‘Putin can still step back’: Russian tanks and artillery seen moving into Ukraine ‘attack positions’

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Vladimir Putin can still ‘step back’ from starting the biggest war in Europe since 1939, world leaders said on Monday – even as Russian tanks and artillery were seen massing near the border with Ukraine, and Russian troops carried out large-scale exercises in Belarus that analysts fear could be the precursor to war.

Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelensky, addressed the nation on Monday night and appealed for calm – urging his country’s 44 million people to wave flags from their houses on Tuesday in what he termed a national day of unity, and at 10am all sing the national anthem in a show of solidarity and resilience.

Zelensky’s team on Monday also tried to downplay the president’s previous suggestions that Putin had chosen Wednesday to invade, with adviser Mykhailo Podoliak saying that Zelensky was not being literal when he said that the attack would be on Wednesday.

The 44-year-old former comedian was being ironic, Podoliak said, and was referring to media reports that said Wednesday had been chosen by Moscow.

Zelensky said he was ‘told’ that Wednesday would be the day of the attack as he announced the national day of unity.

He also pledged to increase funding of military service personnel, accelerate the development of defenses and create an information system to apprise citizens of the security situation.

Yet while Zelensky tried to reassure his nervy country, world leaders were frantically engaged in last-minute diplomacy, in a bid to stave off conflict.

Boris Johnson, Britain’s prime minister, said Europe is ‘on the edge of a precipice’ — but added, ‘there is still time for President Putin to step back.’

France’s foreign minister, Jean-Yves Le Drian, told French television that ‘all elements’ were in place for a strong Russian offensive, but ‘nothing shows today’ that Putin has decided to launch one.

Germany’s chancellor, Olaf Scholz, was in Kiev on Monday – and flies to Moscow to meet Putin on Tuesday – and said that the Russian leader should not underestimate the resolve of Ukraine’s allies.

‘If Russia violates the territorial integrity of Ukraine again, we know what to do,’ Scholz said.

‘In the event of military escalation, we are ready for very far-reaching and effective sanctions in coordination with our allies.’

He said there are ‘no sensible reasons’ for the buildup of more than 130,000 Russian troops on Ukraine’s borders to the north, south and east, and he urged more dialogue.

In Moscow, Putin and his foreign minister, Sergey Lavrov, held a meeting for the cameras at which Lavrov appealed for more time for diplomacy.

The talks ‘can’t go on indefinitely, but I would suggest to continue and expand them at this stage,’ Lavrov said.

He noted that Washington has offered to conduct dialogue on limits for missile deployments in Europe, restrictions on military drills and other confidence-building measures.

Lavrov said possibilities for talks ‘are far from being exhausted.’

‘I would propose continuing and intensifying them,’ he said.

Putin responded: ‘Good.’

Lavrov then, front of the cameras, told Putin he had directed his diplomats to demand ‘security guarantees’ from the West, such as a legally binding pledge that Ukraine will never join the NATO alliance.

‘Our initiative shook up our Western colleagues and became the reason they have no longer been able to ignore many of our previous appeals,’ Lavrov told the Russian leader.

Lavrov also said that Russia had prepared a 10-page response in its written back-and-forth with NATO and the United States over the Kremlin’s security demands.

The United States reacted coolly to Lavrov and Putin’s show.

‘The path for diplomacy remains available if Russia chooses to engage constructively,’ said Karine Jean-Pierre, the White House principal deputy press secretary.

‘However, we are clear-eyed about the prospects of that, given the steps Russia is taking on the ground in plain sight.’

U.S. officials said the Russian military continued apparent attack preparations along Ukraine’s borders.

A U.S. defense official said small numbers of Russian ground units have been moving out of larger assembly areas for several days, taking up positions closer to the Ukrainian border at what would be departure points if Putin launched an invasion.

Satellite images taken over the last 48 hours show increased Russian military activity in Belarus, Crimea and western Russia, including the arrival of helicopters, ground-attack aircraft and fighter-bomber jets at forward locations.

The photos also show ground forces leaving their garrisons and combat units moving into convoy formation, according to Maxar Technologies, a commercial satellite imagery company that has been monitoring the Russian buildup.

U.S. troops, meanwhile, flew from Fort Bragg in North Carolina to the region. 

Earlier this month, President Joe Biden formally approved the deployment of 3,000 US troops to Poland, Germany and Romania, to reassure U.S. allies.

Pentagon press secretary John Kirby said the deployments included roughly 2,000 troops that would deploy from the United States to Poland and Germany.

In addition, approximately 1,000 troops currently based in Germany were moving to Romania.

Kirby said the moves were not permanent and emphasized: ‘These forces are not going to fight in Ukraine.’

The Biden administration said Saturday that it was pulling 160 Florida National Guard members from Ukraine, where they have been advising the Ukrainian military since November, ‘out of an abundance of caution.’

Kirby said Monday that ‘we have said for a while now that military action now could happen any day.’

‘It is entirely possible that he could move with little to no warning,’ Kirby said of Russian President Vladimir Putin.

‘It certainly could happen before the end of the Olympics – maybe even this week,’ he said.

Biden has repeatedly stressed that U.S. troops will not be engaged in combat in Ukraine.

In an hour-long call with the Russian president on Saturday, Biden said the United States and its allies would ‘respond decisively’ to a Russian invasion of Ukraine. On Sunday, Biden spoke to Zelensky and stressed the United States’ commitment to Ukraine.

Biden told Zelensky that the U.S. would respond aggressively to any attack, the White House said, through sanctions and other measures to level a high cost for Russia.

Zelensky asked Biden to visit Ukraine, but U.S. officials said a trip is ‘highly unlikely.’

Ukrainian security and defense council chief Oleksiy Danilov downplayed the threat of invasion but warned of the risk of ‘internal destabilization’ by unspecified forces.

‘Today we do not see that a large-scale offensive by the Russian Federation can take place either on (Feb.) 16th or the 17th,’ he told reporters after meeting lawmakers.

‘We are aware of the risks that exist in the territory of our country. But the situation is absolutely under control.’

The race to Kiev: Plans presented by Kremlin military chiefs show how 130,000 Russian forces will bid to topple Ukraine government in ‘multi-axis’ invasion from Belarus and Crimea

Russian troops will set off on a ‘race to Kiev’ to topple the Ukrainian government, according to plans presented by Kremlin military chiefs.

Tens of thousands of Putin’s soldiers will push south into Ukraine to target the capital and install a pro-Russian regime, Western officials fear.

There will also be a ‘multi-axis’ invasion by Russian forces. Troops will enter the country from Belarus and Crimea before converging in eastern Ukraine.

Their mission will be to align themselves to prevent Ukrainian forces in the east of the country heading back to defend Kiev.

With speed of movement being critical to Russia’s strategy, lighter vehicles and weapons systems have apparently been selected for the ground offensive.

More Russian troops, possibly an extra 20,000, are being added to the invasion force which is currently 130,000-strong.

A source said: ‘The build-up of soldiers and equipment is unprecedented and very alarming. This is a force built for the purpose of an invasion. It is estimated a further 14 Russian brigades are heading for the Ukrainian border.

‘The logistics are also in place, the medical back-up as well as air and naval assets. We have seen the build-up of Russian vessels in the Atlantic, the Black Sea and the Mediterranean. Holidays have also been cancelled for many Russian units.

‘In total you are looking at 60 per cent of Russia’s overall combat power being engaged in this operation.

‘The land threat has also been made more potent by the disposition of their attacking forces. Russia has basically traded mass for speed knowing they must get to Kiev as quickly as possible.

‘They must also rapidly get other units to eastern Ukraine to form a barrier stopping Ukrainian units pushing back west to save the capital city.’

According to sources, detailed invasion plans will be presented imminently to President Putin, who has still yet to make a final decision on the invasion. 

Putin is expected to meet his defence minister Sergey Shoygu and the head of Russia’s secret services Alexander Bortnikov before committing to war.

That’s because the UK, the US and the EU will launch a blitzkrieg on Russia’s banking system and financial services industry if Russia invades. 

Kiev is lightly defended because most Ukrainian troops have been stationed in the east fighting Russian separatists since 2014.

The Ukrainian capital is only 150 miles via the E95 highway from Belarus’s southern border – a journey Russian tanks could make in six hours.

A source added: ‘Once they get to Kiev the Russians are reluctant to send their troops into situations where they could be fighting street by street. Such a close quarter battle would likely lead to heavy casualties, both military and civilian. The Russians don’t want to get bogged down.

‘They’re hoping for a ‘bloodless coup’, to oust the democratically elected government and put their people in without much of a struggle.

‘They are probably underestimating the willingness of the Ukrainians to fight for their country, they are not just going to roll over. So it could get very bloody.’

While the state-controlled media claims the crisis is Nato’s fault, there is little or no appetite within Russia for conflict with their neighbour.

‘Russians see Ukrainians as being like themselves, many Russians also have Ukrainian relatives. There is little opposition to a possible war because of the Kremlin’s control of the media.

‘This could change quickly if a lot of people are killed,’ a source said. ‘An actual invasion would also prove expensive for Russia financially and politically as it would suffer heavy economic sanctions and become a pariah state.’