On the one hand, President Vladimir Putin, who defines NATO's eastward expansion as "very dangerous". On the other, the EU sources who argue that the invasion of Ukraine could be a "bluff" that is far from imminent. In the middle, the Russian Foreign Minister Serghei Lavrov who speaks of "the possibility of an agreement with the West".
In these hours, the alert of a Russian attack in Ukraine seems to be dying even if the Kremlin leader says that "the expansion of NATO eastward is infinite and very dangerous" in a meeting with Foreign Minister Serghei Lavrov on the counter-responses to be given. to the US and the Atlantic Alliance regarding the security guarantees requested by Moscow Putin said that this expansion comes "at the expense of the former Soviet republics, including Ukraine".
For Lavrov, however, at the moment there are "chances" of reaching an agreement with the West on Ukraine. "As foreign minister I must say that there is always a possibility" of "solving the problems that must be solved", Lavrov said during the meeting between the two broadcast on TV, adding that the opportunities for dialogue "are not exhausted ".
THE DEPLOYMENT - Meanwhile, as reported by Defense Minister Serghei Shoigu, "a part of the exercises of the Russian armed forces is ending, another will be completed in the near future".
Russian troops along the borders of Ukraine, including those in Belarus and in the occupied territories of eastern Ukraine and Crimea, count "87 battle groups, about 147,000 military personnel, including air and naval personnel", is the estimate of the Center for Ukrainian Defense Strategies, reported by the Kyiv Independent.
"These troops are equipped with the appropriate weapons and vehicles, as well as logistical and medical support units. However, so far there are no signals that they have the additional reinforcements necessary for a large-scale offensive," adds the expert analysis.
The EU - In the meantime, work in the European chancelleries is in full swing: tomorrow Foreign Minister Luigi Di Maio will fly to Kiev for a diplomatic mission.
On the hypothesis of an imminent attack by Russia on Ukraine, already Wednesday, according to intelligence updates, "we see that there are no signs of de-escalation. But we do not know if the decision has already been taken by Russia or if Moscow he's bluffing. " This is what a senior EU official underlined, explaining that the Union "must remain fully committed to pursuing the diplomatic effort even though we know it is difficult". With regard to Ukraine, the EU has "political and financial support. Kiev is asking us to take further decisions in the macro-economic sector," he explained.
On the issue there should be an ad hoc session of European leaders on the sidelines of this week's summit between the EU and the African Union, explains the senior official in Brussels, stressing that the convening of the session "before, after or even virtually" by EU leaders will also depend from the consequences of the diplomatic mission of the German Chancellor Olaf Scholz in Kiev and Moscow. The senior official also explained that there is the hypothesis of an extraordinary "probably virtual" summit of the leaders of the G7. "There is interest from some countries but the decision rests with Berlin", the current president.
(Unioneonline / D)