Ukraine has called for a meeting with Russia and other members of a key European security group over the escalating tensions on its border, according to BBC News.
Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said Russia had ignored formal requests to explain the build-up of troops. He stated the next step was requesting a meeting within the next 48 hours for transparency about Russia’s plans.
The US says Moscow could begin with aerial bombardments at any time more than a dozen nations have urged their citizens to leave Ukraine.
Ukraine has made a request via the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) for Russia to explain its build-up of troops. Under the Vienna Document, of which Russia is party to, OSCE members can ask for information on a member’s military activities.
“If Russia is serious when it talks about the indivisibility of security in the OSCE space, it must fulfil its commitment to military transparency in order to de-escalate tensions and enhance security for all,” said Foreign Minister Kuleba.
However, Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky, who criticized the “panic” that could spread from such claims, said he had seen no proof that Russia was planning an invasion in the coming days.
On Sunday Zelensky, spoke for nearly an hour by phone with US President Joe Biden. The White House said President Biden had reiterated US support for Ukraine, and that both leaders had agreed on “the importance of continuing to pursue diplomacy and deterrence.”
An hour-long call between President Biden and Russian leader Vladimir Putin the day before failed to yield a breakthrough.
In the latest attempt to find a diplomatic solution, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has meetings scheduled with President Zelensky in Kyiv on Monday and with President Putin in Moscow on Tuesday.