Pentagon Calls for Transparency on Ukraine Plans, CBR Members Speak

LOCAL NEWS

• Pentagon Chief says the US continues to monitor Russian military near the borders with Ukraine, but cannot fully figure out Moscow's plans and consider it necessary for it to be more transparent. Austin stressed that Washington's support for Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity is "unshakable."
• Russian political experts say Lukashenko's move to push migrants towards the EU is a bid to try to for the EU to open a dialogue and lessen his dependence on Russia.
  • Notes Lukanshenko wants some distance between himself and Moscow to maneuver independently. Says the Russia-Belarus relationship is become more complicated with Lukashenko becoming a liability for Moscow's interests – with Russia's main goal not being to annex Belarus, but make sure it does not link with the West.
  • Lukashenko's presidency is a guarantee that this worn happen, but his behaviour is becoming problematic for Russia
• Polish troops say they are tracking movements of a new camp of roughly 1,000 migrants on the Belarus border near the Kuznica-Bruzgi crossing. Over the past 24hrs polish guards reported 161 attempts to illegally cross the border and two attempts to storm the fence

Events

• 0900GMT: Nabiullina to speak in state Duma
• 1200GMT: Putin addresses collegium of Foreign Ministry on policy priorities