Russia Asks Diplomats to Evacuate From Ukraine Soon | Highlights

Russia-Ukraine Crisis Updates: With Russian President Vladimir Putin ordering troops to eastern Ukraine, the war fears have grown. India meanwhile has ordered the evacuation of its citizen and arranged special flights.

Russia-Ukraine Crisis Updates: Efforts by world leaders to head off a Russian invasion of Ukraine were dealt a serious blow Monday when Russian President Vladimir Putin signed decrees recognizing the independence of two separatist regions in eastern Ukraine and ordered his military to “maintain peace” there. Following this, the United Nations Security Council on Tuesday held an emergency meeting on Ukraine at the request of Kyiv, the United States, 5 European nations, Mexico. India meanwhile has ordered evacuation of its citizens from Ukraine and four special flights have been asked to do the job. India.com is bringing you the LIVE Updates from the Russia-Ukraine Crisis that has kept the world on its toes.

Russia-Ukraine Crisis Updates:

3:15 PM | Iran urges Russia and Ukraine to exercise restraint: Iran on Tuesday urged “restraint” from both Russia and Ukraine while blaming the United States and NATO for the sharp escalation of tensions.

3:00 pm | EU envoys to approve sanctions against Russia on Tuesday, says Italy’s minister: The European Union foreign ministers will give a political green light to sanctions against Russia on Tuesday, Italy’s foreign minister Luigi Di Maio said. “What happened yesterday with the recognition by Russia of two self-proclaimed republics of the Donbass is unacceptable, and Italy is convinced to proceed with sanctions,” Di Maio said in a video message.

2:45 pm | Russia says it is not yet discussing military bases in eastern Ukraine: A deputy Russian foreign minister said Moscow was not yet talking about setting up military bases in eastern Ukraine, but that two draft treaties would allow it to do so and that Russia would be ready to act if needed, the RIA news agency reported. The official, Andrey Rudenko, made the comment as Russian lawmakers were set to discuss and vote on friendship treaties

2:40 pm | EU envoys discuss scope of sanctions after Russian move on Ukraine regions: European Union ambassadors began meeting on Tuesday to discuss sanctions against Russia after its recognition of two breakaway regions of Ukraine, and the EU’s top diplomat promised the first punitive measures later in the day.

2:20 pm | Putin will find he has ‘gravely miscalculated’ says Boris Johnson: The UK will immediately impose hard economic sanctions on Russia after President Vladimir Putin ordered the deployment of troops to two breakaway regions in eastern Ukraine, Prime Minister Boris Johnson said on Tuesday. “We will immediately institute a package of economic sanctions.” Putin will find he has “gravely miscalculated” if Russia invades Ukraine, Johnson said, adding that Moscow appeared to be bent on a full scale invasion. After the meeting PM Johnson said, “I think that the tragedy of the present situation is that President Putin has surrounded himself with like-minded advisors who tell him that Ukraine is not a proper country. And I think that he is going to find that he has gravely miscalculated.”

2:00 pm | Amnesty International issue a statement from the organisation’s secretary-general, Agnès Callamard: “After weeks of fruitless negotiations, the protection of civilians in Ukraine must now be the absolute priority. While the potential for full-blown conflict is now a devastating reality, every effort must be made to minimise civilian suffering and prioritise humanity in this crisis. It is a legal obligation of all parties to do so. We urge all parties to adhere strictly to international humanitarian and human rights law. They must ensure the protection of civilian lives and refrain from indiscriminate attacks and the use of prohibited weapons such as cluster munitions. We also call on all parties to allow and facilitate access of humanitarian agencies to provide assistance to civilians affected by hostilities. Amnesty International will be monitoring the situation closely to expose violations of international law by all parties.”

1:40 pm | EU member states meet to discuss sanctions against Russia: EU member states’ ambassadors will meet on Tuesday to discuss possible sanctions against Russia in response to its formal recognition of two breakaway regions of Ukraine, with limited sanctions a possible option, an EU official said. An EU diplomat said separately that the meeting would be an “information point” for the envoys, but would also consider how to act on the statement made by EU leaders on Monday that the bloc would “react with sanctions against those involved in this illegal act”.

1:25 pm | EU says Russia’s moves are an ‘act of war’: A top European Union official says Russia’s recognition of the Ukrainian separatist regions of Luhansk and Donetsk as independent states and to send troops into the territories is an “act of war.” Didier Reynders, the European Commissioner for Justice, said the 27-nation bloc is ready to implement sanctions against Russia.

1:20 pm | Two Ukrainian soldiers killed by shelling overnight, defence ministry reports: Two Ukrainian soldiers have been killed by shelling overnight and 12 more were injured, according to Ukraine’s Joint Forces Operation situation report published today.

1:15 pm | Invasion of Ukraine has begun, UK health secretary says: UK health minister Sajid Javid says it is clear Russian president Vladimir Putin has decided to attack the sovereignty of Ukraine and believes an invasion has already begun, Reuters reports. “We are waking up to a very dark day in Europe and it’s clear from what we have already seen and found out today that the Russians, President Putin, has decided to attack the sovereignty of Ukraine and its territorial integrity,” he said.

1:10 pm | Russian stocks fall more than 8% over Ukraine tensions: Russian stock indexes fell more than eight percent Tuesday morning, after President Vladimir Putin ordered troops into Ukraine’s two separatist regions the previous day. The dollar-denominated RTS index was down 9.9 percent at 0708 GMT, while the ruble-based MOEX fell by 8.5 percent.

01:05 pm | Spain’s Defence Minister says what happened in Ukraine early this morning is a violation of international law.

01:00 pm | EU sanctions may be limited, a response to eastern Ukraine move, some countries may seek broader sanctions, says EU official

12:55 pm | Meeting of UK’s Cobra committee underway in Downing Street: A meeting of the UK’s emergency Cobra committee is underway in 10 Downing Street. Prime Minister Boris Johnson has been joined by senior security officials, including Foreign Secretary Liz Truss and Defence Secretary Ben Wallace, to asses the impact of Russia’s decision to recognise separatist regions of Ukraine overnight.

12:40 pm | Asian shares drop as Putin orders troops to east Ukraine: Shares fell sharply in Asia on Tuesday after Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered troops into separatist regions of eastern Ukraine, suggesting a long-feared invasion was possibly underway. Tokyo’s Nikkei 225 index dropped 1.8% and the Hang Seng in Hong Kong fell 3.2% in early trading. Oil prices jumped, with U.S. crude up 2.8%. The future for the S&P 500 dropped 1.5% while the contract for the Dow industrials lost 1.3%.

12:30 pm | India asks students to leave Ukraine without waiting for confirmation from universities vis-a-vis online classes

12:15 pm | China says it is concerned about ‘worsening’ situation in Ukraine: China is concerned about the “worsening” situation in Ukraine, Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on Tuesday, repeating his call for all parties to show restraint and resolve differences through dialogue. The legitimate security concerns of any country should be respected, Wang, who is also a Chinese state councillor, told US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on a phone call, according to a Chinese foreign ministry statement.

11:55 am | Russia Says Ready For Talks With US “Even In The Most Difficult Moments”: Moscow said Tuesday Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov was still ready for talks with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, after President Vladimir Putin ordered troops into Ukraine’s two separatist regions.

11:50 am | Embassy of India in Ukraine: In view of the continued high level of tensions in Ukraine, additional flights are being organised. Four flights from Kyiv to Delhi to operate on Feb 25, Feb 27 and March 6, 2022.

11:45 am | Blinken and China’s Wang Yi discuss Ukraine in call: The United States says Secretary of State Antony Blinken had a call with China’s foreign minister on “Russia’s aggression against Ukraine” as well as North Korea. “The Secretary underscored the need to preserve Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity,” spokesperson Ned Price said in a statement.

11: 40 am | Russia’s move is ‘predictable, shameful act’: US Secretary of State Antony Blinken accuses Russia of backing separatist areas “controlled by its own proxies” – by which he means the rebel groups in Ukraine’s east.

11:30 am | Oil prices are climbing on fears that the Ukraine-Russia crisis will disrupt supply chains across the world.

11:20 am | UK PM Boris Johnson to hold Cobra meeting today to discuss Ukraine after Putin ‘orders troops’ into rebel territory

11:15 am | Australian Army Chief says there are deep concerns over ‘Russia’s activities’: Chief of Army, Lieutenant General Rick Burr has spoken about the developing situation in Ukraine. He said Russia is the only country that had control of the next phase of the conflict. “We remain deeply concerned by Russia’s activities. As the Prime Minister and governments around the world have emphasised, [we] really do call on Russia to urgently deescalate the situation. It is very uncertain and very dangerous times. There is governments are talking on this, they will work with others and within the United Nations to work out what the best way to respond to this is.But we can all agree that it is very concerning, very disturbing, and we call on Russia to deescalate. They are the only ones that can control what happens next.”

10:55 am | US and allies to announce new sanctions against Russia on Tuesday: The United States is coordinating with allies and will announce new sanctionsagainst Russia on Tuesday, as per a Reuters news report citing US officials late on Monday.

10:30 am |Federal government confirms Australia’s embassy in Ukraine has closed: Australia’s embassy in Ukraine has been closed, as the Federal Government urges all Australians to leave the country. Australia’s embassy staff and officials have been told to leave Ukraine, according to a statement from Foreign Minister Marise Payne. Staff have been sent to Romania and eastern Poland to help Australians trying to leave Ukraine.

10:15 am: Lithuanian prime minister Ingrida Šimonytė has said Russian president Vladimir Putin’s move to recognise two separatist pro-Moscow regions in Ukraine puts “Kafka & Orwell to shame”.

10: 00 am | Ukraine Foreign Affairs Minister says sanctions against Russia are being finalised: Ukraine’s Foreign Affairs Minister, Dmyro Kuleba, says sanctions against Russia were being “finalised”. He said Russia needed to know that when it came to actions, “the world talks the talk and walks the walk”.

World capitals don’t sleep now, regardless of their time zones. The scope & timeline of sanctions are being finalized. Ukraine insists: further Russian actions rely on how the world reacts. Russia must be in no doubt that the world talks the talk and walks the walk on sanctions.

— Dmytro Kuleba (@DmytroKuleba) February 22, 2022

09:40 am | UNSC meeting on Ukraine ends: After a tense 90 minutes, the United Nations security council meeting has come to an end.

09:25 am | Sergiy Kyslytsya says there will be an invasion of Ukraine: The Permanent Representative of Ukraine to the United Nations, Sergiy Kyslytsya, has held a press conference following a meeting on the UN Security Council. Kyslytsya was asked if he believed Russia would invade Ukraine. “There is going to be an invasion, read Putin’s words on this,” he said.

09:20 am | Germany disapproves of Russia’s “peacekeeping” announcement at UNSC meet: “It is another flagrant and deliberate violation of Ukraine’s territorial integrity after the illegal annexation of Crimea.”

09:20 am| Sergiy Kyslytsya, Ukrainian Ambassador to United Nations at UNSC meeting on Ukraine: “We are on our own land. We are not afraid of anything or anyone, we owe nothing to anyone and we will not give away anything to anyone. There should be no doubt whatsoever. The international borders of Ukraine are and will remain unchangeable.”

09:15 am | Sergiy Kyslytsya, Ukrainian Ambassador to United Nations at UNSC meeting on Ukraine: We want peace and we are consistent in our actions…We are committed to a political and diplomatic settlement, we do not succumb to provocations. We demand Russia to return to the table for negotiations. We condemn the order to deploy additional Russian occupation troops in the territories of Ukraine. We demand the immediate and complete verifiable withdrawal of occupation troops.

09: 10 am | Ukraine’s statement at the UN Security Council: Kyslytsya says the Russian statements of independence for Donetsk and Luhansk are word-for-word copy and pasted from Russia’s statement preceding it occupation of Georgia in 2008. “The United Nations is sick. It has been hit by the virus spread by the Kremlin. Will it succumb to this virus? It is in the hands of the membership. Who is next among the members of the United Nations?” Despite speaking in his capacity as president of the UNSC, rather than on behalf of the Russian Federation, Vasily Nebenzya points out that he is obliged to thank Ukraine for its statement.

09: 00 am | Ukraine’s statement at the UN Security Council: Sergiy Kyslytsya, permanent representative for Ukraine to the Security Council said, “The entire membership of the United Nations is under attack by … the country that occupied parts of Georgia in 2008, the country that occupied parts of Ukraine in 2014.” “With the decisions adopted today and those that may be adopted tomorrow, Russia legalises the presence of its troops in the Donbas [since 2014]. It remains up to Russia to abandon its long-lasting strategy against Ukraine and re-engage in fundamental principles of peaceful relations enshrined in the UN charter.”

08:55 am | Air India flight leaves for Kyiv as govt begins evacuation of Indians from Ukraine: Air India’s AI 1947 left Delhi at 7.40 am for Kyiv Boryspil International Airport today. The flight operated on Dreamliner. First, of the several special evacuation flights, AI will operate to Ukraine. Air India earlier announced opearting three flights to Kyiv this week to fly out Indians from Ukraine.

08:50 am | Russia’s statement at the UN Security Council meet: Russian envoy Nebenzya alleges it is Ukraine, not Russia, that violated the Minsk agreements, doing so by not speaking openly with Russia. “In all other conflicts, we all demand and call for direct dialogue between the parties. It’s only Ukraine that is for some reason an exception to the rule. Russia is not a party to the Minsk agreements. We remain open to diplomacy but allowing a bloodbath in the Donbas is not something we are prepared to do.” He accuses the US and other Western nations of “egging on” or “nudging” Ukraine “towards an armed provocation towards Donbas”.

08: 45 am | Russia’s statement at the UN Security Council meet: Russian envoy Vasily Nebenzya is speaking on behalf of his country. He said, “I’ll leave the direct verbal assaults against us unanswered. From the statements of our colleagues one may get the impression Russia’s recognition of the DPR and LPR happened suddenly. That is not the case.” He says it happened in 2014 but Russia only recognised them now. He has reiterated President Putin’s claims of an attempted erasure of Russians in Donbas.

08:40 am | China at UNSC meet: “All parties concerned must exercise restraint. And avoid any action that may fuel tensions. We welcome and encourage every effort for a diplomatic solution and call on all parties concerned to continue dialogue and consultation and seek reasonable solutions to address each others’ concerns on the basis of equality and mutual respect. The current situation in Ukraine is the result of many complex factors. China always makes its own position according to the merits of the matter itself. We believe all countries should solve in the disputes by peaceful means.

08: 30 am | Ireland at UNSC meet: “We call for calm. Even if that call has not yet been heard, it’s a call worth making again tonight.”

08:20 am | Kenya at UNSC meet: “This situation echoes our history. Kenya and almost every African country was birthed by the ending of empires.

08:15 am | United Kingdom at UNSC meet: “An invasion of Ukraine unleashes the forces of war, death and destruction on the people of Ukraine. The humanitarian impact will be terrible on the people fleeing the fighting. We know women and children will suffer most.”

08: 10 am | Brazil at UNSC meet: “At the end of the day we are talking about lives of innocent men, women and children on the line.”

08:05 am | India’s Permanent Representative to United Nations TS Tirumurti, at UNSC meet on Ukraine: The escalation of tension along the border of Ukraine with the Russian Federation is a matter of deep concern. These developments have the potential to undermine peace and security of the region.

08:00 am | India at UNSC meet on Ukraine: We strongly emphasize the vital need for all sides to maintain international peace and security by exercising the utmost restraint and intensifying diplomatic efforts to ensure that a mutually amicable solution is arrived at the earliest.

07:50 am | India’s Permanent Representative to United Nations TS Tirumurti, at UNSC meet on Ukraine: Safety and security of civilians essential. More than 20,000 Indian students and nationals live and study in different parts of Ukraine, incl in its border areas. The well-being of Indians is of priority to us.

07:45 am | US Representative at UNSC meet on Ukraine: Tomorrow, the US will take further measures to hold Russia accountable for clear violation of international law. We and our partners are clear that there will be swift and severe response were Russia to further invade Ukraine. In this moment no one can stand on the sidelines.

07:30 am |  US Representative at UNSC meet on Ukraine: Russia’s clear attack on Ukraine’s territorial integrity and sovereignty is unprovoked. It is an attack on Ukraine’s status as a UN member state. It violates basic principles of international law. This move by Russian President Putin is clearly the basis of Russia’s attempt to create a pretext for the further invasion of Ukraine.

07:30 am | The United Nations Security Council is meeting now

07:20 am | Japan condemns Russia recognising breakaway regions in Ukraine: “These actions violate Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, violate international law and are utterly unacceptable,” said Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno.

07: 15 am | Russia’s illegal actions will not go unpunished: EU foreign policy chief
Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine said he has spoken to European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell, after Russian President Vladimir Putin recognised the two pro-Moscow rebel regions as independent. Ukrainian foreign minister Dmytro Kuleba said in a tweet, “Had a call with @JosepBorrellF. We share the same assessment of Russia’s illegal decision. HR/VP (High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy) assured me that EU response will be resolute and united.”

Had a call with @JosepBorrellF. We share the same assessment of Russia’s illegal decision. HR/VP assured me that EU response will be resolute and united.

— Dmytro Kuleba (@DmytroKuleba) February 22, 2022

07:00 am | French President Emmanuel Macron has condemned Russia’s move and urged the European Union to impose fresh sanctions on Moscow.