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Russia-Ukraine conflict deepens: Ukrainians allowed to carry firearms
Russia is defying international pressure to put off the invasion of Ukraine
Ukraine on Wednesday warned its citizens to avoid travelling to Russia and also asked those living in Russia to leave the country immediately because of a growing threat of war.
Russia also started evacuating all diplomatic personnel currently based in Ukraine.
A state of emergency has been announced in Ukraine amid heightened fears of a Russian invasion.
On Monday, the Russian president disclosed that his country was ready to enter two separatist regions of Ukraine to give them protection.
Russia is using the pretext of giving the separatists protection to annex them back to Russia.
The Ukraine government has however repeatedly denied it is starting an offensive against the separatist-held region.
Ukraine announced a 30-day state of emergency, subject to approval by parliament.
The state of emergency would include curfews and restricting mass gatherings in certain regions. This follows a call-up of reservists as Ukraine braces for Russian President Vladimir Putin’s next moves.
According to the BBC , In Rostov-on-Don, less than 100km (62 miles) from the Ukrainian border, teenage school children have paraded around the public square wearing military style uniforms, but marching in their school shoes.
President Vladimir Putin has insisted that Russia’s interests and security are non-negotiable even after being warned by USA President Joe Biden for beginning a Russian invasion.
The West has announced a range of sanctions targeting Russian interests.
“We’ve cut off Russia’s government from Western financing,” Biden said, after Russia’s upper house of parliament authorised the president to send troops into two parts of eastern Ukraine controlled by Russian-backed separatists.
France’s foreign minister and US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken both cancelled planned meetings with Russia’s foreign minister, Sergei Lavrov.
French Foreign Minister Yves Le Drian later said Mr Putin’s aim was to “negate” Ukraine as a sovereign country. German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said Mr Putin was trying to turn back the wheel of history. But both said they were open to further negotiations with Moscow.
It is not yet clear if any Russian troops have yet crossed the border into Ukraine. However, US satellite imagery has highlighted several new troop and equipment deployments in western Russia, and more than 100 vehicles at an airfield in Belarus near Ukraine’s border.
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