Ukrainian crisis: the West stands united against Russia at the Munich Conference

German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken at the Munich Conference on February 18, 2022. AP - Ina Fassbender

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2 mins

Tensions between Russia and Ukraine feature this year unsurprisingly on the menu of the Munich security conference which began yesterday Friday while the situation remains particularly explosive.

But for the first time in thirty years, Russia is not represented there, which does not allow a direct dialogue with Moscow.

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With our correspondent in Berlin,

With Russia's absence for the first time in a long time, it was above all the Westerners who were present yesterday Friday and who took the floor to show their unity, their resolution in the event of a Russian attack against Ukraine and also by calling for a de-escalation and an opening of dialogue.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who spoke with his German counterpart, reiterated the firm position of the United States, referring to the provocations of Russia, a scenario which consists of setting up false provocations, for to the arrival to find a pretext to be able to attack Ukraine.

►Also read: Munich Security Conference: Ukraine at the heart of the debates

The UN Secretary General opened the security conference. 

said it would be catastrophic if the crisis between Russia and Ukraine escalated into war.

Then, Annalena Baerbock, the head of German diplomacy, spoke of an unacceptable threat and considered that this crisis was not a Ukrainian crisis, but a Russian crisis, also calling for dialogue.

We also saw the mayor of Kiev, Vitali Klitschko, making a very vibrant appeal for solidarity and support from Westerners.

Zelensky will speak

This Saturday, many important participants should also discuss this crisis.

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg will be present.

Chancellor Olaf Scholz, who met Vladimir Putin last Tuesday in Moscow, Kamala Harris, the American Vice-President will be in Munich and will obviously reiterate the very firm position that we have heard from the United States, both in the voice of Antony Bliken, but also of Joe Biden.

And then

 will be present this afternoon.

He will take the floor and will of course call on the West for even firmer support for Ukraine.

Then Germany, which is chairing the G7 this year, announced a meeting of the G7 foreign ministers, who are physically present in Munich, to with this format, once again, display the resolution to the unity of the West , facing Moscow.

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• Volodymyr Zelensky

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