The White House has announced that U.S. President Joe Biden will hold a National Security Council meeting today, Sunday, to discuss the Ukrainian crisis. The White House reiterated its warning that Russia could launch an attack on Ukraine at any moment as Ukraine has called for increased Western support following warnings of an imminent Russian invasion. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky proposed a meeting with his Russian counterpart to understand "what he wants."
White House spokesperson Jen Psaki stated that Biden was briefed on discussions among Western leaders regarding the Ukraine crisis at the Munich Security Conference, adding that his national security advisors "reiterated that Russia could attack Ukraine at any time." Washington has been sounding the alarm for about three months regarding what it sees as preparations for a Russian attack on Ukraine.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken stated he would meet with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on February 24 to discuss the Ukrainian crisis. Blinken mentioned he informed Lavrov that the meeting would be contingent on no invasion of Ukraine during that time, indicating a possible meeting between Biden and President Putin if it serves dialogue.
Simultaneously, President Zelensky emphasized on Saturday that Ukraine serves as "Europe's shield" against Russia and deserves more support, calling for a timeline for its NATO membership amidst fears of a looming Russian invasion, while Russia displayed its military power by testing nuclear-capable missiles.
Zelensky condemned in his speech at the Munich Security Conference what he termed "appeasement policy" by Europeans toward Moscow. The President, who traveled to Munich despite intensified shelling in the east of his country and the death of two Ukrainian soldiers, said, "For eight years, Ukraine has been a shield. For eight years, Ukraine has been repelling an army ranked among the largest in the world." He also demanded "clear and practical timelines" for Ukraine's accession to NATO, which Moscow considers a red line for its security.
Zelensky proposed a meeting with Vladimir Putin to understand "what the Russian president wants." Meanwhile, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg told a German channel on Saturday that all signals from Russia indicate that Moscow is preparing for a comprehensive attack on Ukraine, echoing U.S. warnings of an imminent invasion. Stoltenberg confirmed that there is a consensus that the risk of a Russian attack on Ukraine is extremely high.
Additionally, a diplomatic source mentioned that the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe recorded nearly two thousand violations in eastern Ukraine on Saturday. The Donbas region in southeastern Ukraine is witnessing a rapid escalation. Separatist intelligence claimed to have obtained a plan for an offensive operation by Ukrainian troops against the self-proclaimed republics of Luhansk and Donetsk.
The main attack is expected from the town of Kramatorsk in the northern part of Donetsk, extending to Debaltseve, Shchastya, and Yanykiv within three days, and then to the Russian border in two days. Another offensive will be launched by Ukrainian forces from the village of Shirokino towards Azov, a Russian town in Rostov Oblast, located 16 kilometers from the Sea of Azov.
A naval attack is planned from the border town of Novoazovsk in southeastern Ukraine to reach Ilovaisk and Olhivka within two days. The final attack will come from the city of Luhansk, situated in eastern Ukraine near the border with Russia, towards Shchastya, with the potential to reach Krasniy Luch.
As part of these offensive operations, military and civilian facilities in the self-proclaimed republics of Luhansk and Donetsk will be destroyed at depths of 10 to 15 kilometers, through strong strikes using artillery, aircraft, helicopters, and drones. Ukraine considers these accusations absurd and denied any plans to use force in the east of the country.
As concerns grow over a military escalation in Ukraine following a sudden move in the east, pro-Russian separatists continue the evacuation of civilians on buses towards Russia.
