Russia sees ‘rational elements’ in US proposal, says top envoy

Bloomberg

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Friday that the American proposal to defuse tensions with Ukraine contained “rational elements,” even though some key points were ignored.
The seemingly calmer tone came after U.S. President Joe Biden warned of a possible Russian attack next month during a phone call with his Ukrainian counterpart, Volodymyr Zelenskiy. They also discussed ways the US could offer financial support to bolster Kyiv’s economy.
Russia has denied it intends to invade, despite massing thousands of troops, tanks and equipment near Ukraine’s eastern border.
Defense Minister Oleksiy Reznikov told lawmakers in Kyiv that accusations that the country is preparing military provocation in its eastern Donbas region are untrue, while saying that defenses in the region are being strengthened. Russian President Vladimir Putin has previously accused Ukraine of planning to launch an attack in the region.
He added that there are about 112,000 Russian troops near Ukraine’s border — or 130,000 when including navy and air force— which is on par with the 126,000 troops Moscow deployed near the Ukrainian border in April.
They are closely watching the Russian troops arriving in Belarus for drills, Reznikov said. “They look more like an occupation task force than a strike group and they present more of a threat to Minsk than to Ukraine,” he said.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy was not on the official list released on Friday of the 30 or so heads of state and directors of international organizations who will visit Beijing on February 4 for the opening of the Winter Olympics.
Neither China nor Ukraine had announced that Zelenskiy would go, but an official familiar with his thinking said the president had been considering it, particularly as Russia’s Vladimir Putin will be there and it could be a chance to seek a meeting on the Ukraine tensions. China’s foreign ministry didn’t elaborate on Zelenskiy when asked by Bloomberg News. Zelenskiy’s spokesman Serhiy Nykyforov declined to comment.
Airlines are altering schedules to limit their exposure to Ukrainian airspace, even as flights into and out of the country continue.
Ryanair Holdings Plc, Europe’s largest discount airline, has reduced the number of flights to and from Ukraine, according to a spokeswoman, while Deutsche Lufthansa AG and its Swiss and Austrian units have switched some flights to Kyiv from evenings to mornings due to safety concerns, a spokesman said.
European Commission Vice-President Valdis Dombrovskis will visit Ukraine next week to discuss the details of the new EU financial assistance program, according to an official familiar with the trip who asked not to be identified because the plans are private.
Dombrovskis will meet with Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal on January 31 and Zelenskiy the following day.