The leaders of Russia and Ukraine do not agree on much.
Curiously, however, Volodymyr Zelensky unwittingly confirmed Vladimir Putin. In an attempt to save his faltering economy, he asked the West to move away from bellicose rhetoric. On several occasions, the Russian president has accused NATO and the European Union of adding fuel to the fire with their respective interventions. The Ukrainian president asked Russia "to take steps to demonstrate its intentions not to attack the country" and said he was willing to meet with Vladimir Putin. The latter, in a telephone conversation with his French counterpart, expressed disappointment that "the West failed to consider Russia's basic conditions to stop further NATO expansion." Emmanuel Macron also spoke with Volodymyr Zelensky, who told him that "intensive consultations have reduced the risk of an escalation of the crisis between his country and Russia."
The fact remains, however, that Washington and Moscow find no point of contact at a time when more than 100,000 Russian troops are massing on Ukraine's borders. Surprisingly, in addition to the build-up of Russian troops, there are reports that blood bottles and medical equipment are being transported. US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin has commented that Moscow now has the operational capability to attack Ukraine. "I will be sending American troops to Eastern Europe and NATO countries soon. Not large numbers," the U.S. president in turn told reporters as he disembarked from the aircraft.
Amid this military readiness, Russia's discussions with NATO are frustrating. The Kremlin is getting no response to its demands, which include ending NATO's military cooperation with the former Soviet republics, not establishing bases on their territory and, most importantly, not expanding NATO eastwards.
The question remains: how far are the protagonists of this geopolitical drama willing to go? For his part, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said that Moscow does not want a war with Ukraine, and seemed to foster hopes for dialogue and especially security proposals received from the United States. The US threatened that, among other things, if Russia invades Ukraine, the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline will never be put into operation. They also called for a UN Security Council meeting on "the threat to world peace and security posed by the build-up of Russian troops on Ukraine's borders". Interestingly, however, a new poll shows Americans divided as to whether or not their country should protect Ukraine from Russian aggression.
Everyone, however, agrees that if Russia were to invade or provoke Ukraine in some way, it would be in mid-February. Besides, President Joe Biden also referred to the possibility of an invasion of Ukraine in February, a date already mentioned by US intelligence.
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