Vladimir Putin

Recent tensions between Russia and Ukraine have drawn comparisons to the early stages of a conflict that began eight years ago.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the U.S. laid out a “a serious diplomatic path forward” should Russia choose against invading Ukraine.

Ukraine was once part of the Soviet Union, and is now a buffer between Russia and European members of NATO, a military alliance led by the U.S. Sky News security and defense editor Deborah Haynes explains more about tensions in Ukraine and how negotiations are going between the U.S. and Russian leader Vladimir Putin.

The U.S. has sent a clear message that Russia, its key personnel and economic sectors as well as its leader Vladimir Putin, could face crippling sanctions.

European stocks closed higher on Wednesday as investors braced themselves for the latest monetary policy announcement from the U.S. Federal Reserve.

Biden’s remarks reflect a growing consensus among NATO allies that any conflict in Ukraine is unlikely to be confined to a small area or a short window of time.

The U.S. Department of Defense has said that about 8,500 American troops are awaiting orders to deploy to the region if Russia does invade Ukraine.

It’s “a possibility” that Russia will invade Ukraine, “but I think [Putin] is afraid of the response,” said a former U.S. ambassador to Ukraine.

Analysts are questioning whether the West can actually deter Russia, and just how far Western allies are willing to go to defend the country.

The British government on Saturday accused Russia of seeking to replace Ukraine’s government with a pro-Moscow administration, and said former Ukrainian lawmaker Yevheniy Murayev is being considered as a potential candidate.

Unless President Biden can turn this ongoing Ukrainian crisis into opportunity, the setback for Europe and the world could be generational.

With tens of thousands of Russian troops positioned near Ukraine, the Kremlin has kept the U.S. and its allies guessing about its next moves in the worst security crisis to emerge between Moscow and the West since the Cold War.

NATO and G-7 members have previously pledged their support for Ukraine amid Russia’s aggressive military buildup.

U.S. President Joe Biden says any Russian troop movements across Ukraine’s border would constitute an invasion, saying Moscow would “pay a heavy price” for such an action

The Friday meeting between top U.S. and Russian diplomats comes as Western officials expect Moscow to soon launch an invasion of Ukraine.

A top diplomat from the European Union has accused Russia of not taking Brussels seriously and said it will likely backfire against Moscow.

President Joe Biden said Wednesday that Russia would face stiff economic and military consequences from the U.S. and NATO leaders if it were to invade Ukraine. “Militarily they have overwhelming superiority [over] Ukraine, but they’ll pay a stiff price immediately, near term, medium term and long term if they do it.”

“Russia needs to reinvent itself as a modern state,” Vsevolod Chentsov, the Ukrainian ambassador to the EU, told CNBC Tuesday.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken will meet with his Russian counterpart in Switzerland this week as tensions between the U.S. and Russia escalate over a possible Russian invasion of Ukraine

The Kremlin has previously denied that it was preparing for an invasion of Ukraine.