Thread by @AFP

Hopes rise that efforts to stop Russia from invading Ukraine may be starting to pay off.

But somewhat deflating the chorus of upbeat noises, Pentagon spokesman John Kirby warned that Putin has continued sending troops to the border

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Russian military deployment on the borders with Ukraine.

The West accuses Russia of having massed 100,000 soldiers near Ukraine's borders, while Russia has denied any plans to invade and has accused NATO countries of using belligerent rhetoric

#AFPgraphics

#BREAKING Russia says joint military drills with Belarus begin amid Ukraine tensions

#UPDATE Russia and Belarus launch joint military drills aimed at "suppressing and repelling external aggression" -- raising concerns in Western countries that Moscow is plotting a major escalation in the conflict in Ukraine.

The exercises are scheduled to continue to February 20

#BREAKING Ukraine leader calls Russia-Belarus military drills 'psychological pressure'

#BREAKING France denounces 'violent' Russian military exercises in Belarus

#BREAKING NATO chief says Russia's Ukraine deployment 'dangerous moment for European security'

#UPDATE NATO's chief has warned that Russia's deployment for a military exercise in Belarus and on the borders of Ukraine marks a "dangerous moment" for European security

VIDEO: Russia's deployment for a military exercise in Belarus and on the borders of Ukraine marks a "dangerous moment for European security", NATO's Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg says during a joint press conference with UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson

#UPDATE Russia and Belarus launched joint military drills on Thursday that heightened tensions and added urgency to diplomatic efforts by NATO leaders to avert a feared invasion of Ukraine
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#BREAKING US, Belarus army chiefs have spoken to avoid drill 'miscalculation': Pentagon

#UPDATE US and Belarusian defense chiefs have held rare telephone talks to avoid a "miscalculation" during Russia-Belarus joint military drills, the Pentagon said Thursday, at a time of heightened tensions over the Kremlin's massing of troops near Ukraine