Winnipeg Free Press

Winnipeg Free Press (Newspaper) - February 15, 2022, Winnipeg, Manitoba ● WINNIPEGFREEPRESS.COMA8 TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 2022 C M Y K PAGE A8 NEWS I WORLD A DAILY DOSE OF FUN: CROSSWORDS, SUDOKUS, HOROSCOPES & MISS LONELYHEARTS, ALL IN ONE EMAIL. P U Z Z L E S & other Diversions TO GET THISWEEKLY NEWSLETTER SENT STRAIGHT TOYOUR INBOX, sign up at winnipegfreepress.com/email Kremlin sees a diplomatic path onUkraine M OSCOW — The Kremlin sig-nalled Monday it is ready tokeep talkingwith theWest about security grievances that led to the cur- rent Ukraine crisis, offering hope that Russiamight not invade its beleaguered neighbour within days as the U.S. and European allies increasingly fear. Questions remain about Russian President Vladimir Putin’s intentions, however. And countries are evacuating diplomats and on alert for possible im- minent war amid the worst East-West tensions since the Cold War. On a last-ditch diplomatic trip, Ger- many’s chancellor said there are “no sensible reasons” for the buildup of more than 130,000 Russian troops on Ukraine’s borders to the north, south and east, and he urged more dialogue. Britain’s prime minister said Europe is “on the edge of a precipice” — but added, “there is still time for Presi- dent Putin to step back.” France’s for- eign minister, Jean-Yves Le Drian, told French television that “all elements” were in place for a strong Russian of- fensive, but “nothing shows today” that Putin has decided to launch one. Despite warnings from Washington, London and elsewhere that Russian troops could move on Ukraine as soon as Wednesday, Monday’s meeting be- tween Putin and Foreign Minister Ser- gey Lavrov suggested otherwise. At the session with Putin, Lavrov argued that Moscow should hold more talks with the U.S. and its allies despite their refusal to consider Russia’s main security demands. Moscow,which denies it has any plans to invade Ukraine, wantsWestern guar- antees that NATO won’t allow Ukraine and other former Soviet countries to join as members. It also wants the al- liance to halt weapons deployments to Ukraine and roll back its forces from eastern Europe — demands flatly re- jected by the West. The talks “can’t go on indefinitely, but I would suggest to continue and ex- pand them at this stage,” Lavrov said, noting that Washington has offered to conduct dialogue on limits for missile deployments in Europe, restrictions on military drills and other confidence- building measures. Lavrov said pos- sibilities for talks “are far from being exhausted.” His comments, at an appearance or- chestrated for TV cameras, seemed de- signed to send a message to the world about Putin’s own position: namely, that hopes for a diplomatic solution aren’t yet dead. Putin noted theWest could try to draw Russia into “endless talks” and ques- tioned whether there is still a chance to reach agreement. Lavrov replied that his ministry wouldn’t allow the U.S. and its allies to stonewall Russia’s main re- quests. The U.S. reacted coolly to Lavrov’s comments. “The path for diplomacy remains available if Russia chooses to engage constructively,” White House principal deputy press secretary Karine Jean- Pierre said. “However, we are clear- eyed about the prospects of that, given the steps Russia is taking on the ground in plain sight.” U.S. officials said the Russian mil- itary continued apparent attack prepar- ations along Ukraine’s borders. A U.S. defence official said small numbers of Russian ground units have been mov- ing out of larger assembly areas for several days, taking up positions closer to the Ukrainian border at what would be departure points if Putin launched an invasion. The official spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss information not publicly released. CBS News was first to report on the movement of the units. Satellite images taken over the last 48 hours show increased Russian military activity in Belarus, Crimea andwestern Russia, including the arrival of helicop- ters, ground-attack aircraft and fighter- bomber jets at forward locations. The photos also show ground forces leaving their garrisons and combat units mov- ing into convoy formation, according to Maxar Technologies, a commercial sat- ellite imagery company that has been monitoring the Russian buildup. Ukrainian security and defence coun- cil chief Oleksiy Danilov downplayed the threat of invasion but warned of the risk of “internal destabilization” by un- specified forces. “Today we do not see that a large- scale offensive by the Russian Federa- tion can take place either on (Feb.) 16 or the 17th,” he told reporters after meet- ing lawmakers. “We are aware of the risks that exist in the territory of our country. But the situation is absolutely under control.” As if to show defiance, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Wednesday would be a “day of national unity,” calling on the country to display the blue-and-yellow flags and sing the national anthem in the face of “hybrid threats.” “Our country today is as strong as ever. It is not the first threat the strong Ukrainian people have faced,” Zel- enskyy said Monday evening in a video address to the nation. “We’re calm. We’re strong. We’re together. A great nation in a great country.” The country is preparing nonethe- less. Kyiv residents received letters from the mayor urging them “to defend your city,” and signs appeared in apart- ment buildings indicating the nearest bomb shelter. The mayor says the cap- ital has about 4,500 such sites, including underground parking garages, subway stations and basements. Dr. Tamara Ugrich said she stocked up on grains and canned food, and pre- pared an emergency suitcase. “I don’t believe in war, but on TV the tension is growing every day and it’s getting harder and harder to keep calm. The more we are told not to panic, the more nervous people become,” she said. Others heeded the advice ofUkraine’s leaders not to panic. Street music flood- ed central Maidan Square on Sunday night and crowds danced. “I feel calm. You should always be ready for every- thing, and then you will have nothing to be afraid of,” said Alona Buznitskaya, a model. During what could be a crucial week for Europe’s security, German Chancel- lor Olaf Scholz visited Ukraine on Mon- day before heading to Moscow for talks with Putin on a high-stakes diplomatic foray. After meeting Zelenskyy, Scholz urged Russia to show signs of de-es- calation, and reiterated unspecified threats to Russia’s financial standing if it invades. “There are no sensible reasons for such a military deployment,” Scholz said. U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres held talks with Lavrov and Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba and said in a statement that “abandoning diplomacy for confronta- tion is not a step over a line, it is a dive over a cliff.” U.S. President Joe Biden on Monday spoke by phone with British Prime Minister Boris Johnson. According to a Downing Street statement, the two “agreed there remained a crucial win- dow for diplomacy and forRussia to step back from its threats towards Ukraine.” —The Associated Press VLADIMIR ISACHENKOV AND YURAS KARMANAU VADIM GHIRDA / THE ASSOCIATED PRESS A Ukrainian serviceman walks by a cross in memory of a soldier killed near that spot in 2018, on a frontline position outside Popasna, Luhansk region, eastern Ukraine, Monday. A_08_Feb-15-22_FP_01.indd 8 2022-02-14 9:16 PM ;