secretary of state Antony Blinken and Russian foreign minister Sergey Lavrov, Blinken warned of “a resolute, massive and united Transatlantic response” to any Russian aggression.
Lavrov said the US and EU have ignored Russian proposals on security and accused the US of a “propaganda campaign” about possible Russian aggression.
After the call, US state department spokesperson Ned Price said:
Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken spoke with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov today by phone to discuss acute and shared concerns that Russia may be considering launching further military aggression against Ukraine in the coming days. The Secretary made clear that a diplomatic path to resolving the crisis remained open, but it would require Moscow to deescalate and engage in good-faith discussions. He reiterated that should Moscow pursue the path of aggression and further invade Ukraine, it would result in a resolute, massive, and united Transatlantic response.
I spoke with Foreign Minister Lavrov today to urge a diplomatic resolution to Russia’s unprovoked military build-up around Ukraine. I reiterated that further Russian aggression would be met with a resolute, massive, and united Transatlantic response.
— Secretary Antony Blinken (@SecBlinken) February 12, 2022
Updated
The US has picked up intelligence Russia is discussing next Wednesday as the target date for starting military action, officials told the New York Times, but they acknowledged it’s possible mentioning a particular date could be part of a Russian disinformation effort.
More details from the Times here:
“We continue to see signs of Russian escalation, including new forces arriving at the Ukrainian border,” Jake Sullivan, the president’s national security adviser, told reporters, adding that an invasion could begin “during the Olympics,” which are scheduled to end on 20 February.
US officials do not know whether Mr. Putin has decided to invade, Mr. Sullivan insisted. “We are ready either way,” he said. “Whatever happens next, the west is more united than it has been in years.” ...
The combination of the Russian troop movements and the new information about a possible date helped to trigger a flurry of diplomatic activity and public warnings by the Nato allies on Friday. The Kremlin said Mr. Putin would also speak again on Saturday with President Emmanuel Macron of France.
Updated
The Saudi embassy in Ukraine has urged citizens to quickly contact the embassy to facilitate their departure.
In a Twitter post, translated by Google, the embassy said: “The Kingdom’s embassy in Ukraine calls on all citizens to postpone their travel to Ukraine at the present time, and all citizens present in Ukraine should quickly communicate with the embassy ... to facilitate their immediate departure”.
It follows a cascade of embassies – from the UK to Lithuania to the Netherlands – warning their citizens to assess whether to flee the country.
تهيب سفارة المملكة لدى اوكرانيا بجميع المواطنين بتأجيل سفرهم إلى اوكرانيا في الوقت الراهن، وعلى جميع المواطنين المتواجدين في اوكرانيا سرعة التواصل مع السفارة على الارقام التالية لتسهيل مغادرتهم فوراً:
— KSA Embassy Ukraine (@ksaembassyua) February 12, 2022
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Updated
US and EU have 'ignored' Russian security proposals, Russia's Lavrov tells US's Blinken by phone
Russian foreign minister, Sergey Lavrov, has aid the US and EU have ignored Russian proposals on security while speaking to US secretary of state, Antony Blinken, over the phone, Reuters reports.
Lavrov also accused the US of a “propaganda campaign” about possible Russian aggression. It continues a line of attack that has seen Russia accuse the US of hysteria – and of using propaganda to seek cover for Ukrainian forces to attack Russian-backed separatists in the country’s east.
Before the call, Blinken said” “We’re in the window when a Russian invasion can start at any time if president Putin so decides.”
US President Joe Biden and Russian President Vladimir Putin will speak later today.
After the Blinken-Lavrov call, US state department spokesperson Ned Price said:
Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken spoke with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov today by phone to discuss acute and shared concerns that Russia may be considering launching further military aggression against Ukraine in the coming days. The Secretary made clear that a diplomatic path to resolving the crisis remained open, but it would require Moscow to deescalate and engage in good-faith discussions. He reiterated that should Moscow pursue the path of aggression and further invade Ukraine, it would result in a resolute, massive, and united Transatlantic response.
Updated
Russian tensions threaten UK food suppliers, the president of the UK’s National Farmers’ Union (NFU) has warned.
Minette Batters, NFU president, told the Independent Russia’s two-month block on exports of ammonium nitrate – from 2 February to 1 April – will impact British agriculture.
The chemical is crucial for boosting yields such as from wheat and cotton crops.
“I cannot understand why you would not treat food security as importantly as defence,” Batters said. “The quickest way to create a serious issue [for a country] is if you have food shortages.”
The upshot is that global fertiliser costs are surging – likely to compound the impacts of the UK’s costs of living crisis as inflation, at 5.4%, is already the highest for almost 30 years.
“Last year I paid under £300 a tonne for nitrogen fertilizer, this year, it’s over £700 a tonne,” Batters said. “[Russia and Ukraine] know exactly how much the world is reliant on them for natural gas and fertilizer.”
The Dutch foreign minister Wopke Hoekstra has called on Dutch citizens to leave Ukraine as soon as possible due to the security situation there and issued a notice advising against travelling to the country.
De veiligheidssituatie in #Oekraïne is verder verslechterd. Daarom roepen we Nederlanders op om zo snel mogelijk het land te verlaten, en niet meer naar Oekraïne te reizen. Voor heel Oekraïne geldt nu een rood reisadvies. We blijven de situatie op de voet volgen.
— Wopke Hoekstra (@WBHoekstra) February 12, 2022
Updated
This report is from 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 with Ukraine, the government said on Saturday, though it added the two cases were very different.
China, which claims Taiwan as its own territory, has stepped up military activity near the self-governing island over the past two years, though Taiwan has reported no unusual manoeuvres by Chinese forces in recent days as tensions over Ukraine have soared.
As Western nations warn a war in Ukraine could ignite at any moment, Taiwan’s presidential office said the military continues to strengthen its surveillance operations, adding that regional peace and stability is “the shared responsibility of all parties”.
“All military units continue to pay close attention to the situation in Ukraine and movements in the Taiwan Strait, continue to strengthen joint intelligence and surveillance, and gradually increase the level of combat readiness in response to various signs and threats to effectively respond to various situations,” it added.
Taiwan complains most frequently about China’s air force flying into its air defence zone, part of what Taipei says is a pattern of harassment by Beijing.
Taiwan last month reported the largest incursion since October by China’s air force, with the island’s defence ministry saying Taiwanese fighters scrambled to warn away 39 aircraft.
Those flights have continued on an almost daily basis but with far fewer aircraft: Taiwan reported just five were involved in a mission on Saturday.
However, the presidential office added that the situation in the Taiwan Strait was “fundamentally different” from the situation in Ukraine, and called on people not to be misled by false information.
It said fake information had been circulating using the situation in Ukraine to affect morale in Taiwan, though gave no details.
Speaking to Indian news channel CNN-News18 on Friday, Taiwan foreign minister Joseph Wu said they were watching very carefully whether China was going to take advantage of a West distracted by Ukraine to attack the island.
However with China in the midst of hosting the Winter Olympics, it may not want any “major events” to divert attention from that, he added.
“It’s going to be very hard to say that after the Winter Olympics are over whether Russia is going to launch at attack against Ukraine or whether China is going to think about using its military force against Taiwan,” Wu said.
Taiwan president Tsai Ing-wen last month set up a Ukraine working group under the National Security Council to watch developments and the possible impact on Taiwan’s security.
Tsai has expressed “empathy” for Ukraine’s situation due to the military threat the island faces from China.
US president Joe Biden and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin will speak on Saturday as Western nations warned that a war in Ukraine could ignite at any moment.
The US warned on Friday of the “very distinct possibility” of a Russian invasion of Ukraine in the next few days and told all remaining Americans to leave the country in the next 48 hours.
On Saturday, Biden will speak with Putin by phone. Putin requested the telephone call between the leaders to take place on Monday, a White House official said, but Biden wanted to conduct it sooner as Washington detailed increasingly vivid accounts of a possible attack on Ukraine.
More here: Biden and Putin to speak as US warns Russia could attack Ukraine ‘any day’
Lithuania said on Saturday its nationals in Ukraine should “assess whether continued presence is necessary”.
The Lithuanian embassy in Ukraine would continue to perform its duties, the foreign ministry added in a statement.
Germany urges citizens to leave Ukraine as military conflict 'cannot be ruled out'
Berlin has closed its Donetsk consulate and asked German nationals to leave Ukraine unless their presence in the country is “absolutely necessary”, Deutsche Welle reports.
Germany’s Foreign Ministry warned that a military conflict between Russia and Ukraine “cannot be excluded” and said it was closing its consulate in Donetsk.
“If you are currently in Ukraine, make sure that your presence is absolutely necessary. If it is not, leave the country shortly,” it said on Saturday.
This is from Der Spiegel’s Matthias Gebauer
News zur #Ukraine Krise: @AuswaertigesAmt verschärft Reisewarnung und rät Deutschen zur Ausreise. Generalkonsulat im Osten des Landes wird vorübergehend geschlossen. Krisenstab hat heute morgen getagt dazu. Zitat: „militärische Auseinandersetzung ist nicht auszuschliessen“ pic.twitter.com/TXSF5f7tnm
— Matthias Gebauer (@gebauerspon) February 12, 2022
Updated
As tensions soar, here is a visual guide to what we know about Putin’s recent troop deployments and what his options are.
Explainer: Russia-Ukraine crisis: where are Putin’s troops and what are his options?
Updated
Earlier, we reported on the armed forces minister James Heappey’s confirmation that British troops helping with training in Ukraine will be leaving the country this weekend.
Heappey said of the UK personnel sent to train Ukrainians on the anti-tank missiles supplied by Britain:
All of them will be withdrawn. There will be no British troops in Ukraine if there is to be a conflict there.
He added to BBC Radio 4’s Today programme:
They will be leaving over the course of the weekend.
The Foreign Office issued guidance on Friday advising British citizens in Ukraine to leave while commercial means are still available, amid increasing concern of an invasion by Russia.
The US warned on Friday of the “very distinct possibility” of a Russian invasion of Ukraine in the next few days and told all remaining Americans to leave the country in the next 48 hours.
On Saturday, President Joe Biden will speak with Vladimir Putin by phone.
Before the discussion, Australia and New Zealand became the latest countries to urge their citizens to leave Ukraine as soon as possible, joining Britain, Japan, Latvia, Norway and the Netherlands. Israel said it was evacuating relatives of embassy staff.
More here: UK troops sent to help train Ukrainian army to leave country this weekend
The United States has decided to withdraw US staff at the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) from Ukraine immediately, two diplomatic sources told Reuters on Saturday, amid fears of a possible Russian invasion.
The OSCE did not respond to a Reuters request for comment.
Tensions have been mounting for weeks during a Russian military buildup near Ukraine and a surge of military activity that has fuelled fears that Russia could invade. Russia denies such plans.
The OSCE conducts operations in Ukraine including a civilian monitoring mission in the Russian-backed self-proclaimed separatist republics in the country’s east where a war that erupted in 2014 has killed more than 14,000 people.
One of the sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told Reuters the US decision to withdraw its OSCE members was effective immediately and that they expected other nations to make similar decisions soon.
Two sources told Reuters that Britain had decided to move its members of the OSCE from the rebel-held regions of Ukraine to the government-controlled area.
The United States and its allies have urged their citizens to leave Ukraine right away to avoid an invasion, including a possible air assault, warning an attack could occur at any time.
Russia has accused Western nations of spreading lies and “hysteria”. Sky News reports that foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said in a post on Telegram:
The hysteria of the White House is indicative as never before. The Anglo-Saxons need a war. At any price.
Provocations, misinformation and threats are a favourite method of solving their own problems.
The whole world is watching as militarism and imperial ambitions expose themselves.
And the propaganda team led by Bloomberg serves all this.
Britons urged to flee Ukraine as Russia could attack 'at no notice'
Britons are being urged to flee Ukraine immediately because Russia has amassed the firepower to attack “at no notice”, as diplomatic efforts to avert war continue.
Nato allies were ordering citizens to leave while fears grew that Russian president Vladimir Putin could order an invasion in the coming days.
UK nationals, thought to number in the low thousands, are being told by the Foreign Office to “leave now while commercial means are still available”.
Armed forces minister James Heappey said with the Kremlin having amassed weaponry and an estimated 130,000 troops on Ukraine’s border, Russia could attack “very, very quickly”.
Unlike when the Taliban seized Kabul, Heappey stressed that the RAF would not be carrying out evacuations in the event of war in Ukraine, which is not a Nato member.
“We are now confident that the artillery systems, the missile systems and the combat air are all in place that would allow Russia to launch - at no notice - an attack on Ukraine,” he told BBC Breakfast. He went on:
And on that basis I think it is our responsibility to share with UK citizens our view that they should leave the country immediately while commercial means are still available.
There will be a big difference between what they may have seen on their TV screens in Afghanistan over the summer and what may happen over the next week or so and that is that the Royal Air Force will not be in a position to go in and to fly people out so they need to leave now by commercial means or drive out of Ukraine into a neighbouring country.
British ambassador to Ukraine Melinda Simmons was remaining with a “core team” in Kyiv, but some embassy staff and their families were being withdrawn.
I am staying in Kyiv and continue to work there with a core team. The embassy remains operational. https://t.co/WWvIz4uIT4
— Melinda Simmons (@MelSimmonsFCDO) February 12, 2022
Heappey said it was necessary to maintain a diplomatic presence while a possibility of talking down tensions remains.
“That’s a brave thing for our diplomats to want to do, given that there will effectively be no notice now, if Putin decides to go, everything is in place for him to be launching strikes on Ukraine within minutes,” he told Times Radio, adding:
Because diplomacy needs to be given a chance it is an infinitely better outcome than what could be just the most catastrophic waste of life in the biggest war that we’ve seen in Europe since 1945.
The Foreign Office’s order was issued as intelligence and advice from experts on the ground suggested an increased threat level, with an invasion at some point deemed highly likely, the PA news agency understood.
US president Joe Biden and Putin will discuss the crisis by phone on Saturday, as the Pentagon orders an extra 3,000 troops to Poland to support allies.
The UK defence secretary Ben Wallace said an invasion could come “at any time”, while US national security adviser Jake Sullivan said an attack before the end of the Winter Olympics on 20 February is a “credible prospect”.
Western leaders have threatened Moscow with a damaging package of sanctions in the event of a further incursion into Ukrainian soil.
Heappey rejected a call from Ukrainian ambassador Vadym Prystaiko for Britain to send combat troops to Ukraine to deter an attack.
“Putin and his colleagues would very much like to be able to say is what they may do is a consequence of Western aggression in Ukraine,” he told BBC Breakfast. “So it’s very important to us, to everybody frankly involved, that we’re very clear we won’t play an active part in Ukraine.”
The UK personnel sent to train Ukrainians to use British-supplied anti-tank missiles will be “leaving over the course of the weekend”, Heappey told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme.
Polish prime minister Mateusz Morawiecki, who met Boris Johnson in Warsaw this week, urged Europe to go further in applying financial pressure on Moscow.
“Faced with a growing Russian threat, European governments have largely reacted passively. Leaders have lacked the courage or determination to cut business ties with the Kremlin,” he wrote in the Daily Telegraph. “The noose is tightening around Europe’s neck, not Moscow’s.”
Updated
US orders most embassy staff to leave Ukraine
Good morning. The United States has ordered most of its embassy staff to leave Ukraine amid rising tensions with Russia.
Writing on Twitter on Saturday, the embassy said the US State Department has ordered non-emergency US embassy staff to leave Ukraine:
Despite the reduction in diplomatic staff, the core embassy team, our dedicated Ukrainian colleagues, and @StateDept and U.S. personnel around the world will continue relentless diplomatic and assistance efforts in support of Ukraine’s security, democracy, and prosperity.
Сьогодні @StateDept наказав виїхати з посольства США в Києві дипломатам, які не займають критично важливі посади, через постійні повідомлення про нарощування російських військових на кордоні з Україною, що вказують на можливість значних військових дій.https://t.co/6IgLvEmr8s
— U.S. Embassy Kyiv (@USEmbassyKyiv) February 12, 2022
Попри скорочення дипломатичного персоналу, основна команда посольства, наші віддані українські колеги, @StateDept і персонал США по всьому світу продовжуватимуть невпинні дипломатичні зусилля й допомогу для підтримки безпеки, демократії та процвітання України.
— U.S. Embassy Kyiv (@USEmbassyKyiv) February 12, 2022
Sky News reports that as of Sunday, consular services in Kyiv will be suspended and the embassy will maintain a small consular presence in Lviv, Ukraine, to handle emergencies, according to the Department of State. Routine services including the provision of visas and passports will no longer be available.
Earlier, the Russian foreign ministry said it had decided to “optimise” its staff numbers in Ukraine. It did not specify whether that meant reducing the number of employees in Ukraine but said the embassy and consulates continued to perform their key functions. Moscow fears “provocations” by Kyiv or another party, a spokeswoman said. There are concerns that Russia evacuating its own staff could signal that it plans to attack Ukraine.
The Russian president Vladimir Putin and US president Joe Biden are due speak on the phone later today.
I will be bringing you all the latest developments on the situation in Ukraine for the next few hours. Please don’t hesitate to contact me if you have any thoughts to share:
Email: lucy.campbell@theguardian.com
Twitter: @lucy_campbell_
