Kiev, 23 Feb (Xinhua) -- The ongoing tense crisis in Ukraine has escalated again a few days ago, arousing great concern in the international community. What is the local situation? Please look at the reports sent back by Xinhua reporters from Ukraine and Russia -
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The social order in Kiev is stable
Russian President Vladimir Putin signed an order on the evening of February 21 recognizing the "Donetsk People's Republic" and the "Luhansk People's Republic" in eastern Ukraine. Ukrainian President Zelenskiy said Russia's decision was a violation of Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity. The international community is deeply concerned about the situation in Russia and Ukraine.
According to xinhua news agency reporters, Kiev, the capital of Ukraine, is currently in a stable social order and has sufficient guarantees for all kinds of materials.
Citizens wait for a bus at a bus stop in Kiev, Ukraine, on February 10. Xinhua News Agency (Photo by Sergei Starastenko)
Vladimir Volia, an expert on Ukrainian international relations, told Xinhua that the pace of life in Ukraine is the same as usual, and people go to work, go to school, travel and so on as usual.
He argues that on the one hand, neither Russia nor the West has the capacity or resources to wage an all-out war; on the other hand, globalization has brought the countries of Eurasia closer together and no one is willing to sacrifice the economic benefits of cooperation; therefore, a large-scale war in Ukraine is unlikely, but in the Donbass region, there may be a complex military situation. He said it was important that the international community express its support for the continued settlement of the problem in eastern Ukraine through diplomatic and peaceful means.
People in the resettlement site: "I want to go home"
Since the 17th of this month, the situation in eastern Ukraine has deteriorated, and the Ukrainian government and local civilian armed forces have accused each other of launching provocative shelling in the area of contact. On the 18th, the civilian armed forces in eastern Ukraine announced a large-scale centralized evacuation of local residents to Russia.
The government of Rostov Region in southern Russia declared a state of emergency on the 19th. According to the acting minister of the Russian Ministry of Emergency Situations, Alexander Chuplyan, on the 20th, more than 40,000 residents of the eastern region of Ukraine had arrived in rostov oblast.
In Russia's Rostov Oblast, teddy bears are placed in a makeshift settlement on Feb. 22. Xinhua News Agency (Photo by Andrei)
A xinhua reporter recently visited a resettlement site in Shacht, Rostov Oblast. The reporter saw that the people who have temporarily settled here are mainly women, children and the elderly. It is understood that the resettlement site provides people with three hot meals a day, etc.
Anastasia Chernyovskaya, 21, and her 15-year-old sister came here with their grandmother. With the help of volunteers, she also received some necessities. She told reporters: "I want to go home and hope that everything will calm down soon." ”
Workers sort out clothes at a makeshift settlement in Russia's Rostov Oblast on 22 February. Xinhua News Agency (Photo by Andrei)
Unlike other people who were systematically evacuated here, Anastasia Barba, 22, and her husband crossed the border to Russia on their own with their 2-year-old children. At first, they had to spend the night at strangers' homes, but when they called the hotline to learn that there were still vacancies in the resettlement site, they quickly moved over. She was studying medicine and was supposed to get her diploma this year, but now she didn't know if she would be able to take the exam on time.
"It's really hard to leave home and everything there, we're married and have kids, and hopefully everything will return to peace and tranquility so we can get home sooner rather than later." She told reporters.
Workers sort out food at a temporary settlement in Rostov Oblast, Russia, on Feb. 22. Xinhua News Agency (Photo by Andrei)
Olga was injured and disabled in the 2014 armed conflict in eastern Ukraine. Seeing that the situation was tense again, she decided to take refuge in Russia. She said that after arriving at the resettlement site, in addition to the humanitarian assistance provided locally, she was also tested for the coronavirus, thanking the staff here for "treating us like relatives".
The Russo-Spanish game has entered a more complex phase
In April 2014, a large-scale armed conflict broke out between Ukrainian government forces and local civilian forces in the Donbass region of eastern Ukraine. The civil armed forces subsequently proclaimed the establishment of the "Donetsk People's Republic" and the "Luhansk People's Republic". Through the mediation of the international community, the two sides reached ceasefire agreements in Minsk, the capital of Belarus, in September 2014 and February 2015, respectively, and large-scale armed conflicts have been brought under control, but small-scale exchanges of fire have occurred from time to time.
For a long time, Russia has been seeking a legal guarantee from NATO not to expand eastward and not to include Ukraine and other countries in NATO. However, since Biden became using the United States, he has taken a tough stance against Russia, expressing support for Ukraine's accession to NATO and increasing military assistance to Ukraine. The situation in Ukraine continues to be tense.
Public opinion believes that in order to show support for Ukraine, the United States and Europe may soon continue to introduce new sanctions against Russia, but Russia will not change its core security demands due to sanction pressure. The game between the West and Russia may enter a more complicated stage in the long escalation of sanctions and counter-sanctions and military confrontations. (Reporters: Li Dongxu, Meng Jing, Bai Xueqi, Huang He; Reporters: Anastasia Osipova, Maxim Dolgo Pollyuk; Editors: Sun Hao, Ma Xiaoyan, Yu Rong)
Produced by the International Department of Xinhua News Agency
Produced by Xinhua News Agency's International Communication Integration Platform