Russia-Ukraine Standoff: Putin Breaks The Silence, Leaves The West Guessing

News Times Link: Russian President Vladimir Putin broke a month of public silence over the confrontation between Moscow and the West over Ukraine and still left the world wondering about his next move. For weeks, US and European allies have been warning that a Russian invasion is imminent, warning that it will support Ukraine, seek a diplomatic breakthrough and have serious implications for the Kremlin.
But even with Russia putting more than 100,000 troops on the doorsteps of neighboring countries, Putin’s intentions remain scrutinized and little clear. Is he planning an attack on Ukraine, a former Soviet country far away from Moscow? Or will it use military force to win concessions from Washington and its allies?
On Wednesday, President Joe Biden approved the deployment of U.S. forces in Eastern Europe as new satellite imagery shows a concentration of Russian troops on the Ukrainian border.
Putin’s first public comments on the crisis since December nevertheless showed Moscow remains open to diplomacy.
On Tuesday, Putin adopted a defiant tone, accusing the US and NATO of ignoring Moscow’s core demands, as well as using Ukraine as a “tool” in efforts to deter Russia and bring it into war.
He also warned of a future scenario in which Ukraine attempts to retake Crimea annexed by Russia in 2014 after joining NATO.
Washington rejected the criticism.
Zelenskiy previously tried to ignore fears of a Russian invasion, despite Kiev’s allies sounding the alarm, but took a firmer voice in an assessment of the situation on Tuesday.
He warned of possible new invasions, saying “it will not be a war between Ukraine and Russia, but a war in Europe”.
New satellite imagery released by US space technology company Maxar Technologies on Wednesday shows Russian troops stationed in Crimea as well as western Russia and Belarus, a nearby Kremlin ally that borders Ukraine and Poland.
The Kremlin has repeatedly denied plans to attack, but issued a series of drastic security calls last month, and the United States and NATO are awaiting verdicts on a response.
Prior to Putin’s speech, a senior State Department official said the United States was “interesting” about how Putin would react to the confrontation.
Psaki added that it is ultimately unknown what Putin will do later, but Biden is open to more direct dialogue with him.
Putin was not impressed by the West’s response to Russia’s demands, but said Russia is open to further diplomatic dialogue, adding that he hopes for a possible solution that takes into account the concerns of both sides.
The security requirements require NATO to never occupy Ukraine and other former Soviet countries, deploy offensive weapons near Russia, and reduce deployments to Eastern Europe. All of this is part of Putin’s conviction that growing Western influence on Russian borders poses existential risks to his country.
The US and NATO largely rejected the request, but sent written responses to Russia’s proposal last week.
Russia has yet to give an official response, but Putin’s comments were the first glimpse of Moscow’s next move.

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