Flights to Ukraine halted, redirected amid rising fears of Russian invasion
India Today
Flights to Ukraine have been halted and rerouted as fears of a Russian invasion grow.
Some airlines have cancelled or diverted flights to Ukraine amid heightened fears that an invasion by Russia is imminent despite intensive weekend talks between the Kremlin and the West.
In an hourlong call with Russian President Vladimir Putin, President Joe Biden said that invading Ukraine would cause “widespread human suffering” and that the West was committed to diplomacy to end the crisis but “equally prepared for other scenarios,” the White House said. It offered no suggestion that the call diminished the threat of an imminent war in Europe.
The two presidents spoke a day after Biden's national security adviser, Jake Sullivan, warned that US intelligence shows a Russian invasion could begin within days.
Russia denies it intends to invade but has massed well over 100,000 troops near the Ukrainian border and has sent troops to exercises in neighbouring Belarus. US officials say Russia's buildup of firepower has reached the point where it could invade on short notice.
Read | Evacuations, fear of refugee crisis and a warning: How world is responding to Russia-Ukraine tensions
Dutch airline KLM has cancelled flights to Ukraine until further notice, the company said Saturday.
