Won’t back down

Russia's embassy in Washington yesterday said that Moscow will not back down in the face of US sanctions threats over Ukraine, ahead of a phone call between the top US and Russian diplomats.

"We are not going to back away and stand at attention, listening to the threats of US sanctions," the embassy said on Facebook, adding that it is "Washington, not Moscow, that generates tensions."

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov was due to speak to US Secretary of State Antony Blinken later yesterday for the first time since Washington formally replied to Russia's security proposals last week. The West formally rejected Russian demands to bar Ukraine from ever joining Nato and pull out Nato forces from eastern Europe, while expressing willingness to talk about arms control and confidence-building measures.

Tensions between the two countries have skyrocketed in recent weeks as the US accuses Moscow of planning an imminent invasion of Ukraine.

The White House said Monday that it is ready to impose sanctions on President Vladimir Putin's "inner circle" if an attack on Ukraine goes ahead.

MeanwhileUkrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy signed a decree on Tuesday to boost his armed forces by 100,000 troops over three years and raise soldiers' pay, but said this did not mean war with Russia was imminent.

Zelenskiy urged lawmakers to stay calm and avoid panic as he prepared to host the leaders of the Netherlands, Britain and Poland - all Nato members - as part of efforts to defuse tension with Russia and shore up international support for Kyiv. There are currently nearly 250,000 people in Ukraine's armed forces, compared to Russia's overall strength of around 900,000.