Luke Combs and his wife Nicole are expecting their first child in the coming months, and Luke he admits he’s a little anxious about becoming a dad.
During his appearance on the Grand Ole Opry this weekend, the superstar opened up about the learning curve of becoming a parent.
“I’m a little nervous. You got a lot of stuff to do. I got a lot on my plate that I don’t even realize is on there yet.I’m uncovering things every day and buying all kind of clothes I didn’t know existed,” Luke explained, laughing that he hopes to find his favorite style of Columbia shirts in newborn size.
Luke and Nicole have started putting together a nursery for the soon-to-be-born child, with Luke admitting that he didn’t know what a bassinet was. He’s alsor eached out to friends for advice with the question, “what do I need to be doing right now?”
“I realized the baby doesn’t need me at all. I’m just there to clean stuff I think is the idea.When it comes out, it’s like ‘why are you mouth breathing all over me, I don’t need you to be doing that,'” he joked. “We’re excited.”
Luke announced in January that he and Nicole are expecting a baby boy sometime in the spring.
Camila Cabello is getting ready to release her third studio album, Familia, and further hyped up her fan base by unveiling her new single “Bam Bam,” which features Ed Sheeran.
The single is set for a March 4 release, which is the day before Camila’s 25th birthday. Taking to Instagram, the Grammy nominee shared the single’s official artwork and wrote, “Bam Bam. March 4th with @teddysphotos, one of my favorite people and artists ever.”
In the teaser photo, Camila is sitting on a curb outside of what appears to be a liquor store. The “Havana” singer, whose face is streaked with running mascara, is dressed in a black letterman jacket, faded jeans and black Converse-like sneakers. Next to her are two bottles with the corks sticking up, as well as what appears to be a pint of ice cream.
The track marks the third time Camila has teamed with Ed. The two previously released the 2019 single “South of the Border” with Cardi B, which appeared on Ed’s No.6 Collaborations Project album. Camila also tapped the “Shivers” singer to help her on “The Boy,” a single Billboardreports was meant for her eponymous debut studio album, but that didn’t make the cut.
“Bam Bam” is due out next Friday, March 4. A release date for Familia is forthcoming.
Coheed and Cambria has released a new song called “The Liars Club,” a track off the band’s upcoming album, Vaxis II: A Window of the Waking Mind.
“When the truth is such a mess, who doesn’t want to live out a different reality?” frontman Claudio Sanchez says of the tune. “Who doesn’t want to embrace a lie?”
“The Liars Club” is available now via digital outlets. It’s the third VaxisII track to be released, following the lead single “Shoulders” and the cut “Rise, Naianasha (Cut the Cord).”
Vaxis II, the follow-up to 2018’s Vaxis I: The Unheavenly Creatures, will be released May 27.
Along with the new song, Coheed has announced a U.S. headlining tour for this summer. The outing, dubbed the A Window of the Waking Mind tour, launches July 12 in Miami, and will wrap up August 17 in Troutdale, Oregon.
Tickets go on sale this Friday, February 25, at 10 a.m. local time.
Meanwhile, Coheed’s current Great Destroyer tour continues Tuesday in Oklahoma City, and will wrap up March 19 in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.
This year’s Firefly Festival, scheduled for this September in Dover, Delaware, has announced its star-studded lineup.
Among the headliners are Halsey and Dua Lipa, who’ll take the stage on September 22 and September 25, respectively. Also on the bill: The Kid LAROI, GAYLE, Zedd, AvrilLavigne, Willow, Saint JHN,Charlie XCX, EmmyMeli, GreenDay, Weezer and dozens more.
You can sign up for pre-sale access at FireflyFestival.com; the sale starts February 25 at 10 a.m. ET. The general on-sale launches February 28 at 10 a.m. ET.
Emmy and Grammy winner Chris Rock has announced he’s returning to the stand-up stage for the first time in five years, with the Ego Death World Tour.
The 38-date North American leg kicks off April 2nd in Atlantic City, NJ with a pair of shows at the Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa.
Rock will make stops all over the country in major venues like Radio City Music Hall in New York and The Colosseum at Caesars Palace in Vegas, before wrapping up on November 17 at Los Angeles’ Dolby Theatre.
Tickets go on sale to the public starting this Friday, February 25th at 10am local time at Ticketmaster.com.
Eddie Vedder‘s all-star solo band got even more firepower when Duff McKagan joined the Pearl Jam frontman onstage during his show in Seattle on Monday.
The Guns N’ Roses bassist joined Vedder and his Earthlings for a rocking cover of The Pretenders‘ “Precious.” Fan-shot footage of the performance is streaming now on YouTube.
The Earthlings, named after Vedder’s new solo album, include Red Hot Chili Peppers drummer Chad Smith, ex-RHCP guitarist and current Pearl Jam touring member Josh Klinghoffer, Jane’s Addiction bassist Chris Chaney, singer-songwriter Glen Hansard, and guitarist and producer Andrew Watt.
In related news, McKagan’s daughter Grace has released a new song called “Baby That’s Rock N Roll.” It follows her 2021 single, “One You Love.”
The embattled country singer tops the country charts this week with his latest single, “Sand in My Boots.” This is his first single to top the charts since he was caught on video using the N-word in February 2021.
“You guys are the best,” Morgan said in a video thanking fans and country radio for the hit. “I’ve said it before, I’ve said it a lot actually, that y’all are the best fans in the world and I don’t just say that to say it. I really mean it.”
In the aftermath of the N-word video’s release, Morgan was temporarily dropped from country radio and disinvited from attending major awards shows, including the ACM and CMA Awards, despite nominations. He was also temporarily suspended from his record label, Big Loud Records, and removed from his former talent agency, WME.
Despite the furor, the East Tennessee native’s sophomore album, Dangerous: The Double Album, on which “Sand” is featured, remained at #1 for 10 weeks on the all-genre Billboard 200 and became one of the top-selling albums of 2021.
(WASHINGTON) — After for weeks saying the U.S. would impose “severe and swift” sanctions on Russia if it invaded Ukraine, the Biden administration is now grappling with whether Russia’s decision to send troops across the border would trigger the most severe punishments it had prepared.
The U.S. has condemned Russia for recognizing the independence of two breakaway Ukrainian provinces already partially controlled by pro-Russian separatists — imposing limited sanctions on Monday — and blasted Russian President Vladimir Putin for ordering troops into those regions.
But as the White House stopped short of putting in place sanctions it said would make Russia an “international pariah,” observers were left to parse what, in President Joe Biden’s eyes, would actually prompt that.
“Russia will be held accountable if it invades,” Biden said at a news conference on Jan. 19. “And it depends on what it does. It’s one thing if it’s a minor incursion and then we end up having a fight about what to do and not do, et cetera.”
Within hours, his press secretary, Jen Psaki, clarified: “If any Russian military forces move across the Ukrainian border, that’s a renewed invasion, and it will be met with a swift, severe, and united response from the United States and our allies.”
The next day, Biden, too, added: “If any — any — assembled Russian units move across the Ukrainian border, that is an invasion” that “would be met with severe and coordinated economic response that I’ve discussed in detail with our allies.”
And his top national security adviser, Jake Sullivan, said in a Feb. 6 interview with NBC News: “President Biden has spoken to the fact that if a Russian tank or a Russian troop moves across the border, that’s an invasion” that would result in “severe economic consequences.”
The president was scheduled to speak about the situation in Ukraine at 1 p.m. Tuesday.
But with Putin so far ordering troops into regions where Russian operatives already operate — albeit within Ukraine’s internationally recognized borders – it was unclear what, exactly, would trigger the larger sanctions.
“We think this is, yes, the beginning of an invasion, Russia’s latest invasion, into Ukraine, and you already seeing the beginning of our response that we’ve said would be swift and severe,” Jon Finer, the principal deputy U.S. national security adviser, said in an interview with CNN Tuesday.
He said the U.S. would announce “additional sanctions steps” later Tuesday. But he also suggested this was Russia’s “latest” invasion — that it was “making overt” what it had denied in the past,
“An invasion is an invasion, and that is what is underway,” he said. “But Russia has been invading Ukraine since 2014.”
Administration officials, though, had in the past suggested to reporters that sanctions would not come in a piecemeal fashion.
Psaki, though, said Monday that the sanctions the U.S. was announcing were “separate from and would be in addition to the swift and severe economic measures we have been preparing in coordination with allies and partners should Russia further invade Ukraine.”
The linguistic dance took place in Europe, as well, where the European Union’s foreign policy chief, Josep Borrell, on Tuesday told reporters that “Russian troops are on Ukrainian soil” but that he wouldn’t call Russia’s actions “a fully fledged invasion.”
After Russia’s actions Monday, the U.S. and its allies began imposing a series of cascading sanctions.
The U.S. on Monday targeted people connected to the two separatist-controlled areas. On Tuesday, Germany took the major step of suspending the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline from Russia; the UK imposed sanctions on three Russian oligarchs, five Russian banks and Russian parliamentarians; and the European Union said it was preparing to banks and decision makers involved in the independence recognition.
But the moves — particularly from the United States – stopped far short of the most severe sanctions the White House has threatened. It has warned it was preparing to restrict Russians’ access to semiconductors; punish Russia’s aerospace, defense, and high-tech industries; cripple the country’s largest financial institutions; and hit even Putin and those around him.
“If Russia invades Ukraine, it would become a pariah to the international community, it would become isolated from global financial markets, and it would be deprived of the most sophisticated technological inputs,” the White House’s top national security official crafting sanctions, Daleep Singh, said Friday.
U.S. officials have for weeks been working to get European allies to act in unison on reacting to Russia. Biden and other top U.S. officials have repeatedly threatened “swift and severe consequences.”
American officials have signaled that there is more agreement with other Western nations on what would happen if Russia carries out a full-scale invasion of Ukraine — but that if Russia stops short and the world sees other scenarios play out — like a partial invasion of eastern Ukraine, or solely recognizing the regions’ independence, for example — the kaleidoscope of possible penalties might not come into full harmony.
Gwen Stefani‘s youngest child is about to turn eight, and his mom made sure Apollo feels special ahead of his big day.
Peopleobtained snaps of the singer’s Instagram stories from over the weekend that show Gwen showering her son, whom she shares with ex Gavin Rossdale, with love and affection. Apollo’s birthday is February 28.
One photo, which features a blue sticker that reads “Birthday Boy,’ shows Gwen grinning widely while looking up at Apollo. Another snap is of the blindfolded youngster trying to smash some candy out of his piñata, while others provide small vignettes of Apollo’s birthday party. The birthday boy invited over many friends and everyone feasted on a two-layer birthday cake that had Arizona Cardinals decorations. The cake featured a Cardinals jersey bearing the number 10, which belongs to DeAndre Hopkins, who is presumably Apollo’s favorite NFL player.
Gwen also shared multiple snaps that showed off how she celebrated youngest son’s big day — from wearing a shirt that had one of Apollo’s hand-drawn photo emblazoned on the front to wearing a gold bangle with his name etched on in white.
Aside from Apollo, Gwen shares two other sons with Rossdale: 15-year-old Kingston and 13-year-old Zuma. The “Hollaback Girl” singer has since remarried country singer Blake Shelton. Just last week, Gwen shared some never-before-seen footage of their wedding, which featured a proud Blake kissing Apollo on the cheek.
(NEW YORK) — The United States continues to warn that Russia could cross into Ukraine “any moment” amid escalating tensions in the region with the White House set to announce new sanctions on Russia Tuesday.
In a fiery address to the Russian public on Monday evening, Putin announced he was recognizing the independence of two Russia-backed separatist areas in eastern Ukraine’s Donbas region: the self-proclaimed People’s Republics of Donetsk and Luhansk (DNR and LNR) — prompting a set of sanctions from Western countries, including Germany halting approval of a major gas pipeline from Russia.
Biden, in response, issued an executive order banning “new investment, trade, and financing by U.S. persons to, from, or in the so-called DNR and LNR regions of Ukraine,” which “will also provide authority to impose sanctions on any person determined to operate in those areas of Ukraine,” according to White House press secretary Jen Psaki, who said the U.S. “will also soon announce additional measures related to today’s blatant violation of Russia’s international commitments.”
While the U.S. says some 190,000 Russian troops and separatist forces are estimated to be massed near Ukraine’s borders, Russia has denied any wrongdoing and reiterated its demands that the U.S. and NATO bar Ukraine from joining the military alliance.
Here’s how the news is developing. All times Eastern:
Feb 22, 11:23 am
1st EU package of Russian sanctions to target decision-makers, banks
The European Union has published the proposals of targeted measures that will be formally tabled Tuesday afternoon in response to Moscow’s recognition of the separatist regions in eastern Ukraine — and adds that they have prepared and stand ready to adopt additional measures if needed.
In a statement from the presidents of the European Commission and the European Council on Russian aggression against Ukraine, the group labeled Russia’s actions as “illegal and unacceptable.”
“It violates international law, Ukraine’s territorial integrity and sovereignty, Russia’s own international commitments and it further escalates the crisis. Both Presidents welcome the steadfast unity of Member States and their determination to react with robustness and speed to the illegal actions of Russia in close coordination with international partners,” they said.
The package contains proposals to target individuals involved with the decision to recognize Russian-backed separatist regions, banks financing the move, Russian access to EU markets and trade from the two breakaway regions.
An informal meeting of EU Foreign Affairs Ministers chaired by the High Representative is scheduled for 4 p.m. where the first package of sanctions will be formally tabled later this afternoon. Appropriate bodies will then meet to finalize the package.
-ABC News’ Christine Theodorou
Feb 22, 11:20 am
Biden to deliver afternoon remarks on Russia, Ukraine
President Joe Biden will provide an update on Russia and Ukraine from the White House at 1 p.m. on Tuesday, according to an updated official schedule.
White House press secretary Jen Psaki in an earlier tweet pledged that more U.S. measures would come “today” but did not give any further details on when or how severe they will be.
@POTUS made clear that if Russia invaded Ukraine, we would act with Germany to ensure Nord Stream 2 does not move forward. We have been in close consultations with Germany overnight and welcome their announcement. We will be following up with our own measures today.
Feb 22, 10:02 am
US to impose tougher sanctions on Russia, UK, EU tease same
As Ukraine calls on allies to impose harsher sanctions on Russia in response to Moscow’s recognition of the separatist regions in eastern Ukraine, several Western countries have announced some sanctions to start — and warned more are coming.
The White House is expected to announce tougher sanctions on Russia Tuesday following criticism from some lawmakers that sanctions President Joe Biden announced Monday were limited.
U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson labeled Russia’s actions this morning as a “renewed invasion” and announced the U.K. was sanctioning five Russian banks and three oligarchs, while the European Union weighs another set of sanctions that would ban trading in Russian state bonds and target imports and exports with separatist entities.
Top Russian officials have dismissed the new western sanctions, with Russia’s foreign minister Sergey Lavrov in a state TV interview saying Russia was already “used to” sanctions and that it considers more sanctions would be imposed on Moscow regardless of what it does.
But in what may amount to a huge blow to Russia, Germany announced earlier that it would halt Nordstrom 2, a key gas pipeline, as NATO allies aim to pressure Putin into a pathway to diplomacy. White House press secretary Jen Psaki applauded the move and teased more U.S. measures would be coming “today.”
Feb 22, 8:33 am
Putin denies wanting to recreate Russian empire
Russian President Vladimir Putin denied Tuesday that he is seeking to rebuild the Russian empire.
In remarks ahead of his meeting with Azerbaijan’s president, Putin said he knew his recognition of two Russia-backed separatist areas in eastern Ukraine would spark such “speculation.”
“I have seen speculation that Russia wants to rebuild the Russian empire in its imperial boundaries. That absolutely does not correspond to reality,” Putin said.
The Russian leader insisted that his country recognizes the sovereignty of all former Soviet countries but said the situation with Ukraine is “different” because he claimed foreign countries are using Ukrainian territory to threaten Russia.
“Unfortunately the territory of that country is being used by third countries to create a threat to Russia itself. The issues is only in that,” Putin said, adding that Russia’s cooperation with Ukriane has disappeared due to the conflict that began between the Ukrainian military and Russia-backed separatist forces in 2014, which he described as a “coup.”
Feb 22, 8:28 am
US embassy staff to stay in Lviv each day, in Poland at night
U.S. embassy staff who remained in Ukraine will be in the western city of Lviv during the daytime and stay in Poland each night for security reasons, amid fears of a Russian invasion, acting U.S. ambassador to Ukraine Kristina Kvien told ABC News.
The embassy’s skeleton staff had relocated operations to Lviv from the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv. They returned to Lviv on Tuesday after staying in Poland overnight, a senior U.S. official told ABC News.
Feb 22, 7:40 am
Germany halts approval of pipeline as part of sanctions against Russia
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz announced Tuesday that his country will halt its approval of the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline connecting Germany to Russia, in response to Russia’s recognition of two separatist areas in eastern Ukraine and amid fear of further possible aggression.
“The situation today is fundamentally different,” Scholz said at a press conference in Berlin.
Scholz said he has asked Germany’s Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action to take a step that blocks certification of the Nord Stream 2. That means the pipeline, which is already built, cannot go into operation for now.
The Nord Stream 2 linking Russia to Europe by circumventing Ukraine has been highly controversial, with Germany accused of allowing Russia to construct a geopolitical weapon enabling Moscow to pressure Europe using gas supplies. Last year, Ukraine and the United States were pushing to stop the project but Germany refused.
The decision to halt the pipeline’s certification serves as a major sanction against Russia amid growing fears of an invasion of neighboring Ukraine and immense pressure on Germany to act. Earlier Tuesday, Ukrainian President Zelenskyy called on Germany to include the Nord Stream 2 in Europe’s sanctions on Russia.
“At this stage, in addition to initial sanctions, it is now important to prevent further escalation and thus another catastrophe,” Scholz said. “That is what all our diplomatic efforts are aimed at.”
The move may amount to a huge blow to Russia, which has already stoked a gas crunch in Europe by having its state-owned energy company Gazprom deliver the bare minimum of gas despite severe shortages. Gazprom has continued to do that in recent weeks and could go further, and Germany is particularly vulnerable. During a press conference last week, Scholz repeatedly refused to explicitly say if he would be willing to halt the Nord Stream 2.
However, by suspending the pipeline’s certification, Germany dangles the possibility it could be resumed if Russia doesn’t make further aggressions against Ukraine. It’s unclear how Russia will respond to a continent that it knows is overly reliant on Russian energy.
Feb 22, 7:12 am
Ukraine doesn’t believe Russia will mount ‘large-scale’ invasion
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Tuesday he won’t introduce martial law for now because his government doesn’t believe that Russia will mount a “large-scale” invasion.
“We believe that there won’t be a war, a powerful one, against Ukraine and there won’t be a large-scale escalation from Russia,” Zelenskyy said during a joint press conference in Kyiv with his Estonian counterpart. “If there will be, we will impose martial law.”
Zelenskyy also revealed that he’s considering breaking off diplomatic relations with Russia over its recognition of two Russia-backed separatist areas in eastern Ukraine’s Donbas region. He said a proposal to do so has been put forward by the Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which he said he’s looking at it but has not yet made a decision.
The Ukrainian president also called for Western countries to impose sanctions fast against Russia, saying the situation is developing “very quickly” and that the “first steps” of Moscow’s aggression have already been made. Zelenskyy said sanctions should include fully stopping the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline connecting Russia to Germany.
“The reaction must as quick,” he noted. “Sanctions policy is more a powerful policy which can really have an effect on the probable escalation from Russia. Don’t wait for it to happen, because already the first steps of this aggression are done. We believe that legally the aggression has already been done.”
Feb 22, 7:01 am
Kremlin calls Western reaction ‘predictable’
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Tuesday that the reaction of Western countries to Russia’s recognition of two Russia-backed separatist areas in eastern Ukraine is “predictable.”
“As for the reaction, it was predictable, foreseeable,” Peskov told reporters during a daily call. “We will continue to work and to patiently put across our arguments.”
Peskov also claimed not to know anything about possible deployments of Russian “peacekeepers” into the areas overnight and made a comment that suggested the Kremlin may consider the legitimate territory of the separatists to include large parts of eastern Ukraine currently not in their control.
Separatists in the self-declared People’s Republics of Donetsk and Luhansk only hold about a third of the territory they claim in eastern Ukraine’s Donbas region. The fear is Russia might now back those claims and use it as a pretext to make a larger land grab and destroy Ukrainian forces.
Speaking to reporters Tuesday, Peskov said the Kremlin recognizes the separatist areas “in those borders which they have declared for themselves, when these two republics were declared.”
But when asked to clarify, Peskov added: “In those borders, in which they exist and were declared. And were declared and exist.”
When pressed if that meant within the “present borders” of the separatist areas, Peskov refused to answer, saying he had nothing more to add.
Peskov also said that Russia’s recognition of the areas means the issue of the Minsk agreement is “now off the agenda.” He said any negotiations going forward will focus only on Russia’s demands for security guarantees that Ukraine not join NATO.
Peskov noted that the United States has not contacted the Kremlin since Russian President Vladimir Putin announced Monday his recognition of the two separatist areas as independent, but that Moscow was “open to diplomatic contacts.”
What happens next, he said, is “up to our opponents.”
Feb 22, 6:09 am
Russian parliament ratifies friendship treaty with separatists areas of eastern Ukraine
Russia’s parliament voted Tuesday to ratify a friendship treaty with two Russia-backed separatist areas in eastern Ukraine.
Lawmakers also added an amendment that brings the Treaty of Friendship into force immediately. The treaty includes a mutual defense pact, which establishes that Russian troops will jointly guard the borders of the self-proclaimed People’s Republics of Donetsk and Luhansk, in a breakaway region of eastern Ukraine known as Donbas.
Lawmakers were still discussing the decrees that Russian President Vladimir Putin signed on Monday night recognizing the two areas as independent. Both the upper and lower chambers of Russia’s parliament are expected to vote soon on whether to ratify the orders.
It remains unclear exactly what borders Russia will recognize for the areas. Separatist leaders of the self-declared People’s Republics of Donetsk and Luhansk want to control all of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions in Donbas. But they currently only have about a third, with the rest controlled by Ukraine.
Some Russian officials have suggested Moscow may adopt the position that the separatist areas should include the entire Donetsk and Luhansk regions, thus raising fears that Russian troops will use force to expand the borders.
Feb 22, 5:49 am
Top Russian officials dismiss the West’s sanctions
Top Russian officials on Tuesday morning dismissed new sanctions being imposed by Western countries for Moscow’s recognition of the separatist areas in eastern Ukraine.
In an interview with state-owned television channel Russia-24, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said the country was already “used to” sanctions and that more would be imposed regardless of what Moscow does.
“That our [Western] colleagues are trying to push the blame on Russia for the failure of the Minsk agreements, we also understand,” Lavrov said. “Our European, American, British colleagues won’t stop and won’t calm down as long as they haven’t exhausted their possibilities for the so-called punishment of Russia.”
“They already threaten all possible sanctions. Hellish, or as they say there, ‘the mother of all sanctions,'” he added. “Well, we’re used to this. The president already noted our position, we know that sanctions will be introduced all the same, in any case. With a basis, without a basis.”
Meanwhile, the speaker of Russia’s parliament, Vyacheslav Volodin, echoed Lavrov’s sentiments during an ongoing session of the lower house, known as the State Duma.
“Yes, sanctions hinder our development. But they would happen anyway. They would happen anyway even if that decision hadn’t been taken,” Volodin told lawmakers, adding that there are “more important problems.”
“Yesterday, our president stopped a war,” he said. “It’s not a question of territory — it’s a question of the lives of millions of citizens.”
Feb 22, 5:10 am
US embassy staff return to Ukraine after spending night in Poland
U.S. embassy staff who remained in Ukraine will return to the country on Tuesday after spending the night in Poland amid fears of a Russian invasion, a senior U.S. official told ABC News.
Personnel will return to the city of Lviv in western Ukraine, where they had relocated operations from the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv. But they are poised to move back to Poland at any point, the official said.
Feb 22, 4:58 am
Russia-backed separatists claim Ukraine is still staging attacks
Russia-backed separatists in eastern Ukraine have continued to accuse Ukrainian government forces of attacks.
The separatists in a breakaway region known as Donbas made another unverified claim Tuesday morning that three civilians were killed by a roadside bomb.
Separatist leaders posted photographs of a burned-out minivan on a road in their territory that they alleged was the vehicle blown up by a Ukrainian “diversionary group.” The claim is unverified and resembles other allegations that have been rapidly debunked.
Meanwhile, a top separatist military commander accused Ukrainian government forces of continuing to shell the area.
The latest claims raise the possibility that Russia is still building a pretext to launch an attack on Ukrainian government troops, even after recognizing the self-proclaimed People’s Republics of Donetsk and Luhansk as independent.
Feb 22, 4:33 am
‘World cannot be silent,’ Ukrainian defense minister warns
Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov took to Twitter early Tuesday to dismiss Moscow’s recognition of the Russian-controlled breakaway areas in eastern Ukraine, saying the move amounts only to a recognition of the Kremlin’s “own aggression.”
“We remain confident and calm,” Reznikov tweeted. “We are ready and able to defend ourselves and our sovereignty.”
But he also issued a warning: “World cannot be silent.”
“Sanctions?” he tweeted. “Another brick in the wall? New Berlin Wall?”
Feb 22, 2:54 am
Putin’s recognition of separatists’ independence is ‘shameful act,’ Blinken says
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken early Tuesday called Russia’s move to recognize separatist regions in Ukraine as independent a “predictable” act.
“Russia’s move to recognize the ‘independence’ of so-called republics controlled by its own proxies is a predictable, shameful act,” he said on Twitter.
Blinken is scheduled to meet Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba in Washington on Tuesday.
Feb 22, 2:03 am
Blinken speaks with Ukraine’s Kuleba ahead of Tuesday meeting
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken spoke by phone on Monday with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba, noting the Biden administration’s “swift response” to Russia’s decision to recognize Ukraine’s separatists’ regions as independent.
“They discussed the strong measures we announced today in response and reiterated that additional steps would be forthcoming,” State Department spokesperson Ned Price said in a statement late Monday.
Blinken and Kuleba are scheduled to meet on Tuesday in Washington.
Kuleba earlier said he spoke with Blinken about sanctions.
“I underscored the need to impose tough sanctions on Russia in response to its illegal actions,” Kuleba said on Twitter.
Feb 21, 11:58 pm
Ukrainian envoy says UN is infected with ‘virus’ spread by Kremlin
After the Russian envoy spoke at the U.N. Security Council’s emergency meeting Tuesday night, Ukraine’s envoy began his remarks by saying he was afraid to take off his mask not because of COVID-19 but “because of the virus that has so far no vaccine — the virus that hates the United Nations and the virus that is spread by the Kremlin.”
That “virus” has infected the U.N. and threatens to kill it, Ambassador Sergiy Kyslytsya said in a stark warning.
“The United Nations is sick, that’s a matter of fact,” he said. “It’s been hit by the virus spread by the Kremlin. Will it succumb to this virus? It is in the hands of the membership.”
Kyslytsya warned it’s not just the U.N. that he believes is under threat. During his remarks, he held up a paper that had a copy of the Kremlin’s decree recognizing Russian-backed “breakaway” provinces from Georgia in 2008 and the decree issued Monday recognizing the separatist Donetsk and Luhansk, showing how they’re almost the exact same.
“Copy, paste. Copy, paste. No creativity whatsoever. The copying machine in the Kremlin works very well. Who is next among the members of the United Nations? The question is open,” he said.
Kyslytsya demanded that Russia “cancel” and remove “additional Russian occupation troops” in Ukrainian territory, and he insisted, “The internationally recognized borders of Ukraine have been and will remain unchangeable regardless of any statements and actions by the Russian Federation.”
“We are committed to a peaceful and diplomatic path, and we will stay firmly on it. We are on our land. We are not afraid of anything or anyone. We owe nothing to anyone, and we will not give away anything to anyone,” he said.
Feb 21, 11:48 pm
Ukraine highlights importance of global response to Russia
Ukraine called for “painful sanctions” against Russia in a statement released by its foreign ministry, noting that how the world responds may greatly influence Russia’s next move.
“Further decisions and steps of the Russian Federation largely depend on the world’s reaction to today’s events,” the statement read. “Therefore, we insist on imposing painful sanctions against Russia in order to send a clear signal of the inadmissibility of further escalation. It is time to act to end Russia’s aggression and restore peace and stability in Europe.”
The country reiterated that it is ready to defend itself, stating that it “understands Russia’s intentions and its desire to provoke Ukraine. We take into account all risks and do not succumb to provocations.”
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba is currently in Washington and meets with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Tuesday.
Feb 21, 11:21 pm
Russian envoy dismisses criticisms, blames Ukraine in Security Council meeting
In remarks during an emergency U.N. Security Council meeting Tuesday, Russian Ambassador Vasily Nebenzia dismissed “highly emotional” criticisms of Russia and said nothing has changed on the ground, while also blaming Ukraine for the decisions President Vladimir Putin’s decisions made earlier in the day.
Nebenzia dismissed “unfounded panic about an impending Russian invasion of Ukraine” — as Russian troops prepare to come across the border — and painted Russia as a pacifist hero that welcomed refugees who were forced onto buses by Russian-led separatists.
“We’ve just heard a number of highly emotional statements, categorical assessments, and far-reaching conclusions,” he said during the emergency meeting. “I’ll leave the direct verbal assaults against us unanswered. Now it’s important to focus on how to avoid war and how to force Ukraine to stop the shelling and provocations against Donetsk and Luhansk.”
Russian-controlled separatists are responsible for the shelling and for staging the provocations, but Nebenzia worked to portray Ukraine as the aggressor and Russia as the force preventing war, despite it essentially seizing Ukrainian territory.
