Tensions Brew as Ukraine Raises the Alarm Over Potential Jan 2022 Invasion Attempt

LOCAL NEWS

• Kremlin accuses West of artificially whipping up Ukraine tensions over speculation of a potential invasion. Over the weekend, Blinken said the US & EU share concerns that Russia might be preparing an attack. Ukrainian military intelligence also said Russia was preparing to attack by end-Jan 2022.
  • Moscow dismissed these accusations as inflammatory and complained about NATO's increased regional presence. Kremlin called on NATO to stop arming Ukraine with modern weapons
  • US senator proposes anti-Russian sanctions in case hostile actions are taken against Ukraine – calling for a rolling 15-day assessment period to ensure Ukraine's safety.
  • If the US administration sees a notable escalation the US would have 30 days to implement sanctions, with top state officials, sovereign debt, state banks and Nord Stream 2 among the potential sanctions targets
• FM Spox Zakrarova says NATO has ignored Russia's warnings and continues to fan tensions at its borders. Says US-Estonia drills are an attempt to deliberately create tensions near Russia, calling NATO's accusations of non-transparency hypocritical
• Russia security council warns of risks of increased provocations from Kiev's special forces and terrorists in Crimea as illegal weapons/explosive smuggling and trans-border crime have increased in recent weeks