Handout / RUSSIAN FOREIGN MINISTRY / AFPRussia is ready to xe2x80x9clisten to serious counter-proposalsxe2x80x9d, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said.

THE Russia estimated this Monday, 14, that there is a xe2x80x9cpossibilityxe2x80x9d to resolve the Ukrainian crisis thanks to dialogue with Western countries, at a time when diplomacy intensifies, but does not seem to bear fruit in this crisis, the worst since the Cold War. xe2x80x9cThere is a possibilityxe2x80x9d to xe2x80x9csolve the problems,xe2x80x9d Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said during a video chat with the president. Vladimir Putin. The path of dialogue xe2x80x9chas not run out, but neither can it last indefinitelyxe2x80x9d, added Lavrov, stressing that Russia is ready to xe2x80x9clisten to serious counter-proposalsxe2x80x9d.

In another sign of de-escalation, shortly afterward, Sergei Shoigu, the Russian defense minister, claimed that the military exercises held alongside Belarus are xe2x80x9cfinishingxe2x80x9d. The Russian governmentxe2x80x99s statements coincide with the visit of German Chancellor Olaf Scholz to Kiev, from where he urged Russia to take advantage of the xe2x80x9cdialoguexe2x80x9d proposals to resolve this crisis. THE Germany, often accused of being too complacent with Russia because of its economic interests, has hardened its tone in recent days. This Monday, Scholz assured that his country will continue to support economically the Ukraine xe2x80x9cwith determinationxe2x80x9d.

During the day, the first German military reinforcements began to arrive in Lithuania, a member of the nato, where until now there were about 550 soldiers. Scholzxe2x80x99s trip to Moscow is xe2x80x9cprobably the last chancexe2x80x9d to achieve peace, Ukrainexe2x80x99s ambassador to Germany, Andrii Melnik, told German TV Bild on Sunday. xe2x80x9cWe have the feeling that war is becoming more and more inevitable,xe2x80x9d he said. xe2x80x9cWe have to prepare for the worst.xe2x80x9d

far from the precipice

You United States continue to insist that Russia can launch a military invasion xe2x80x9cat any timexe2x80x9d and have urged its citizens to leave Ukraine, a gesture echoed by other countries. In a message with an alarmist tone, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson called on Putin on Monday to step away from the xe2x80x9ccliffxe2x80x9d of the crisis with Ukraine. Johnson assured that the evidence is clear: xe2x80x9cThere are 130,000 troops on the Ukrainian border and other signs that show that there are preparations for an invasionxe2x80x9d. xe2x80x9cAs (US President Joe) Biden said, there are signs that they are at least preparing something that could happen in the next 48 hours,xe2x80x9d he said.

Johnson plans to travel to northern Europe this week, especially the Baltics. The leader had already been in Kiev for two weeks and the UK delivered large-scale weapons, including anti-tank missiles, to Ukraine for the first time. Russia, which annexed the Crimean peninsula in 2014 and supports armed pro-Moscow separatists in eastern Ukraine, denies any intention to invade the neighboring country but ties the de-escalation to a series of demands, starting with an assurance that NATO will not admit Ukraine as a member, something that Western countries find unacceptable. xe2x80x9cWe believe that joining NATO would guarantee our security and our territorial integrity,xe2x80x9d Zelensky insisted on Monday.

On Monday, the G7 finance ministers said they are ready to impose xe2x80x9cin a very short termxe2x80x9d sanctions xe2x80x9cwith important and immediate consequences for the Russian economyxe2x80x9d in the event of military aggression against Ukraine. Regarding the possible sanctions and to the displeasure of Germany, the US authorities have already mentioned the future of the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline, built to transport Russian gas to German territory, avoiding Ukraine. This Monday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky reiterated to Scholz that the pipeline is a xe2x80x9cgeopolitical weaponxe2x80x9d.

Invitation to Biden

In a telephone conversation on Sunday night, US President Joe Biden and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky xe2x80x9cagreed on the importance of pursuing the path of diplomacy and deterrence.xe2x80x9d The Ukrainian presidency added that Zelensky had urged Biden to visit Kiev xe2x80x9cin the coming daysxe2x80x9d, a trip that would be a xe2x80x9csignal of great weight and would contribute to stabilizing the situationxe2x80x9d. Ukraine also demanded an urgent meeting with Russia and the 57 member countries of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE).

Kiev accuses Moscow of not respecting OSCE rules by not sharing information about troop movements across borders. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said Russia ignored a demand from Kiev on the Vienna Document, an OSCE text that promotes transparency measures between the armed forces of the organizationxe2x80x99s member countries. Russia responded on Monday that they are xe2x80x9cRussian troop movements on Russian territoryxe2x80x9d.

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*With information from AFP