Olaf Scholz meets with Putin to contribute to military de-escalation
Diplomacy continues to experience frenetic times. While the border between Ukraine and Russia continues to arm itself, diplomats continue to work against the clock to avoid an armed conflict at a time when there are tentative hopes of a possible de-escalation. Moscow has announced the return to its military bases of some of its forces deployed on the border, despite the West's continued fears of "an imminent Russian invasion".
With this withdrawal, Moscow now awaits the arrival of German Chancellor Olaf Scholz in order to continue seeking a diplomatic solution to an escalation of tension that has already become historic. These talks preceded those with Ukrainian President Volodymir Zelensky, in which it was stated that there were currently "no plans" to admit Ukraine to NATO, one of the main demands Moscow made of the Alliance as early as last December.
Despite this statement, Scholz has offered Ukraine 150 million euros in economic aid, a figure that is in addition to another 150 million euros that Berlin had already pledged to send, making it the European country that has provided the most aid to Kiev. Similarly, Germany continues to reiterate its "firm support" for Ukraine, while Zelensky insists on the need to include legal guarantees that specifically protect the country.
The Ukrainian president stresses that it is in Ukraine 'that the future European security architecture, of which our country is an integral part, will be decided'. In this way Ukraine is staging a struggle in which NATO and Russia are watching each other closely, waiting for any misstep to justify a possible attack.
From Washington, the tone of war continues to colour official speeches. US President Joe Biden contributed to this by claiming that there will be a "Russian invasion" on 16 February. A speech that comes at a time when the US is relocating its embassy operations in Kiev to Lviv as a result of a "dramatic acceleration in the build-up of Russian forces". Alongside this, Biden has already reaffirmed his support for Zelensky and insisted that the US will respond "swiftly and decisively, together with its allies and partners, to any Russian aggression against Ukraine".
US State Department spokesman Ned Price supported Biden's position, noting that "it is a distinct possibility, perhaps more real than ever, that Russia will decide to take military action. With new Russian forces continuing to arrive on its border with Ukraine and those stationed in neighbouring countries, an invasion, as we have said, could begin at any time". A statement that would no longer be in line with the withdrawal that Russia would be executing.
In addition, as The Wall Street Journal reports, the State Department has reportedly ordered the destruction of computers and communications equipment at the embassy in Ukraine and the dismantling of the building's telephone system. These events could be part of the new diplomacy that the United States has been waging for years, as US journalist Ronan Farrow points out, stating that "the United States has become a nation that first shoots and then questions things".
On the other hand, the Ukrainian president calls for calm and asks not to sow panic, because this is not a new situation for Ukrainians. In fact, Zelensky has called on the Ukrainian people to hang Ukrainian flags on their balconies on 16 February as a day of national unity. Meanwhile, the activity of the Ukrainian population continues to go on as normal in the country.
Americas Coordinator: José Antonio Sierra.