Ukraine crisis: First US troops land in Poland

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High-stakes diplomacy continues in a bid to avert a war in Eastern Europe as the Russian military build-up on its border with Ukraine continues to pose a threat.

The French president and the German chancellor will head to Moscow and Kyiv in the coming weeks, adding to diplomatic efforts to try to deter Russian President Vladimir Putin from launching an invasion and find a way out of the growing tensions.

In Brussels, EU chief Ursula von der Leyen warned in an interview with Euronews that Russia will face “severe consequences” and “massive costs” if there is any military aggression against Ukraine.

Meanwhile, the first of the 1,700-unit-strong US troop contingent arrived in Poland on Saturday afternoon, following US President Joe Biden’s promise to send military support to Europe earlier in January.

Chinese President Xi Jinping backed Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin in his standoff with the West over Ukraine as the two leaders met before the Beijing Olympics opening festivities.