- Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says Russian President Vladimir Putin had not replied to his invitation to hold talks
- Kremlin says Ukraine separatists have asked Moscow for “help” against Kyiv.
- Ukraine imposes a nationwide state of emergency amid fears of Russian invasion.
- White House says it is in touch with Ukrainian authorities over their cyber security needs in wake of reports of a fresh cyber attack against the country.
- UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres tells the General Assembly the world is “facing a moment of peril” over the Ukraine-Russia crisis.
- European Union sanctions against Russia take effect.
Here are the latest updates:
Blinken believes Russia will invade Ukraine before night is out
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has told NBC News that he expected Russia to invade Ukraine before the night was over but still sees a chance to “avert a major aggression”.
“Everything seems to be in place for Russia to engage in a major aggression against Ukraine,” Blinken told NBC in an interview, adding he could not be precise about time or place.
G7 leaders to hold virtual meeting on Thursday
The Group of Seven (G7) world leaders will hold a virtual meeting on Thursday to discuss the crisis in Ukraine, the White House has said.
UNSC to meet Wednesday night on Ukraine, diplomats say
The United Nations Security Council will convene for its second emergency session in three days over the crisis, “due to military developments” on the ground, diplomatic sources have said.
The meeting, which was requested by Kyiv, is scheduled for 9:30 pm (02:30 GMT Thursday), the sources said.
EU sanctions Russian defence minister, military chiefs
The European Union has imposed sanctions on Russia’s defence minister Sergei Shoigu and military chiefs as part of a package of measures over the Kremlin’s recognition of two separatist Ukrainian regions as independent.
The 27-nation bloc slapped asset freezes and visa bans on high-ranking figures including the commanders of Russia’s army, navy and air force, the Kremlin’s chief of staff, the head of state-run television channel RT and the foreign ministry’s spokeswoman, according to the EU’s official journal.
France’s Macron reiterates support for Ukraine’s sovereignty
French President Emmanuel Macron reiterated his support for Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity after a call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the Elysee Palace has said.
“[Macron] also praised the Ukrainian President’s composure in the current situation,” the French presidency said in a statement.
Support that the European Union can provide to Ukraine will be on the agenda of the meeting of the European Council on Thursday, the Elysee Palace added.
Ukraine president says nearly 200,000 Russian troops on border
Zelenskyy has said that Russia had massed nearly 200,000 troops on Ukraine’s borders.
On the Ukrainian border “nearly 200,000 soldiers are stationed, [as are] thousands of combat vehicles,” he said, adding that a “major war in Europe” could be started by Russia soon.
Zelenskyy says Russia has approved an offensive against Ukraine
Zelenskyy has said Russia had approved an offensive against Ukraine and said Russian President Vladimir Putin had not replied to his invitation to hold talks.
“I initiated a telephone call with the president of the Russian federation. Result: silence,” he said.
“The people of Ukraine and the government of Ukraine want peace. But if we come under attack that threaten our freedom and lives of our people we will fight back.”
Zelenskyy made the remarks in a 10-minute address posted on Telegram during which he spoke in both Ukrainian and Russian.
Australia flags potential cyberattacks after Russia sanctions
Australia must prepare itself for likely cyberattacks from Russia, Prime Minister Scott Morrison has said, a day after joining Western allies in imposing sanctions on Moscow.
“Cyber attacks are a real threat, and they’re a present threat and that is the most likely response from Russia in terms of what we’ve done,” Morrison told Channel Nine when asked if he expected any retaliation from Russia over sanctions.
He urged Australian businesses to bolster their cyber defence. They may not get hit directly but there could be “collateral cyber impacts” from computer viruses when deployed that can “take on a course of their own,” he said.
France urges citizens to leave Ukraine ‘without delay’
France has become the latest Western nation to call on its citizens to leave Ukraine “without delay”.
“In the context of serious tensions caused by the concentration of Russian troops on Ukraine’s borders” as well as Russia’s recognition of two separatist regions and Ukraine’s imposition of a state of emergency, “French citizens finding themselves in Ukraine should leave the country without delay,” France’s foreign ministry said in a statement.
Ukraine requests urgent UN Security Council meeting
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba has said he demanded an urgent meeting of the UN Security Council regarding the latest appeal of Russian-backed separatists to Russia for military assistance.
“Ukraine has requested an urgent meeting of the UN Security Council due to the appeal by Russian occupation administrations in Donetsk and Luhansk to Russia with a request to provide them with military assistance, which is a further escalation of the security situation,” Kuleba said on Twitter.
Ukraine has requested an urgent meeting of the UN Security Council due to the appeal by Russian occupation administrations in Donetsk and Luhansk to Russia with a request to provide them with military assistance, which is a further escalation of the security situation.
— Dmytro Kuleba (@DmytroKuleba) February 23, 2022
Images show new deployments in western Russia near Ukraine border
Satellite imagery showed a number of new deployments in western Russia, many of them within 16km (10 miles) of the border with Ukraine and less than 80km (50 miles) from the Ukrainian city of Kharkiv, a private US company has said.
The images showed field deployment, military convoys, artillery and armored personnel carriers with support equipment and troops. The images released by Maxar Technologies, which has been tracking the buildup of Russian forces for weeks, could not be independently verified.
Putin ‘tightening the screws on Ukraine’: Correspondent
Al Jazeera’s Bernard Smith, reporting from Moscow, says Putin is “continuing to tighten the screws on Ukraine”.
“He [Putin] says the two states that they have now recognised [the self-proclaimed Donetsk and Luhansk People’s Republics] are being recognised on embassy levels and Russia says it is also evacuating its diplomatic staff from Ukraine to protect their lives,” Smith said.
“Putin has also praised the battle readiness of Russian troops,” he added.
White House says it is in contact with Ukraine over cyber needs
US President Joe Biden’s administration is in touch with Ukrainian authorities over their cyber security needs, Jen Psaki said.
The websites of Ukraine’s government, foreign ministry and state security service were down on Wednesday in what the government said was the start of another massive denial of service attack.
“We are in conversations with Ukraine regarding their cyber-related needs including as recently as today and we’re going to move with urgency to assess the nature and extent of this, what steps need to be taken, and therefore a response,” the White House spokesperson said.
Kremlin says Ukraine rebels have asked Russia for ‘help’ against Kyiv
The Kremlin has said the heads of east Ukraine’s rebel republics have asked Russian President Vladimir Putin for “help” to “repel aggression” from the Ukrainian army.
In a statement carried by Russian state news agencies, Putin’s spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the separatist republics “ask the president of Russia for help in repelling the aggression of the armed forces in Ukraine”.
White House says Putin is adapting, improvising after sanctions
Putin is improvising and having to adapt his Ukraine strategy following sanctions imposed by the West this week, White House spokesperson Jen Psaki has said.
Hello, I’m Farah Najjar and welcome to Al Jazeera’s continuing coverage of the Ukraine-Russia crisis.
Read all the updates from Tuesday, February 23, here.
Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says Russian President Vladimir Putin had not replied to his invitation to hold talks Kremlin says Ukraine separatists have asked Moscow for “help” against Kyiv. Ukraine imposes a nationwide state of emergency amid fears of Russian invasion. White House says it is in touch with Ukrainian authorities over their cyber security needs in wake of reports of a fresh cyber attack against the country. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres tells the General Assembly the world is “facing a moment of peril” over the Ukraine-Russia crisis. European Union sanctions against Russia take effect. Here are the latest updates: 10 mins ago (00:46 GMT) Blinken believes Russia will invade Ukraine before night is out US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has told NBC News that he expected Russia to invade Ukraine before the night was over but still sees a chance to “avert a major aggression”. “Everything seems to be in place for Russia to engage in a major aggression against Ukraine,” Blinken told NBC in an interview, adding he could not be precise about time or place. 36 mins ago (00:20 GMT) G7 leaders to hold virtual meeting on Thursday The Group of Seven (G7) world leaders will hold a virtual meeting on Thursday to discuss the crisis in Ukraine, the White House has said. 52 mins ago (00:04 GMT) UNSC to meet Wednesday night on Ukraine, diplomats say The United Nations Security Council will convene for its second emergency session in three days over the crisis, “due to military developments” on the ground, diplomatic sources have said. The meeting, which was requested by Kyiv, is scheduled for 9:30 pm (02:30 GMT Thursday), the sources said. 1 hour ago (23:27 GMT) EU sanctions Russian defence minister, military chiefs The European Union has imposed sanctions on Russia’s defence minister Sergei Shoigu and military chiefs as part of a package of measures over the Kremlin’s recognition of two separatist Ukrainian regions as independent. The 27-nation bloc slapped asset freezes and visa bans on high-ranking figures including the commanders of Russia’s army, navy and air force, the Kremlin’s chief of staff, the head of state-run television channel RT and the foreign ministry’s spokeswoman, according to the EU’s official journal. 2 hours ago (23:25 GMT) France’s Macron reiterates support for Ukraine’s sovereignty French President Emmanuel Macron reiterated his support for Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity after a call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the Elysee Palace has said. “[Macron] also praised the Ukrainian President’s composure in the current situation,” the French presidency said in a statement. Support that the European Union can provide to Ukraine will be on the agenda of the meeting of the European Council on Thursday, the Elysee Palace added. 2 hours ago (23:23 GMT) Ukraine president says nearly 200,000 Russian troops on border Zelenskyy has said that Russia had massed nearly 200,000 troops on Ukraine’s borders. On the Ukrainian border “nearly 200,000 soldiers are stationed, [as are] thousands of combat vehicles,” he said, adding that a “major war in Europe” could be started by Russia soon. 2 hours ago (23:11 GMT) Zelenskyy says Russia has approved an offensive against Ukraine Zelenskyy has said Russia had approved an offensive against Ukraine and said Russian President Vladimir Putin had not replied to his invitation to hold talks. “I initiated a telephone call with the president of the Russian federation. Result: silence,” he said. “The people of Ukraine and the government of Ukraine want peace. But if we come under attack that threaten our freedom and lives of our people we will fight back.” Zelenskyy made the remarks in a 10-minute address posted on Telegram during which he spoke in both Ukrainian and Russian. 2 hours ago (23:08 GMT) Australia flags potential cyberattacks after Russia sanctions Australia must prepare itself for likely cyberattacks from Russia, Prime Minister Scott Morrison has said, a day after joining Western allies in imposing sanctions on Moscow. “Cyber attacks are a real threat, and they’re a present threat and that is the most likely response from Russia in terms of what we’ve done,” Morrison told Channel Nine when asked if he expected any retaliation from Russia over sanctions. He urged Australian businesses to bolster their cyber defence. They may not get hit directly but there could be “collateral cyber impacts” from computer viruses when deployed that can “take on a course of their own,” he said. 2 hours ago (23:04 GMT) France urges citizens to leave Ukraine ‘without delay’ France has become the latest Western nation to call on its citizens to leave Ukraine “without delay”. “In the context of serious tensions caused by the concentration of Russian troops on Ukraine’s borders” as well as Russia’s recognition of two separatist regions and Ukraine’s imposition of a state of emergency, “French citizens finding themselves in Ukraine should leave the country without delay,” France’s foreign ministry said in a statement. 2 hours ago (22:38 GMT) Ukraine requests urgent UN Security Council meeting Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba has said he demanded an urgent meeting of the UN Security Council regarding the latest appeal of Russian-backed separatists to Russia for military assistance. “Ukraine has requested an urgent meeting of the UN Security Council due to the appeal by Russian occupation administrations in Donetsk and Luhansk to Russia with a request to provide them with military assistance, which is a further escalation of the security situation,” Kuleba said on Twitter. Ukraine has requested an urgent meeting of the UN Security Council due to the appeal by Russian occupation administrations in Donetsk and Luhansk to Russia with a request to provide them with military assistance, which is a further escalation of the security situation. — Dmytro Kuleba (@DmytroKuleba) February 23, 2022 3 hours ago (22:14 GMT) Images show new deployments in western Russia near Ukraine border Satellite imagery showed a number of new deployments in western Russia, many of them within 16km (10 miles) of the border with Ukraine and less than 80km (50 miles) from the Ukrainian city of Kharkiv, a private US company has said. The images showed field deployment, military convoys, artillery and armored personnel carriers with support equipment and troops. The images released by Maxar Technologies, which has been tracking the buildup of Russian forces for weeks, could not be independently verified. 3 hours ago (21:31 GMT) Putin ‘tightening the screws on Ukraine’: Correspondent Al Jazeera’s Bernard Smith, reporting from Moscow, says Putin is “continuing to tighten the screws on Ukraine”. “He [Putin] says the two states that they have now recognised [the self-proclaimed Donetsk and Luhansk People’s Republics] are being recognised on embassy levels and Russia says it is also evacuating its diplomatic staff from Ukraine to protect their lives,” Smith said. “Putin has also praised the battle readiness of Russian troops,” he added. 3 hours ago (21:27 GMT) White House says it is in contact with Ukraine over cyber needs US President Joe Biden’s administration is in touch with Ukrainian authorities over their cyber security needs, Jen Psaki said. The websites of Ukraine’s government, foreign ministry and state security service were down on Wednesday in what the government said was the start of another massive denial of service attack. “We are in conversations with Ukraine regarding their cyber-related needs including as recently as today and we’re going to move with urgency to assess the nature and extent of this, what steps need to be taken, and therefore a response,” the White House spokesperson said. 4 hours ago (21:25 GMT) Kremlin says Ukraine rebels have asked Russia for ‘help’ against Kyiv The Kremlin has said the heads of east Ukraine’s rebel republics have asked Russian President Vladimir Putin for “help” to “repel aggression” from the Ukrainian army. In a statement carried by Russian state news agencies, Putin’s spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the separatist republics “ask the president of Russia for help in repelling the aggression of the armed forces in Ukraine”. 4 hours ago (21:23 GMT) White House says Putin is adapting, improvising after sanctions Putin is improvising and having to adapt his Ukraine strategy following sanctions imposed by the West this week, White House spokesperson Jen Psaki has said. Hello, I’m Farah Najjar and welcome to Al Jazeera’s continuing coverage of the Ukraine-Russia crisis. Read all the updates from Tuesday, February 23, here.