Ukraine declares 30-day state of emergency amid stand-off with Russia

dpa Kiev Ukraine has declared a 30-day state of emergency in light of a feared invasion by Russia in the country’s east, the secretary of the security cou...

dpaKiev Ukraine has declared a 30-day state of emergency in light of a feared invasion by Russia in the country’s east, the secretary of the security council said on Wednesday.The move could mean Ukrainians would be ordered to stay home or placed under curfew, Oleksiy Danilov said.It is the latest response to Russia’s decision to recognize two separatist regions in eastern Ukraine as independent countries and authorize Russian military forces to enter to prevent what the Kremlin insists is attempted genocide against ethnic Russians there.It is yet to be officially confirmed that Russian troops have arrived on Ukrainian soil.Ukraine’s border guard has issued new restrictions in the area bordering Russia, including a ban on approaching the border at night, restrictions for foreigners and the prohibition of video and photo recordings of border guard installations.On the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov in the south of Ukraine, ships have been banned from leaving port at night.The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry urged citizens living in Russia to leave the country “immediately.” According to estimates, about 3 million Ukrainians reside in Russia. Many have family in both countries.The West has responded to Russia’s actions vis-a-vis Ukraine with a rush of sanctions for what it calls a violation of international norms.Britain announced sanctions against Russian oligarchs and banks, while Washington announced moves against Russian financial institutions and sovereign debt. The European Union agreed unanimously to its own package of measures.The United States and European countries have been warning for weeks that Russia is preparing an invasion, pointing to the more than 100,000 troops gathered on the Russian side of the joint border and - more recently - Russia’s refusal to withdraw troops stationed in Belarus for military drills.Russia repeatedly denied any such plan.German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock accused Russian President Vladimir Putin of lying about his intentions in Ukraine.“When someone says X a week ago and then does the opposite, then that person has not told the truth ... that person has lied,” she said, after a meeting with her French counterpart Jean-Yves Le Drian in Berlin.The 2014 Minsk peace agreement has been “ripped to bits by the Russian president ... it is not worth the paper it was written on,” Baerbock said, adding that Germany was nonetheless open to an 11th-hour diplomatic solution.Russia responded that it was seeking guarantees that NATO would no longer operate forces in Eastern Europe - even in NATO member countries - and that Ukrainian NATO membership would be permanently off the table.Putin slammed the West on Wednesday for failing to respond to these demands, which he called “non-negotiable.” “Our country is always open for direct and open dialogue, for the quest for diplomatic solutions to difficult problems,” he said in a video message released to mark Defence of the Fatherland Day, a day set aside to honour the armed services.“But I repeat: The interests of Russia and the security of our citizens are non-negotiable for us,” he said.Putin has repeatedly indicated that he thinks NATO’s eastward expansion is a threat to Russia.“Today, securing the ability of our country’s defence forces remains the most important duty of the state,” he said.Also on Tuesday, a debate about whether the Kremlin-backed TV station RT will be allowed to continue broadcasting in Britain was gathering pace.Foreign Secretary Liz Truss said it is up to Britain’s communications regulator Ofcom whether the broadcaster would be allowed to continue with its licence, in comments reported by the Press Association.“I think it is certainly true that [RT] is spouting propaganda on behalf of the Kremlin. One of the things the Kremlin does is use disinformation to try and sow discord in the West, and Russia Today is clearly part of that,” she said.