US Warns Europe of Potential Ukraine Invasion, West Ready to Impose Sanctions on Belarus

LOCAL NEWS

• US warns Europe over possible Ukraine invasion as tensions flare between Moscow and the bloc over migrants and energy supplies.
  • A White House official said Thursday evening that the U.S. was consulting with allies over the build-up, considered Ukraine a partner and denounced any and all aggressive acts by Russia
• UK, US, EU ready to discuss new sanctions against Minsk according to a joint statement in line with the current migrant crisis on the Polish Border.
  • All countries agreed Minsk's goal is "destabilisng neighbouring countries and the EU's external border and diverting attention away from its own increasing human rights violations."
  • Also noted that the Lukashenko regime has become a threat to regional stability
• Russia expects serious conversation on Ukraine at 2+2 meeting with France today with Lavrov leading the meeting. Lavrov said that the West cannot avoid responsibility for Kiev's actions, despite Frace and Germany continuing to look the other way on its actions
• Merkel in a telephone call with Putin placed the blame for the migration crisis on Belarus. The call also discussed the advancement of the Normandy quartet talks for the implementation of the Minsk accords on a peace settlement of the Donbass conflict