Ukrainian soldiers put on protective equipment before moving to a front line position in the Luhansk region of eastern Ukraine
High-level diplomacy continued on Friday in an effort to avert war in Eastern Europe. The immediate efforts come as 100,000 Russian troops crowd near Ukraine’s border and the Biden administration worries Russian President Vladimir Putin will launch some sort of offensive within weeks.
Here are things to know about the international tensions surrounding Ukraine.
a diplomatic standoff
Russia’s top diplomat said on Friday that Moscow would not start a war but would not allow the West to crush its security interests.
Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said there was little room for agreement after the West rejected Russia’s key demands that NATO never accept Ukraine as a member and that it withdraw its deployment to Eastern Europe. Is.
Lavrov added that “while they say they will not change their position, we will not change our position.” The top Russian diplomat, however, said the US has suggested in a recent written response to Russian demands that the two sides could discuss other issues of importance.
These include limits on the deployment of intermediate-range missiles, restrictions on military exercises, and rules to prevent accidents between warships and aircraft. He insisted that those issues were secondary to Russia’s main demands.
french connection
French President Emmanuel Macron is talking to his Russian counterpart in the hope that diplomacy can avert war.
Macron’s call with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday morning has two goals, French government spokesman Gabriel Attal said earlier this week: “to continue the dialogue” and “to give Russia its position and (military) maneuverability.” Pushing to make the purpose clear.”
Atal said, Macron is at the center of efforts being made to reduce tension. He also said that Macron plans to hold talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky soon.
Read also | Russia-Ukraine conflict: what Moscow wants, the interests of the West | Explained
Exposing information, but does it have risks?
In a break from the past, the US and its allies are increasingly revealing their intelligence findings as they confront Russian preparations to invade Ukraine, highlighting Putin’s plans and his plans to shape world opinion. Looking to reduce efforts.
The White House publicized in recent weeks what it said was a developing Russian “false flag” operation to make excuses for an invasion.
Britain nominated specific Ukrainians who were accused of having links to Russian intelligence officers plotting to overthrow President Volodymyr Zelensky. The US also released a map of Russian military bases and detailed how officials believe Russia will try to attack Ukraine with 175,000 troops.
But the release of information is not without risk. Intelligence assessments carry varying degrees of certainty, and beyond offering pictures of military activities, the US and its allies have provided little evidence.
Moscow has dismissed Washington’s claims as hysterical and blamed past US intelligence failures, including misinformation about Iraq’s weapons programs.
How is the UK ramping up its cyber security?
The UK’s National Cyber Security Center has urged businesses to strengthen measures to protect computer networks amid the ongoing crisis in Ukraine.
The center said on Friday it was investigating recent reports of “malicious cyber incidents” in Ukraine and that the attacks are similar to Russian behavior seen during earlier conflicts.
Although officials are not aware of any specific threats against the UK, the center is encouraging large organizations to strengthen online security to protect computer networks against potential attacks. The center is part of the UK’s signals intelligence agency GCHQ.
“We are monitoring the situation closely and it is important that organizations follow the guidance to ensure they are resilient,” said NCSC Director of Operations Paul Chichester. “Over the years, we have seen a pattern of malicious Russian behavior in cyberspace.”
Read also | Russia-Ukraine conflict: NATO outlines ‘deterrence’ plan as tensions with Moscow mount
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