All you need to know about Ukraine-Russia crisis

Hyderabad: The Russia-Ukraine crisis entered another day that is expected to be packed with diplomatic efforts to prevent the simmering tensions from boiling over into war.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is hosting Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan for talks in Kyiv while Russian President Vladimir Putin meets his Argentinian counterpart Alberto Fernandez in Moscow.

Here are things to know about the international tensions surrounding Ukraine, which has an estimated 100,000 Russian troops massed along its borders.

Russian troop buildup in Belarus

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg voiced concerns that Russia continues to build up more troop numbers and deploying equipments along Ukraine’s borders, including in Belarus, than at any time in the last 30 years.

Russia now has more than 100,000 troops stationed near Ukraine’s northern and eastern borders, raising concern that Moscow might invade again, as it did in 2014. Russian officials deny that an invasion is planned.

Russian forces in Belarus are likely to rise to 30,000 including special forces and supported by fighter jets and missiles.

Russia has denied it is planning an attack, but is increasingly frustrated by the US and NATO’s refusal to heed its security demands.

War Games

Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu arrived in the Belarus capital, Minsk, on Thursday to monitor preparations for major Russia-Belarus war games that are expected to take place between February 10-20, 2022.

Diplomatic efforts to defuse crisis

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is visiting his Ukrainian counterpart in Kyiv, saying he wants to play his part in establishing “an atmosphere of peace and trust in our region.”
Erdogan also underscored Turkey’s support for Ukraine’s territorial integrity, calling the nation a strategic partner and neighbour. Erdogan says: “As a Black Sea nation, we invite all sides to exercise restraint and dialogue in order to bring peace to the region.”

Meanwhile, Russian President Vladimir Putin is meeting with Argentinian President Alberto Fernandez in Moscow and will speak by phone to French President Emmanuel Macron, who had a call recently with United States President Joe Biden. Macron will then speak to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

Putin’s visit to China

After his meeting with Argentinian President Alberto Fernandez, Russian President Vladimir Putin heads to Beijing to bolster Moscow’s ties with China and coordinate their policies in the face of Western pressure.

Ice hockey fan Putin will also attends opening ceremony of the Winter Olympics. His talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping here will mark their first face-to-face meeting since 2019 and will help cement a strong personal relationship that has been a key factor behind a growing partnership between the two former Communist rivals.

Yuri Ushakov, Putin’s foreign affairs adviser, said the visit would mark a new stage in the Russia-China partnership that he described as a key factor contributing to a sustainable global development and helping counter destructive activities by certain countries. Ushakov emphasised that China backs Russia in the current standoff over Ukraine.

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