Ukraine

Stalled Ukraine-Russia peace talks and a recent Russian buildup of troops near the Ukrainian border are raising tensions in Europe and with the U.S. Kyiv and its Western partners should send Moscow a strong deterrence message while also proposing mutual de-escalatory measures.

The Kremlin said on Thursday that Ukraine’s stated goal of retaking Crimea — which Moscow seized in 2014 — amounted to a “direct threat” to Russia, as tensions soar over Kyiv’s conflict with pro-Russia separatists.

NATO foreign ministers on Tuesday called on Russia to de-escalate, warning they stand in solidarity with Ukraine. Speaking from Riga, Latvia, where NATO foreign ministers have gathered for a summit, Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said that the build-up of Russian troops and military equipment near the Ukrainian border "is unprovoked and unexplained."

U.S. President Joe Biden has reiterated "unwavering support" for Kyiv as Russia and Ukraine both launched military exercises near their border amid rising tensions between the two neighbors.

The United States and United Kingdom once again expressed concern about a large buildup of Russian troops near the border with Ukraine as concerns grow over the Kremlin’s endgame.

Ukraine on Thursday appointed a new defense minister with a mandate to strengthen the army, as the country remains locked in conflict with pro-Russia separatists.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has defended the use of a Turkish-supplied armed drone to strike Russia-backed separatists in eastern Ukraine, saying the military acted in self-defense and did not violate any agreements.

Russian-backed separatists on Saturday called off a protest outside a hotel in eastern Ukraine housing international conflict monitors, ending a blockade sparked by the capture of a separatist officer by Ukrainian government forces.

The Organization for Security and Cooperation on Europe has suspended its monitoring mission in eastern Ukraine following protests near its headquarters in separatist-controlled Donetsk, the chief monitor said on Sunday.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Emmanuel Macron had phone calls on Monday with the presidents of Ukraine and Russia to discuss the conflict in Ukraine, and agreed their foreign ministers should meet, the German government said.