Summary

  • Russia's defence ministry says some troops positioned on the border with Ukraine are returning to their bases after completing drills

  • It raises hopes that tensions could ease but military exercises continue and it's unclear how many units are being withdrawn

  • The head of the Nato defence alliance says he hasn't seen de-escalation yet but that signals from Moscow give some cause for optimism

  • President Vladimir Putin tells a news conference that Russia does not want war in Europe

  • UK PM Boris Johnson says there are "mixed signals" coming from Russia and that the intelligence on Ukraine "is still not encouraging"

  • The EU says it is willing to discuss Russia's security concerns but warns a key Russian gas pipeline to Germany would "not become operational" in the event of war

Live Reporting

Edited by Hugo Bachega

  1. Nato ambitions enshrined in Ukraine's constitution - ambassador

    Yesterday, Ukraine's ambassador in London told the BBC his country might be willing to be "flexible" on its ambition to join Nato to avert war.

    Russia wants assurances Ukraine should never be allowed to join the Western military alliance but Western allies have previously made clear this is not up for debate, saying Nato's door must remain open to new members.

    Speaking to the BBC this morning, Vadym Prystaiko clarifies his earlier comments on Nato.

    Asked if Ukraine was currently reconsidering its ambitions to join the Western military alliance, he says it is not.

    "We are not a member of Nato right now and to avoid war we are ready for many concessions and that’s what we are doing in our conversations with Russians," he says.

    "But it has nothing to do with Nato, which is enshrined in the constitution."

    You can read more about why Russia is worried about the expansion of Nato here.

    Map of Nato membership

  2. Ukraine seeks meeting with Russia within 48 hours

    Ukrainian soldierGetty Images

    Ukraine has called for a meeting with Russia and other members of a key European security group over the escalating tensions on its border.

    Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said Russia had ignored formal requests to explain the build-up of troops.

    He said the "next step" was requesting a meeting within the next 48 hours for "transparency" about Russia's plans.

    Russia has denied any plans to invade Ukraine despite the build-up of some 100,000 soldiers on the borders.

    But some Western nations have warned that Russia is preparing for military action, with the US saying Moscow could begin with aerial bombardments "at any time".

    More than a dozen nations have urged their citizens to leave Ukraine, and some have pulled embassy staff from the capital.

    CBS News reported that the US is preparing to withdraw all its personnel from Kyiv within the next 48 hours, citing three sources.

    Read our full story here.

  3. Good morning

    Hello and welcome to our live coverage of the tensions between Ukraine and Russia.

    As fears of a Russian invasion grow, we’ll be bringing you all the latest developments here.