{"id":55916,"date":"2022-01-28T11:06:17","date_gmt":"2022-01-28T11:06:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/uncategorized\/2022\/01\/28\/russia-says-it-wont-start-a-war-as-ukraine-tensions-mount\/"},"modified":"2026-08-08T10:21:07","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T10:21:07","slug":"russia-says-it-wont-start-a-war-as-ukraine-tensions-mount","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/flashpoints\/2022\/01\/28\/russia-says-it-wont-start-a-war-as-ukraine-tensions-mount\/","title":{"rendered":"Russia says it won\u2019t start a war as Ukraine tensions mount"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Russia\u2019s top diplomat said Friday that <a href=\"https:\/\/www.militarytimes.com\/flashpoints\/2022\/01\/26\/russia-threatens-retaliation-if-ukraine-demands-not-met\/\" target=\"_blank\">Moscow will not start a war <\/a>but warned that it wouldn\u2019t allow the West to trample on its security interests amid fears it is planning to invade Ukraine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">U.S. President Joe Biden warned Ukraine\u2019s president a day earlier that there is a \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/www.militarytimes.com\/flashpoints\/ukraine\/2022\/01\/27\/biden-says-russian-invasion-in-february-a-distinct-possibility\/\" target=\"_blank\">distinct possibility<\/a>\u201d that Russia could take military action against its neighbor <a href=\"https:\/\/www.militarytimes.com\/flashpoints\/2021\/11\/20\/russia-preparing-to-attack-ukraine-by-late-january-ukraine-defense-intelligence-agency-chief\/\" target=\"_blank\">in February<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThere won\u2019t be a war as far as it depends on the Russian Federation, we don\u2019t want a war,\u201d Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said in a live interview with Russian radio stations. \u201cBut we won\u2019t let our interests be rudely trampled on and ignored.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Tensions have soared in recent weeks, and the United States and its NATO allies worry that the concentration of Russian troops near Ukraine heralds Moscow\u2019s intention to attack the ex-Soviet state. Ukraine\u2019s military says there are nearly 110,000 Russian ground troops arrayed around its border, according to an assessment shared with Military Times. Russia has repeatedly denied having any such plans, but has demanded that NATO promise Ukraine will never be allowed to join and that the alliance roll back deployments of troops and military equipment in Eastern Europe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The U.S. and NATO formally rejected those demands this week, though Washington outlined areas where discussions are possible, perhaps offering a path to de-escalation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Russia\u2019s official response to those proposals \u2014 and the ultimate decision over whether to invade \u2014 rests with President Vladimir Putin, but the Kremlin has sounded a grim note thus far, saying there is \u201clittle ground for optimism.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\t<aside class=\"smg-interstitial-link wp-block-smg-interstitial-link\">\n\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/militarytimes\/news\/your-military\/2022\/01\/27\/russia-not-yet-ready-for-full-scale-attack-says-ukraine\/\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__media\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"166\" src=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/UkieRussia11.jpg.jpg?w=300\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__image wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" \/>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__content\">\n\t\t\t\t<span class=\"smg-interstitial-link__kicker\">Related<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"smg-interstitial-link__title\">Russia not yet ready for full-scale attack says Ukraine<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"smg-interstitial-link__excerpt\">There are now more than 109,000 Russian troops near Ukraine&#039;s border, according to an assessment shared by Ukraine.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t<\/aside>\n\t\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Lavrov noted Friday that the U.S. suggested the two sides could talk about limits on the deployment of intermediate-range missiles, restrictions on military drills and rules to prevent accidents between warships and aircraft. He said that Russia proposed discussing those issues years ago \u2014 but Washington and its allies never took them up on it until now.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">While he described the U.S. offers for dialogue on confidence-building measures as reasonable, he emphasized that Russia\u2019s main concerns are to stop NATO\u2019s expansion and the deployment of the alliance weapons near Russia\u2019s borders. He noted that international agreements say that the security of one nation must not come at the expense of others\u2019 \u2014 and that he would send letters to ask his Western counterparts to address that obligation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cIt will be hard for them to wiggle out from answering why they aren\u2019t fulfilling the obligations sealed by their leaders not to strengthen their security at the expense of others,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"5760\" height=\"3840\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/UkieRussia16.jpg.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-94907\" srcset=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/UkieRussia16.jpg.jpg 5760w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/UkieRussia16.jpg.jpg?resize=300,200 300w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/UkieRussia16.jpg.jpg?resize=768,512 768w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/UkieRussia16.jpg.jpg?resize=1024,683 1024w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/UkieRussia16.jpg.jpg?resize=1536,1024 1536w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/UkieRussia16.jpg.jpg?resize=2048,1365 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 5760px) 100vw, 5760px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A serviceman checks his machine-gun in a shelter on the territory controlled by pro-Russian militants at the frontline with Ukrainian government forces near Spartak village in Yasynuvata district of Donetsk region, eastern Ukraine, Thursday, Jan. 27, 2022. Fighting between Ukrainian forces and Russia-backed rebels has killed over 14,000 people, and efforts to reach a settlement have stalled. Since the conflict began, Russia has been accused of sending troops and weapons to the separatists, something it has denied. (AP Photo\/Alexei Alexandrov)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">As tensions build, Washington warned Moscow of devastating sanctions if it invades Ukraine, including penalties targeting top Russian officials and key economic sectors. Several senior U.S. officials also said Thursday that Germany would not allow a newly constructed pipeline \u2014 which is meant to bring gas directly from Russia \u2014 to begin operations if Russia invades Ukraine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Asked about possible sanctions, Lavrov said that Moscow had warned Washington that their introduction would amount to a complete severing of ties.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">While Moscow and the West are mulling their next steps, NATO said it was bolstering its deterrence in the Baltic Sea region, and the U.S. ordered 8,500 troops on higher alert for potential deployment to Europe.<\/p>\n\n\n\t<aside class=\"smg-interstitial-link wp-block-smg-interstitial-link\">\n\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/militarytimes\/news\/your-military\/2022\/01\/27\/these-units-from-across-the-army-and-air-force-are-on-alert-for-ukraine-deployment\/\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__media\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"181\" src=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/1000w_q95-1.jpeg.jpg?w=300\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__image wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" \/>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__content\">\n\t\t\t\t<span class=\"smg-interstitial-link__kicker\">Related<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"smg-interstitial-link__title\">These units from across the Army and Air Force are on alert for Ukraine deployment<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"smg-interstitial-link__excerpt\">Units from around the Army and Air Force are on heightened alert.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t<\/aside>\n\t\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Russia has launched a series of military drills involving motorized infantry and artillery units in southwestern Russia, warplanes in Kaliningrad on the Baltic Sea, dozens of warships in the Black Sea and the Arctic. The Russian military also has moved troops to Belarus, which borders Ukraine, for sweeping joint drills, raising Western fears that Moscow could stage an attack from the north.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">While concerns rise about an invasion, Ukraine is already beset by conflict. Following the 2014 ouster of a Kremlin-friendly president in Kyiv, Moscow annexed Ukraine\u2019s Crimean Peninsula and backed an insurgency in the country\u2019s eastern industrial heartland. Fighting between Ukrainian forces and Russia-backed rebels has killed over 14,000 people, and efforts to reach a settlement have stalled.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Russians say they don&#8217;t want war. But their military buildup continues apace.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":94903,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_yoast_wpseo_meta-robots-noindex":"","_yoast_wpseo_meta-robots-nofollow":"","_yoast_wpseo_canonical":"","_acf":"","_yoast_wpseo_primary_category":13,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","_smg_distribution_targets":[]},"categories":[101,13,24,89,16,26],"tags":[],"coauthors":[1323],"class_list":["post-55916","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-daily-news-roundup","category-flashpoints","category-home","category-middle-column","category-news","category-newsletters"],"acf":{"subheadline":"","legacy_arc_id":"VPZ7O4EOWNASXBXCI72O7SSLLE","arc_canonical_url":"\/flashpoints\/ukraine\/2022\/01\/28\/russia-says-it-wont-start-a-war-as-ukraine-tensions-mount\/","remove_feature_photo":false,"is_sponsored":false,"subtype":"","redirect_url":"","disable_inline_ads":false,"native_logo_pretext":"Presented By:"},"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v26.0 (Yoast SEO v28.1) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Russia says it won\u2019t start a war as Ukraine tensions mount - Air Force TImes<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Russians say they don&#039;t want war. 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