The latest on the Ukraine-Russia border crisis

Members of Ukraine's National Guard ride through the city of Kyiv, on February 14, 2022.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba has affirmed Ukraine’s course toward joining NATO “remains unchanged” in a tweet Monday.

Kuleba said, “Ukraine’s strategic course on joining NATO remains unchanged. It is enshrined in our Constitution and National Foreign Policy Strategy, supported by a growing majority of Ukrainians. It’s only up to Ukraine and thirty NATO allies to decide on the issue of membership.”

It follows Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry walking back comments its UK ambassador made on Sunday, who suggested that Ukraine might consider not seeking to join NATO in an effort to prevent war with Russia.

Ukraine’s National Police are entering a so-called “enhanced mode” to “ensure security and preparedness,” according to an update from the head of the National Police Igor Klimenko. 

In a Facebook post on Monday, Klimenko said from Monday until this Saturday, the National Police of Ukraine have entered “enhanced” mode. He said this results in an increased number of patrols to ensure public safety and order on the streets; the deployment of additional “situational centers” for 24-hour monitoring; and securing protection for critical infrastructure, public authorities and local governments.

Klimenko said the rationale for the enhanced mode is to “provide a more efficacious response to public safety threats.” He added, “This stricter police regime should not be cause for alarm. It is necessary to ensure security and preparedness. We protect, not panic!”

The Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine also announced the period of “enhanced mode” for the country’s National Police on its Facebook page Monday.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken spoke on Monday with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba to stress the US and its allies’ “commitment to the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine, including its economic and financial stability,” according to a readout from the State Department.

Their call comes a day after President Joe Biden spoke with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and amid warnings that Russia could invade Ukraine at any moment. Blinken and Kuleba have spoken twice in three days.

A woman walks past the Wall of Remembrance in front of St. Michael's Monastery on February 1, 2022 in Kyiv, Ukraine.

Kyiv’s St. Michael’s Monastery looked particularly spectacular on Monday — its golden dome sparkling in the bright winter sun. It was hard to think about a war amid all that beauty.

For most Ukrainians though, the thought of a potential war is never too far away. It’s been on their minds for eight years now, ever since Russia illegally annexed Crimea in 2014. Now, it’s just getting a bit more real.

Samchuk said he doesn’t think there will be an attack, but still wants to be prepared. Out of caution, he and his wife are also hosting her sister for a few days.

“Just in case something happens. It’s hard to cover even 15 kilometres in the city,” he said.

His parents, born and raised during the Soviet era, don’t think it’s necessary.

“Our parents say that nothing will happen, not to be afraid. Because it’s Russians, they are just trying the typical tactics of Soviet politicians or late Russian Empire times, late 19th century, just to show the power, saying that in two days they will be in Kyiv,” he said.

Meanwhile, 20-year-old Andriy Krachevskiy said he is worried how the tensions may impact Ukraine’s economic tensions, but he is convinced there won’t be a war.

“Not in the next few months, for sure,” he said.

His parents live near Mariupol, in a Ukraine-controlled territory in Donbas which is a region now partly held by the separatists. He said they too haven’t noticed much change in recent weeks despite all the headlines about escalations, and are not thinking about leaving the area. “They are where they want to be.”

Andriy Krachevskiy, 20, doesn't believe there could be an invasion — at least not in the next few months.

The idea that a Russian invasion might be “imminent” seems almost far-fetched in the streets of the Ukrainian capital — a buzzing European city where people are going on about their business. The public transport system remains busy, shops are well stocked and open, and restaurants are still inviting guests in. But while nothing seems out of the ordinary, Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko is drawing up contingency plans including shelters, evacuation procedures and maintaining communications.

Miroslava Grigorieva, 53, told CNN she wasn’t even willing to let herself worry about a war that may or may not happen. She said she’s been avoiding the news, focusing on staying optimistic and calm.

“What we see in the media, it’s all political and I don’t want to internalize it, so I am not listening to it,” Grigorieva told CNN. “An average Ukrainian, and an average Russian, we all want peace, everybody wants peace … We want mutual respect and to be able to communicate normally.”

Miroslava Grigorieva with her daughter.

President Biden is expected to speak with UK’s Boris Johnson around 12:30 pm ET Monday amid escalating tensions in Ukraine, a White House official confirms to CNN.

Over the weekend, Biden had a roughly hour-long phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin and he warned him that the US and its allies will respond “decisively and impose swift and severe costs” on Russia should Putin decide to invade Ukraine.

A senior administration official told reporters Saturday afternoon that the call between the two presidents was “professional and substantive,” but “there was no fundamental change in the dynamic that has been unfolding now for several weeks.”

The official said that Biden reiterated the US’ ideas on how to enhance European security while also addressing some of Russia’s security concerns, but noted that it “remains unclear whether Russia is interested in pursuing its goals diplomatically.”

CNN’s Natasha Bertrand, Maegan Vazquez and Donald Judd contributed reporting to this post. 

Another eight American F-15 fighter jets have landed in Poland to join NATO’s ongoing air policing mission in the country, Polish Defense Minister Mariusz Blaszczak tweeted on Monday.

According to Blaszczak, the eight jets landed in Lask airbase.

Russian President Vladimir Putin met Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu Monday, with his defense chief reporting on the progress of major Russian military exercises and giving a sense of the scale of the drills. 

Added Shoigu: “Some things remain to be done, given the scale of the exercises that were planned and started on your instructions.”

Meanwhile, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on Monday told Putin he saw a “chance” for diplomatic dialogue with the West over Russia’s security concerns, saying he recommended such efforts continue. 

In remarks aired on Russian state television, Putin said, “In your opinion, Sergey Victorovich [Lavrov], is there a chance to reach an agreement with our partners on key issues that are of concern to us, or is it just an attempt to drag us into an endless negotiation process that has no logical resolution?” 

In his reply, Lavrov noted that Russian officials have warned “against the inadmissibility of endless discussions on issues that need to be resolved today,” but added that “there is always a chance” that diplomacy could work.

CNN’s Uliana Pavlova contributed reporting to this post.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said during a news conference Monday in Kyiv that the joint aim of the allies was avoiding escalation. 

Scholz said in the event of a military escalation, “we are ready for wide-reaching and effective sanctions in coordination with our allies.”

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, left, is received at St. Mary's Palace by Ukraine's President Volodymyr Selensky, on February 14 in Kyiv.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz told Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky his visit comes during “very serious times.”

While speaking at a news conference in Kyiv on Monday, Scholz told Zelensky that Germany stood “very closely” on the side of Ukraine.

The talks between the two lasted two hours, Scholz said, and were “good and fair.”

Scholz announced a new credit of 150 million euros to Ukraine.

Scholz said together with France, the Normandy format negotiations had been intensified. “it is and remains a difficult process, but I am convinced it is worth it,” Scholz said.

“The military activities of Russia on Ukraine’s border are not comprehensible for us. There is no good reason for such a military buildup,” he continued.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky acknowledged that the Russian military buildup near the Ukrainian border represents an “unprecedented challenge for Europe and globally.” 

“The escalation at the Ukranian-Russian border is an unprecedented challenge for Europe and globally,” Zelensky said, speaking alongside German Chancellor Olaf Scholz. “That’s why it is very important that our partners support our country economically, in the area of defense.”

 Zelensky thanked Germany for its partnership and support.

“Germany is one of our key partners in Europe,” Zelensky said, despite Berlin’s unwillingness to ship lethal aid to Ukraine, acknowledging some “differences,” when it came to the Nord Stream 2 pipeline. “German investments will be the key guarantors of our stable relations and stable growth.”

As calm pervades the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv, the US views the Russian military threat to Ukraine growing.

The latest US intelligence indicates Russia is continuing to build up forces surrounding Ukraine in preparation for possible military action this week, a senior US official briefed on the intelligence tells CNN.

The US believes Russian military action would begin with air and missile attacks on key military infrastructure including airfields, air defense and early warning systems. 

White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan told CNN on Sunday that “if there is a military invasion of Ukraine by Russia, it’s likely to begin with a significant barrage of missiles and bomb attacks.”

The Russian plan would then be further invade Ukraine from multiple points in the east and north, including plans to surround Kyiv within one to two days of the start of military action.

The US also believes Russia may attempt a so-called “false flag” attack prior to military action in an attempt to create a justification for further invasion. US officials have discussed possibilities including Russia staging an attack on its own forces which Moscow would then blame on the Ukrainian military.

Military officials caution that the Russian timeline could change or Putin could decide not to attack. However, Russia has the capabilities and forces in place to initiate widespread action in the coming days. 

German troops arrive as part of NATO's enhanced reinforcements at Kaunas airport in Lithuania on February 14.

As tensions rise between Russia and Ukraine, the role that the North Atlantic Treaty Organization plays in the region has come into focus.

Here’s what you need to know:

What is NATO? It is a European and North American defense alliance set up to promote peace and stability and to safeguard the security of its members. It was created as the Cold War escalated and is headquartered in Brussels, Belgium.

The aim of the United States-led alliance was to protect Western European countries from the threat posed by the Soviet Union and to counter the spread of Communism after World War II.

Which countries are in NATO?: Twelve founding countries — the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, France and eight other European nations — signed the North Atlantic Treaty in 1949, pledging to protect each other by political and military means.

Over the decades since, the alliance has grown to include a total of 30 members.

In alphabetical order, they are: Albania, Belgium, Bulgaria, Canada, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxemburg, Montenegro, the Netherlands, North Macedonia, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Turkey, the UK and the US.

Ukraine is not a member of NATO, but has long hoped to join the alliance. This is a sore point for Russia, which sees NATO as a threat and vehemently opposes the move.

Amid recent tensions with the West, Russia has asked for iron-clad guarantees that the alliance won’t expand further east — particularly into Ukraine.

But the US and NATO have resisted those demands. The alliance has always had an “open door policy,” which states that any European country ready and willing to undertake the commitments and obligations of membership is welcome to apply for membership. Any decisions on enlargement of the alliance must be agreed unanimously.

Following the end of the Cold War, NATO made it clear it would welcome expansion to the east and in 1997, Czech Republic, Hungary and Poland were invited to begin accession talks.

Since then, more than a dozen countries from the former Eastern bloc, including three former Soviet republics, joined the alliance.

Despite the major geopolitical changes since NATO’s foundation, its stated purpose remains the same. The key principle underpinning the alliance is one of collective defense: “An armed attack against one or more of them in Europe or North America shall be considered an attack against them all.”

What does that mean in practice? The principle of collective defense is laid out in Article 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty. It guarantees that the resources of the whole alliance can be used to protect any single member nation. This is crucial for many of the smaller countries who would be defenseless without its allies. Iceland, for example, has no standing army.

Since the US is the largest and most powerful NATO member, any state in the alliance is effectively under US protection.

Read more about NATO and its role here.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on Monday told Russian President Vladimir Putin he saw a “chance” for diplomatic dialogue with the West over Russia’s security concerns, saying he recommended such efforts continue. 

In remarks aired on Russian state television, Putin said, “In your opinion, Sergey Victorovich [Lavrov], is there a chance to reach an agreement with our partners on key issues that are of concern to us, or is it just an attempt to drag us into an endless negotiation process that has no logical resolution?” 

In his reply, Lavrov noted that Russian officials have warned “against the inadmissibility of endless discussions on issues that need to be resolved today,” but added that “there is always a chance” that diplomacy could work.

As he continued, he listed Russia’s recent engagements with the US and France, and mentioned other countries who have scheduled engagements with Russia, including Germany, Italy and Poland.

Then he added, “Amid the readiness to listen to some counter-proposals, it seems to me that our possibilities are far from being exhausted. Of course, they should not continue indefinitely, but at this stage, I would suggest that they be continued and increased.”

The “sovereign rights” of the Ukrainian people to aspire to NATO membership cannot be traded away, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said on Monday.

It follows Ukraine’s foreign ministry walking back comments their UK ambassador made on Sunday, who suggested that Ukraine might consider not seeking to join NATO in an effort to prevent war with Russia.

Europe must get “Nord Stream out of the bloodstream” and seek alternative energy sources other than Russian gas pipelines in order to impose “severe economic consequences” on Russia should it invade Ukraine, Johnson said. 

“It’s very, very important that the West should stand united,” he added.

As Europe’s diplomatic pursuits continue amid fears that an invasion could be just 48 hours away, Johnson said he will be speaking to “various leaders” including US President Biden “very soon” but declined to answer if he had plans to travel to Moscow. 

The Ukrainian and Belarusian defense ministers held a “positive” phone call aimed at relieving tensions, the Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksiy Reznikov tweeted on Monday.

“I see this as a positive signal & the 1st step towards cooperation,” Rznikov added.

The call takes place as Russia has amassed around 30,000 troops in Belarus for joint military drills.

Independence Square in Kyiv, Ukraine on February 13.

Vitali Klitschko, the former heavyweight boxer and now mayor of the Ukrainian capital, has said the city has contingency plans in case of “Russian aggression,” including shelters, evacuation procedures, and maintaining communications.

Klitschko acknowledged that people might be alarmed by recent developments, saying: “I want to emphasize: yes, the moment for our state today is really dramatic. Ukraine, during all its independence, has never faced such a threat.”

He said communications would be maintained. “Enterprises are guaranteed uninterrupted communications in the absence of mobile communications and the Internet. We are also improving the notification system, which covers both city service staff and the public.”

Klitschko said contingency plans for evacuation were set up. “The evacuation plan determines the location of collection points, the number of vehicles needed, and the areas for housing the population. I want to notice once again – within the capital.”

And there were enough shelters in the event of an attack, he said. “If a few years ago there were 1.5 thousand suitable shelters in the city, today their number has tripled.”

Klitschko also appealed to foreign businesses not to abandon Ukraine.

“Your help is important today. And to ensure the smooth operation of critical infrastructure in case of emergency, and to equip reservists, and to meet the needs of people in case of a military attack on our country. I am grateful to those who already asks: “how can I help?” And I am grateful to the diplomats of foreign countries, who also offer help,” he said.

Klitschko concluded by saying: “We will overcome all pandemics – both the coronavirus and the virus of Russian aggression. Keep calm.”

China evaded questions on Monday as to why it had not yet evacuated its embassy staff and citizens from Ukraine amid heightened tensions with Russia. 

In a briefing Monday, China’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said the embassy in Ukraine is “working normally” when asked by a reporter why China had not yet evacuated its embassy staff. 

Without mentioning staff directly, Wang said the embassy continues to provide consular protection and assistance to “safeguard the safety and legitimate rights and interests” of Chinese citizens and enterprises in Ukraine. 

A number of countries, including the United States, have urged citizens to leave the country and reduced staff at embassies in Ukraine as Russia continues its buildup on the border.

In a follow-up question on why it had not yet evacuated its citizens, Wang said China’s position on Ukraine “is consistent and clear” and that parties should “remain rational and refrain from inflaming tensions or hyping up the crisis.”

“All parties should push for a comprehensive settlement of the Ukrainian crisis and related issues through dialogue and negotiation,” Wang said, reiterating that the Minsk Agreement should be “earnestly implemented.”

On Saturday, the Chinese embassy in Ukraine issued a warning to Chinese citizens to “pay close attention” to the political situation between Ukraine and Russia. 

 “The current tense relations between Ukraine and Russia have aroused a lot of attention and there are various inconsistent opinions,” the embassy’s statement said. “Please pay close attention to the [political] situation in Ukraine and enhance your awareness of prevention. The Embassy will always be with you!”

China — which has its own tensions with the West — has expressed diplomatic support for its ally, Russia. In a joint statement issued at the start of February, Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping said both sides opposed “further enlargement of NATO.” Russia fears Ukraine may join the alliance.

Russian President Vladimir Putin and Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko are set to meet this week, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said Monday. 

“Such a meeting is being prepared and we expect it to take place by the end of the week,” Peskov said in a conference call with reporters. 

Asked about whether a decision on the withdrawal of Russian troops from Belarus would be made during that meeting, Peskov said: “Let’s not jump ahead. Let’s wait for the meeting. The two presidents will also make statements following the talks.”

Russia began 10 days of joint military drills with its ally Belarus last week. Its deployment into Belarus is believed to be its biggest there since the Cold War, with “an expected 30,000 combat troops, Spetsnaz special operation forces, fighter jets including SU-35, Iskander dual-capable missiles and S-400 air defense systems,” NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said on February 3.

In a transcript released Monday by his office, Lukashenko also confirmed a meeting with Putin in the near future and said a decision would be made regarding the timing of the withdrawal of Russian armed forces from Belarus.

“We will meet in the near future and decide when, at what time, and according to what schedule to withdraw the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation from here. It’s our business,” Lukashenko said, according to the transcript. 

US President Joe Biden spent the weekend leading what is looking like an increasingly desperate final effort to forestall a Russian invasion of Ukraine – an incursion that could have grave consequences for his own political standing.

If President Vladimir Putin orders his tanks into Russia’s smaller, democratic neighbor, he would send shockwaves around the world and trigger one of the worst and most dangerous national security crises since the Cold War.

And while it is not his prime intention, Putin would cause significant damage to Biden’s prestige and inflict real-time consequences on Americans in an already tense midterm election year – including with likely new hikes to already soaring gasoline prices that often act as an index of voter anger and perceptions about the economy.

Read the full story here:

Related article Analysis: Why a Russian invasion of Ukraine would hurt Americans too

The finance ministers of the G7, an organization of leaders from some of the world’s largest economies, said in a joint statement Monday they were “prepared to collectively impose economic and financial sanctions” to any further military aggression by Russia in Ukraine.

“The ongoing Russian military build-up at Ukraine’s borders is a cause for grave concern,” the statement read. “We, the G7 Finance Ministers, underline our readiness to act swiftly and decisively to support the Ukrainian economy, while also supporting the ongoing efforts to urgently identify a diplomatic path towards de-escalation.”

While their “immediate priority is to support efforts to de-escalate the situation,” the statement stressed that “any further military aggression by Russia against Ukraine will be met with a swift, coordinated and forceful response.”

The statement continued: “We are prepared to collectively impose economic and financial sanctions which will have massive and immediate consequences on the Russian economy.”

A Ukrainian state border guard at the border crossing between Ukraine and Belarus on February 13, in Vilcha, Ukraine.

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov has said if Ukraine refused “the idea of joining NATO” it “would significantly contribute to the formulation of a more meaningful response to Russian concerns,” in response to remarks made by Ukraine’s ambassador in London over the weekend.

Vadym Prystaiko, the Ukrainian ambassador to the United Kingdom, had suggested the country may reconsider its ambitions to join NATO in an effort to prevent war.

Prystaiko clarified his comments on Monday, saying his country was “ready for many concessions” but added those concessions have “nothing to do with NATO, which is enshrined in the [Ukrainian] constitution.”

Ukraine’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesman Oleg Nikolenko further clarified his country’s position Monday, saying: “I’d like to repeat that these [Prystaiko’s] words are a bad phrasing. The prospect of Ukraine’s membership in NATO is enshrined in the Constitution and no decisions can be taken contrary to it.”

Asked to respond to Prystaiko’s remarks, Peskov said: “You [the reporter] also drew attention to the fact that Kyiv was asked to clarify the ambassador. This can hardly be perceived as a fait accompli – a change in the conceptual foreign policy change of Kyiv.” 

Russia argues that NATO support for Ukraine – including increased weapons supplies and military training – constitutes a growing threat on Russia’s western flank.

Ongoing diplomacy

Peskov also told journalists that Russian President Vladimir Putin will meet with Minister of Defense Sergei Shoigu and Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on Monday.

This comes after US President Joe Biden spoke to Putin for around an hour on Saturday, but it did little to change Moscow’s position on Ukraine. A senior administration official told reporters following the call that the discussion was substantive but the US fears Russia may still launch a military attack anyway.

The Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs had on Friday accused Western countries and the press of spreading a “large-scale disinformation campaign” about an allegedly impending Russian invasion of Ukraine “in order to divert attention from their own aggressive actions.”

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz is making a fresh attempt to resolve tensions between Russia and Ukraine through diplomacy on Tuesday. He is currently meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at the Mariinsky Palace in Kyiv.

The European Union will not be closing its diplomatic missions in Ukraine, the bloc said in a statement Monday, as various countries pull non-essential staff from their embassies.

“The EU and its member states are coordinating their actions in view of the current threats on Ukraine,” the EU statement read. “Our diplomatic missions are not closing. They remain in Kyiv and continue to operate in support to EU citizens and in cooperation with the Ukrainian authorities.”

“Staff presence and travel advice to EU citizens are being adjusted as necessary to take into account security circumstances,” the statement added.

The statement comes as ambassadors of EU member states endorse a proposal to provide €1.2 billion ($1.4 billion) in macro-financial assistance to Ukraine.

The proposal still has to be approved by the European Parliament and then formally by the EU Council, but the endorsement by EU ambassadors is expected to fast-track the process. 

“The EU stands by Ukraine, also economically. The current geopolitical tensions are having a severe economic impact on Ukraine,” Bruno Le Maire, France’s economy and finance minister said Monday according to a EU statement.

Le Maire said: “Member states are ready to provide €1.2 billion macro-financial assistance. I am happy to announce that we decided to support the Commission’s proposal today so that the financial help can reach Ukraine without delay.”

Members of the Ukrainian military forces examine military trucks shipped from Lithuania, at Boryspil airport outside of Kyiv, Ukraine on February 13.

Russia has amassed more than 100,000 troops near Ukraine’s border in recent weeks, according to US estimates, raising fears from Western and Ukrainian intelligence officials that an invasion could be imminent.

As frantic diplomatic efforts are made to avert war, analysts are warning that Russia’s military poses an immediate threat to Ukraine.

But if an invasion were to occur, it is not clear where it would begin. Russia has created pressure points on three sides of Ukraine – in Crimea to the south, on the Russian side of the two countries’ border, and in Belarus to the north.

Here are the three fronts Ukraine and the West are watching, and the recent Russian movements detected in each.

Read the full story here.

A pedestrian passes by a share prices board in Tokyo on February 14.

Global markets are dropping Monday as investors grow increasingly concerned about a potential Russian invasion of Ukraine.

European markets all opened sharply lower with Germany’s DAX and France’s CAC 40 below 3%. UK’s FTSE 100 is down 2%.

US futures are also lower and Asian markets ended Monday’s session in red.

This comes as a number of countries have told their nationals to leave Ukraine after a week of failed diplomatic measures to avert Russian invasion of the country.

On Monday, Japan became the latest country to evacuate most of its embassy staff from Ukraine, according to the country’s Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno.

In a press conference, Matsuno said that most of Japan’s embassy staff in Kyiv are being asked to leave the country via commercial transport, with only essential ​personnel permitted to remain. 

Meanwhile, Greece urged its citizens still in Ukraine to leave the country on Monday, imploring those who remain to “share their contact details immediately with the Greek Embassy” in Kyiv, its Foreign Ministry said.

Read more:

A woman walks past a bank's electronic board showing the Hong Kong share index at Hong Kong Stock Exchange Monday, Feb. 14, 2022. Asian stock markets fell Monday and oil prices rose amid concern about a possible Russian invasion of Ukraine. (AP Photo/Vincent Yu)

Related article Global stocks slide as fears of Russian invasion grow

Vadym Prystaiko, the Ukrainian ambassador to the United Kingdom, has clarified remarks made Sunday when he suggested that Ukraine might consider not seeking to join NATO in an effort to prevent war with Russia.

Prystaiko told the BBC in an interview Monday: “We are not a member of NATO right now and to avoid war we are ready for many concessions and that’s what we’re doing in our conversations with Russians. But it has nothing to do with NATO, which is enshrined in the [Ukrainian] constitution.”

In an earlier BBC interview, Prystaiko said: “What I’m saying here is that we are flexible, trying to find the best, best way out. If we have to go from, sort of some serious, I don’t know, some serious concessions, that’s something we might do. That’s, that’s for sure.”

This comes as Russia argues that NATO support for Ukraine – including increased weapons supplies and military training – constitutes a growing threat on Russia’s western flank.

Asked by CNN for comment on the ambassador’s statements, a Ukrainian Foreign Ministry spokesperson said the ambassador’s words were “taken out of context.”

“Of course, for the sake of peace and saving the lives of our citizens, Ukraine is ready to enter into any format of dialogue with countries and international organizations,” he said.

“At the same time, Ambassador Prystaiko rightly noted in an interview that the prospect of NATO membership is enshrined in the Constitution of Ukraine, but Ukraine is not currently a member of NATO or another security alliance. Therefore, the issue of security guarantees becomes key for our country.

“Undoubtedly, the best such guarantee would be Ukraine’s immediate accession to the Alliance. But threats to Ukraine exist here and now, so finding an answer to the question of guarantees becomes a fundamental urgent task. At the same time, no decision can be made contrary to the Constitution of Ukraine.”

Britain will support whatever Ukraine decides to do regarding its pursuit of NATO membership, UK Minister for the Armed Forces James Heappey told Sky News Monday.

“If Ukraine decides that it is going to offer that it won’t become a NATO member, we support that. That’s for the Ukrainians to decide,” Heappey told Sky News.

“Similarly, if Ukraine wanted to reserve its position and say that in the future it may want to join NATO, we would support that too because that’s what sovereignty is and that’s what we support,” the minister added. 

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz prepares to travel to Kyiv for talks on the Ukraine crisis, in Schönefeld, Brandenburg in Germany on February 14.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz will make a fresh attempt at deterring Russian President Vladimir Putin from invading Ukraine after diplomatic efforts to avert war over the weekend failed to achieve a breakthrough.

Scholz, who will be in Kyiv Monday and Moscow on Tuesday, intends to “proceed with talks about the still very serious situation at the Ukrainian border. In Kyiv, it is important to me to express our continuous solidarity and support to Ukraine,” Scholz wrote on Twitter.

“We urgently expect signs of de-escalation from Moscow. Further military aggression would have very serious consequences for Russia. I absolutely agree with our allies on this. We are experiencing a very, very serious threat to peace in Europe.”

Biden spoke to Putin for around an hour on Saturday, but it did little to change Moscow’s position. A senior administration official told reporters following the call that the discussion was substantive but the US fears Russia may still launch a military attack anyway.

The call between Biden and Putin came hours after the US moved some of its forces out of Ukraine and ordered the evacuation of most of its embassy staff on Saturday over invasion fears.