Ukraine holds its breathe and calls for urgent meeting with Russia as Putin to meet with his war Cabinet today

Ukraine has asked for a meeting with Vladimir Putin within in the next 48 hours as Russia now has more than 130,000 troops on the border with thousands more on warships.

Russia has ignored formal requests from Ukraine to explain why there is a huge build up of troops and military hardware, the Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said.

Kuleba said the next steps are under the Vienna Document they want to meet with Russia and European leaders.

The Vienna Document is an agreement of security issues which was set up by members of the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), to which Russia is a member.

Kubela said on Friday, “If Russia is serious when it talks about the indivisibility of security in the OSCE space, it must fulfil its commitment to military transparency in order to de-escalate tensions and enhance security for all.”

Ukraine’s ambassador to the UK Vadym Prystaiko told BBC Radio 5 that his country is being threatened and blackmailed and will consider “serious concessions” which includes not joining NATO to placate Putin to avoid war.

The Kremlin has announced today that the Russian President will be meeting with his Defence Ministers on Monday.

This comes as the Ukrainian ambassador suggested that his country could withdraw from joining NATO, which will significantly address Russia’s concerns.

Russian presidential press secretary Dmitry Peskov told journalists, “Definitely, Ukraine’s confirmed and somehow formalised commitment to abandon its idea to join NATO would certainly be a step that would substantially promote the formulation of a more meaningful response to Russia’s concerns.”

But later the Ukrainian ambassador backtracked and said that his country will pursue joining NATO.

The Armed Forces Minister has warned on Monday that once Vladimir Putin gives the order to strike missiles and bombs could land on “Ukraine’s cities” within “minutes” and with “no notice.”

He told Sky News “We’ve seen now that there’s 130,000 combat troops around Ukraine’s land borders.

“There’s thousands more on amphibious shipping in the Black Sea. Russia has concentrated artillery missile systems and combat air in the area.

Russia’s spy chief Sergei Naryshkin, head of SVR foreign intelligence has said that Ukrainian troops are “fully” prepared for war.

Naryshkin, head of the SVR since 2016 and is a close ally of Vladimir Putin warned “humanity’s existence” could be at stake if war starts.

The spy chief said that the West are stoking the fires of war as the UK, US and Canada are supplying Ukraine with weapons and ammunition.

Naryshkin said, “Preparations are in full swing, they cannot be hidden.

“All combat-ready units of the Armed Forces of Ukraine are concentrated on the border with Donbas”.