Russia advanced deep into Ukraine and mobilised for an “overwhelming assault on Kyiv as Moscow waged one of Europe’s largest military offensives since the Second World War”, the Financial Times reports.
The paper reports that Russian President Vladimir Putin’s chief of staff and defence minister have been blacklisted by the EU in its first round of sanctions against Moscow.
Vladimir Putin has endorsed the claims of Russian-backed separatists to the entire Donbas region of eastern Ukraine, bringing the two countries closer to full-blown war, the paper reports.
Vladimir Putin has recognised two breakaway republics in eastern Ukraine, the Financial Times reports.
The Financial Times leads with the latest in the Ukraine crisis, as neighbouring Belarus says Russian troops will stay.
The Financial Times carries President Joe Biden’s warning to Western allies that Russian forces are poised to invade Ukraine within days.
The Financial Times also leads on Joe Biden’s warning to Western allies that the Kremlin will invade Ukraine within days.
France wants a revamp of
Europe’s security framework which has become “nearly obsolete” and
risks allowing Russia to become a permanent
threat even if Putin’s forces do not invade Ukraine, reports the Financial Times.
The FT says the Russian president eased tensions over Ukraine by apparently drawing down some troops from the border to enable talks with West. However, it adds that the invasion threat still remains.
Russia’s Foreign Minister, Sergei Lavrov, has sparked hope that Kremlin wants to de-escalate tensions on the Ukrainian border. The Financial Times reports that the minister, who was speaking alongside Vladimir Putin during a televised meeting, said diplomatic engagement with the west should continue.