Muristek
Moscow, February 13
Some airlines have cancelled or diverted flights to Ukraine amid heightened fears that an invasion by Russia is imminent despite intensive weekend talks between the Kremlin and the West.
In an hour-long Saturday call with Russian President Vladimir Putin, President Joe Biden said invading Ukraine would cause "widespread human suffering" and that the West was committed to diplomacy to end the crisis but "equally prepared for other scenarios," the White House said. It offered no suggestion that the call diminished the threat of an imminent war in Europe.
The two Presidents spoke a day after Biden's national security adviser, Jake Sullivan, warned that US intelligence shows a Russian invasion could begin within days.
Russia denies it intends to invade, but has massed well over 1,00,000 troops near the Ukrainian border and has sent troops to exercises in neighbouring Belarus. US officials say Russia's buildup of firepower has reached the point where it could invade on short notice.
Dutch airline KLM has cancelled flights to Ukraine until further notice, the company said on Saturday.
Dutch sensitivity to potential danger in Ukrainian airspace is high in the wake of the 2014 shooting down of a Malaysian airliner over an area of eastern Ukraine held by Russia-backed rebels. All 298 people aboard died, including 198 Dutch citizens.
The Ukrainian charter airline SkyUp said on Sunday that its flight from Madeira, Portugal, to Kyiv was diverted to the Moldovan capital Chisinau after the plane's Irish lessor said it was banning flights in Ukrainian airspace.
Meanwhile, Ukraine on Sunday received a consignment of Stinger anti-aircraft missile systems and ammunition by plane from Lithuania, the Defense Ministry in Kyiv said.
Earlier on Sunday, two other planes delivered about 180 tonnes of ammunition from the United States, Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov said. — Agencies
Germany warns Russia of sanctions
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz on Sunday warned Russia of sanctions and 'hard reactions' if it attacks Ukraine, maintaining a tough tone ahead of a meeting with Russian President Putin Scholz travels to Kyiv on Monday to meet Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy and to Moscow on Tuesday to meet Putin as part of diplomatic efforts to ease tensions. Reuters