Russian invasion at Kyiv on Feb 6; US issues new warning

            Following Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky’s warning that Russia may begin invading the nation on February 16, the US cautioned the Kremlin on Monday of “grave repercussions” and called on a diplomatic solution.

White House Principal Deputy Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters that the US is “actively working” for a diplomatic solution, saying that President Joe Biden talked with Russia’s Vladimir Putin over the weekend to de-escalate the problem.

“If Russia decides to engage constructively, the door for diplomacy remains open”, Jean-Pierre stated. “However, given Russia’s actions on the ground, we are optimistic about the possibilities”.

According to the White House, Biden has also reached out to British Prime Minister Boris Johnson to address the situation in Ukraine. According to the statement, the two reviewed “Russia’s persistent military build-up on Ukraine’s borders and reiterated their support for Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity”. Ukraine’s Zelensky has called on Ukrainians to raise the national flag from buildings and sing the national anthem in unison beginning Wednesday. “They addressed steps to strengthen NATO’s eastern flank’s defensive posture and highlighted the sustained tight cooperation among allies and partners, including preparedness to impose harsh repercussions on Russia should it chose further military escalation”, the statement added. However, Ukrainian officials stated that Zelensky was not forecasting an assault on that day, but was reacting sceptically to international media reports.