Diplomats continue to meet.
According to the Pentagon Press Secretary John Kirby, Russia continues to send additional military capabilities along its border with Ukraine and is holding military drills in Belarus. This continues even though some world elders had hoped that Russian President Vladimir Putin would be open to continued negotiations to avert a military and economic standoff. “Every day he adds to his options; every day he adds to his capabilities,” Mr. Kirby said.
On Thursday, Britain’s Foreign Secretary Liz Truss was in Moscow urging Russia to defuse tensions over Ukraine and take the path of diplomacy. She warned Russia that attacking its neighbor will “have massive consequences and carry severe costs.”
Earlier this week, French President Macron met with President Putin expressing grave concerns about the Russian military build-up. The Kremlin has refuted assertions made by the French president that there was an agreement not to escalate the situation. Russia suggested that Macron did not have sufficient influence in NATO for Moscow to negotiate any deals with him.
Russia has also said that Ukraine’s request for a missile defense system from the United States was a “provocation” and a set-back to any diplomatic negotiations.
In addition to troop movements in Belarus and sending additional Russian troops along the Ukraine border, Russia has dispatched six warships to the Black Sea for “naval drills.”
As the Lord Leads, Pray with Us…
- For wisdom for Pentagon officials as they assess the situation between Russia and Ukraine.
- For Secretary Blinken and other diplomats in the State Department working to avert war.
- For NATO and U.S. allies as they seek a peaceful solution to the escalations of Russia.
Sources: Reuters, New York Times, Newsmax
