Ukraine is on the fire of pretexts, maneuvers and sanctions

On the fire of Russia’s “pretexts”, its missile and nuclear forces’ maneuvers, and the Western threat of sanctions against Moscow, Ukraine is waiting for the next step of Russian President Vladimir Putin, at a time when Washington confirmed that the Russian forces massed near the Ukrainian border are advancing and “preparing to attack.”

US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said Russian forces were beginning to “get closer” to the border with their ex-Soviet neighbour. “We hope that he (Putin) will retreat from the brink of war,” Austin was quoted by Reuters as saying in Lithuania.

Yesterday, there were indications that Russia had entered the stage of “pretexts” to attack Ukraine, as it announced the fall of two missiles on the Russian side of the border with Ukraine, while Putin spoke of “genocide” in the separatist areas in eastern Ukraine, where the separatists announced a general military mobilization. The Ukrainian military accused Russia of faking the pictures of the missiles to make it clear that they were Ukrainian.

In addition, the Kremlin announced that Russia had successfully test-fired hypersonic missiles and cruise missiles at sea on land targets during its military exercises yesterday, which Putin witnessed with Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko via screens inside what the Kremlin called an “operations center.”

Washington responded to Moscow’s recent moves by warning of a united Western response. US Vice President Kamala Harris told the Munich Security Conference yesterday that Russia must prepare for a “united Western response” and “severe and rapid” consequences.

In addition, while France and Germany yesterday asked their nationals to leave Ukraine, French President Emmanuel Macron is speaking by phone today with his Russian counterpart, in a new attempt after his meeting last week with the Russian President in the Kremlin to “avoid the worst” in the crisis between Moscow and Kiev, according to what he said. Announced the Elysee.