US reiterates Russian invasion of Ukraine “any time”

AFP– The United States reiterated on Sunday that Russia could invade Ukraine “at any time” after the failure of the latest diplomatic efforts, a situation that Germany described as “critical” and that it wants to improve with two trips by its head of government to Kiev and Moscow.

United States President Joe Biden, spoke on Sunday with his Ukrainian counterpart, Volodimir Zelensky, and both agreed to insist on “diplomacy and deterrence” before Moscow.

On the same day, Germany, which in recent weeks has been criticized by Ukraine and several Western partners for being too accommodating to Moscow, hardened its position.

On the day of his re-election, the head of state, Frank-Walter Steinmeier, considered that Moscow was “responsible” for the risk of a war in Eastern Europe.

And Foreign Minister Olaf Scholz, who will travel to Kiev on Monday and Moscow on Tuesday, considered that the situation is “critical” and “very dangerous.”

And he warned that sanctions by Western countries against Russia would take effect “immediately” in the event of a military incursion.

Russia doesn’t”give a shit” about the possible sanctions, the Russian ambassador to Sweden, veteran diplomat Viktor Tatarintsev, reacted to the Swedish daily Aftonbladet.

The context continues to be one of extreme tension, with more than 100,000 Russian soldiers deployed on the Ukrainian border and in the midst of military maneuvers in the Black Sea and Belarus.

Washington again insisted on Sunday that the Russians could attack Ukraine “at any time,” Pentagon spokesman John Kirby told Fox.

On Saturday, President Biden had a phone conversation with Vladimir Putin, but it gave him “no reason for optimism.”

The situation has reached a “critical” point, estimated an anonymous source from the German government.

But, despite everything, Germany continues to refuse to deliver “lethal” weapons to Ukraine, using as a justification a policy established after the Second World War in the country, which prohibits such sales in conflict zones.

Ukraine airspace
Despite the tense atmosphere, Ukraine pledged on Sunday to keep its airspace open.

“Ukrainian airspace remains open and the state is working to prevent risks to airlines,” the Infrastructure Ministry said in a statement posted on Facebook.

On Saturday, the Dutch airline KLM announced that it was suspending all its flights in Ukrainian airspace until further notice. A scheduled connection on Saturday night was canceled.

KLM has not flown over eastern Ukraine since the plane covering flight MH17 between Amsterdam and Kuala Lumpur was shot down in that region in July 2014, a tragedy that killed more than 250 people