Russia defiant amid spectre of toughest sanctions ever

Ukraine on Wednesday advised its estimated three million citizens living in Russia to leave the country, signalling Kyiv's belief that Moscow was poised for an invasion, Reuters reported.

In a statement, the Ukrainian foreign ministry recommended its citizens refrain from any travel to the Russian Federation, and those already there to immediately leave.

Russia had already started evacuating diplomatic staff from all of its missions in Ukraine, the Russian TASS news agency reported on Wednesday, citing a representative of the Russian Embassy in Kyiv.

Furthermore, in a sign of escalating tension, Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskiy called up the country's reservists, warning that Ukraine could face a battle for its very existence, stopping short of calling for a general mobilisation.

Meanwhile, more countries joined in the sanctions against Russia.

All 27 European Union (EU) members had on Tuesday unanimously agreed to a slew of new sanctions against Russia aiming to "inflict severe damage on the country" after its recognition of breakaway regions in Ukraine, the TASS quoted the EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell as saying.

The sanctions, the toughest measures yet, will also target Russian parliament members who backed recognizing the breakaway regions as independent, a decision announced by President Vladimir Putin on Monday.

According to The Guardian, Russia's Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu, the commanders-in-chief of the Russian Air Force and Black Sea Fleet, leading state "propagandists" - as well as 351 Duma deputies - are expected to be targeted in the EU sanctions.

If approved, the EU will impose asset freezes and travel bans on 23 people, three banks and a notorious internet 'troll factory' in St Petersburg.

The bloc is also expected to sanction 351 members of the Russian state Duma that voted for recognition of the two territories.

The Russian government will also see further restrictions on its ability to raise money on EU financial markets.

Earlier on Monday, Putin had already addressed the spectre of future sanctions in a televised address to the nation.

"They are trying to blackmail us again. They are threatening us again with sanctions, which, by the way, I think they will introduce anyway as Russia's sovereignty strengthens and the power of our armed forces grows," he said.

He said the sanctions would come whether or not any action was taken on Ukraine.

Summits, talks with Russia cancelled

The United States called off high-level meetings with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, The Moscow Times reported.

French President Emmanuel Macron's office said earlier that Putin and US President Joe Biden had agreed to the summit "in principle," with Biden agreeing on the condition that Russia does not invade Ukraine. The Kremlin however had called talk of a summit "premature."

In another step, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken cancelled a meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov previously planned for February 24, TASS reported.

"It does not make sense to go forward with that meeting at this time. I consulted with our allies and partners – all agree – and today [22 February] I sent Foreign Minister Lavrov a letter informing him of this," Blinken said at a joint press conference with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmitry Kuleba on Tuesday.

"Russia has made clear its wholesale rejection of diplomacy," he said, adding that it made any talks unnecessary.

While Blinken's meeting was cancelled, European Council President Charles Michel invited EU heads of state and government to a summit tomorrow, stating that it would be an opportunity to "discuss the latest developments; how we protect the rules-based international order; how we deal with Russia notably holding Russia accountable for its actions; how we will further support Ukraine and its people."

This week, Putin signed military cooperation treaties with eastern Ukraine's breakaway republics and dispatched "peacekeepers," while Russian senators green lighted Putin's request to deploy troops there.

Russia's Federation Council at a special session on Tuesday unanimously ratified the agreements on friendship, cooperation, and mutual assistance with the Donetsk and Lugansk people's republics, which were submitted by Russian President Vladimir Putin after he recognised their independence.