British envoy in Moscow to try to ease Ukraine crisis
Deccan ChronicleMOSCOW: Britain’s top diplomat flew Wednesday to Moscow, seeking to defuse tensions raised by Russia’s military buildup near Ukraine and warning that an invasion would bring “massive consequences for all involved.” “Russia has a choice here. Kuleba urged more sanctions against Russia and said “there is a chance to resolve the crisis through diplomatic means.” Scholz is expected in Kyiv and Moscow on Feb. 14-15. Russia’s Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov criticized the U.S. and its allies for turning the Nord Stream 2 “into an instrument of pressure on Moscow” and called recent statements about it “a political circus.” Japan has decided to divert some of its gas reserves to Europe amid growing concern over possible disruptions of supplies due to the crisis, said Japanese Economy, Trade and Industry Minister Koichi Hagiuda. Scholz’s spokesman Wolfgang Buechner said Wednesday that the parties to the talks “reaffirmed their commitment to narrowing current disagreements with a view to moving forward, and that is what tomorrow’s meeting should be about.” “Germany is strongly and tirelessly committed to the Normandy format, where we have a special responsibility and, together with France, are making a very special contribution to the attempt to de-escalate the situation in and around Ukraine,” he said.