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LIVE UPDATES: US Has Been Clear That Its Forces Won't Fight Against Russia in Ukraine - Pentagon

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Russia launched an operation in Ukraine on 24 February after the breakaway Donbass republics appealed for help in defending themselves against the Ukrainian... 18.03.2022, Sputnik International

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2022-08-06T13:46+0000

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Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin speaks with U.S. troops, Friday, March 18, 2022 at an Army training range in Bulgaria. Austin was in Bulgaria to meet with U.S. troops and to consult with top Bulgarian government officials. - Sputnik International

LIVE UPDATES: US Has Been Clear That Its Forces Won't Fight Against Russia in Ukraine - Pentagon

19:23 GMT 18.03.2022 (Updated: 13:46 GMT 06.08.2022)

Russia launched an operation in Ukraine on 24 February after the breakaway Donbass republics appealed for help in defending themselves against the Ukrainian military.

In response, Western nations have rolled out a comprehensive sanctions campaign against Moscow, which have not only targeted the government, but also Russian athletes and artists, its students abroad and simply everything Russian in general.

On Friday, Moscow and Kiev reached progress on several issues during peace talks, including Ukraine's neutral status and non-entry to NATO, the head of the Russian delegation at the talks, presidential aide Vladimir Medinsky, told reporters.

Russia considers the unprecedented expansion of NATO closer to the country's borders as a direct threat to its national security, which Moscow has underscored multiple times in recent years, but which the West has so far ignored.

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Table of contents

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02:50 GMT 19.03.2022

Pentagon Chief Claims Military Operation in Ukraine Not Going in Line With Russian Plans

"Many of their assumptions have not proven to be true as they entered this fight", Austin said.

He added that Russian troops made a number of missteps and faced problems with logistics.

02:18 GMT 19.03.2022

US Will Neither Engage in Hostilities in Ukraine Nor Establish No-Fly Zone Over Country - Pentagon Chief

"Well, the president's [Joe Biden] been very clear about the fact that we won't have troops engaged in combat with Russia and Ukraine in order to affect or put into place a no fly zone. We'd have to control the skies and that would mean that we'd have to engage Russian aircraft we'd also have to take out Russian and aircraft and aircraft systems in Ukraine, in Belarus, and also in Russia. So that would mean that we're in combat with Russia. And these are two nuclear powered countries. That nobody wants to see. It's not good for the region. It's not good for the world", Pentagon chief Lloyd Austin told CNN.

01:34 GMT 19.03.2022

Ukrainian Defence Ministry Admits Ukraine Has Lost Access to Sea of Azov

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Ukrainian forces have lost access to the Sea of Azov as a result of the special operation by the Russian armed forces, the Ukrainian Defence Ministry admitted.

"The occupants have partially achieved success in the Donetsk operational area: they have temporarily deprived Ukraine of access to the Sea of Azov", the ministry wrote on its Twitter page.

00:48 GMT 19.03.2022

European Struggle With Everything Russian Seems Like Racism - Russian Foreign Ministry

"We hope that...the [European] struggle with everything Russia, which seems like outright racism, will be replaced with well-thought steps aimed at searching for ways to ensure the security and prosperity of the entire European continent, not jut one of its parts", Director of the First European Department of the Russian Foreign Ministry Alexey Paramonov told Sputnik.

00:47 GMT 19.03.2022

Russia Hopes That European Countries Will Focus on Security of Whole Continent, Not Just One Part - Russian Foreign Ministry

23:47 GMT 18.03.2022

Blinken in Call With Kuleba Reiterates Robust US Support for Ukraine - State Department

"Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken spoke today with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba to reaffirm the United States' steadfast commitment to Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity", Price said in a press release on Friday. "The secretary reiterated robust US support for the people of Ukraine through security, humanitarian, and economic assistance".

21:35 GMT 18.03.2022

Serbian President Vucic Condemns Western 'Double Standards' Toward Ukraine & Kosovo

"They tell us about the territorial integrity of Ukraine ....Things are confusing in all of our heads: observance of the principle of international law, where, there is no doubt, who violated it and who was the victim, as well as who violated international law and without a decision of the UN Security Council made tough decisions to the detriment of Serbia. That is why we are in a difficult situation", Vucic told the broadcaster TV PRVA late Friday.

"On the other hand, Russia has never imposed sanctions against us ... We can say that they occupied and then left the airfield in Pristina. But in the last 10 years, Russia has not been against Serbia on foreign policy issues. And they [the West] are putting us in the position, in which we will lose our only ally in the UN Security Council, who has always been for maintaining the territorial integrity of Serbia and Resolution 1244", the president stressed.

Vucic said that he promised the West to maintain peace in the region and refrain from interfering in the situation in Ukraine. He added that Serbia had not made any promises on joining the sanctions against Russia.

19:55 GMT 18.03.2022

China's Ambassador to US Says Sweeping, Indiscriminate Sanctions Only Make People Suffer

"Sweeping and indiscriminate #sanctions would only make the people suffer", Chinese Ambassador to the United States Qin Gang said via Twitter following a video call between presidents Biden and Xi.

19:54 GMT 18.03.2022

US Still Concerned China Will Provide Military Support to Russia – White House

"We have that concern. The president detailed what the implications and consequences would be if China provides material support to Russia", Psaki said when asked whether the Biden administration is still concerned Beijing might help Moscow. "That is something we will be watching and the world will be watching".

19:53 GMT 18.03.2022

China's Alignment With Russia to Be Discussed During Biden's Trip to Europe - White House

"[T]he movement of China to align with or their proximity of moving closer together [with Russia] is certainly of great concern to us", Psaki said during a press briefing. "So, this has been an ongoing part of the discussion. I expect, it certainly would be when the president goes to Europe next week".

19:53 GMT 18.03.2022

US Says in Touch With India to Convey World Watching Where Nations Stand on Ukraine Crisis

"We have been in touch, of course, with Indian leaders at a range of levels, not through the president", Psaki said. "But what we would project or convey to any leader around the world is that the rest of the world is watching where you're going to stand as it relates to this conflict".

19:26 GMT 18.03.2022

Biden in Call With Xi Vows Implications If China Gives Russia Material Support - Official

"The president described implications if China provides Russia with material support, won't lay out options from here", a senior administration official said on Friday.