The summit is said to have been proposed by French President Emmanuel Macron after he called Russian President Vladimir Putin twice yesterday. On the same day, he spoke by phone with US President Joe Biden and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zhelensky. All the talk was about the growing tensions around Ukraine.
No date selected yet
The Biden-Putin meeting will be chaired by US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken and his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov during the February 24 meeting.
The French government and the White House insist that the undecided summit will take place only if Russia does not occupy Ukraine in the preceding period.
Vic from the spice barrel
According to reporter Geron Ackermans, this meeting is good news because it saves time. “This extra time is very necessary to avoid a war that could start at any time,” Ackermans said from the Ukrainian capital, Kiev.
Ackermans says we are not yet at the meeting between Putin and Piton. “It takes a lot more to get the fuse out of the powder cake because every incident causes an increase,” he explains. It is also questionable whether Ukraine can join in this conversation.
The summit should reduce the growing tension. “All indications are that Russia is preparing for a full-scale offensive against Ukraine,” NATO leader Jens Stoltenberg told German broadcaster ARD yesterday.
‘We have already decided to attack’
Even the US media reported that “Russia has already decided to invade Ukraine.” It appears from credible information from US intelligence that, among other things, writes, The New York Times⁇
“Between 40 and 50 percent of the more than 150,000 Russian troops on the Ukrainian border have now moved into the war zone and will be able to launch an offensive in a few days,” the newspaper said.
Satellite images of the American company Maxar show the formation of new military units and troops 15 kilometers from the Ukrainian border. In addition, it was announced yesterday that Russian troops will be in Belarus longer than previously mentioned for military exercises in Ukraine’s neighbor.
The U.S. government has said that even if Russia still chooses war, the United States is still ready to take swift and drastic action. Europe also announced severe sanctions yesterday if Russia invades its neighbor.
Barriers? ‘Important step’
Ursula von der Leyen, head of the European Commission, said Russia would then be cut off from international financial markets. In addition, the country will be denied access to essential commodities from Europe.
“The move towards sanctions is huge and drastic, and we must always give Russia the opportunity to return to the diplomatic and negotiating table first,” said Van der Leyen. “That opportunity still exists.”