How Russia uses sarcasm as weapon in Ukraine crisis

despite Russia's pledge to begin removing troops from the Ukrainian border. Us officials say they aren't seeing that happen. In fact Secretary of State Blinken said earlier today that the U. S. Has seen no evidence that Russia is removing troops from the border region. In fact U. S. Officials and NATO officials say they think Russia is still adding to its massive force of 150,000 troops along the Ukrainian border. Now, Moscow has said for weeks now this big troop build up was nothing more than a military exercise and it will be over in a few days. But U. S. Officials in the last several days have been warning of an imminent attack and even with this pledge to remove some troops if it does happen, US officials and NATO officials say Russia is still poised and capable of launching an attack into the Ukraine and therefore, Ukraine and NATO are still ready and paying attention to what Russia is doing over the last 24 hours or so. Some of Ukraine's digital infrastructure has been hit by hackers. Some websites connected to the military and to the financial institutions of this country were hit, they seem to be back up running, but it's the type of thing that Russia or Russian connected hackers have done here in the past today. In Ukraine, it was declared a national day of unity. We didn't see much in the way of rallies or events in the streets. It is a workday. It is a school day, but there was a big deal made by politicians and there were some signs of Ukrainian unity and an effort to sort of display, According to the President Zelensky here, Ukraine's unity in battling the Russians at the same time. What we're hearing from officials across the entire region is that diplomacy will continue. These talks between Moscow Washington Kiev and other european capitals will go forward. There's still a lot of uncertainty here in the region. But one thing we know is, at least for now, Russia isn't invading and the talks are continuing. I'm counter Powell and LVIv Ukraine.

“Wars in Europe rarely start on a Wednesday.”That’s how a top Russian diplomat brushed off speculation in the West that Russia could invade neighboring Ukraine as soon as Wednesday, Feb. 16.As the U.S. and other NATO members warn of the potential for a devastating war, Russia is not countering with bombs or olive branches �� but with sarcasm.It’s a tool that officials in Moscow have long used to belittle their rivals and to deflect attention from actions seen as threatening to the West or Russia’s neighbors. Laconic quips dovetail with the Kremlin’s domestic agenda by making Russia and its all-powerful president look more cool-headed and clever than countries in the panicky, democratic West.As worries mushroomed that Wednesday could be the day President Vladimir Putin launches an invasion of Ukraine, Russian officials ridiculed them.In a Facebook post, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova asked the “mass media of disinformation�� in the West “to reveal the schedule of our ‘invasions�� for the upcoming year. I’d like to plan my vacations.”“To the regret of many Western media, the war again failed to start,�� Zakharova said at a briefing on Wednesday. “Fighting has erupted on their pages, but it has no relation to reality.”Ukrainians, meanwhile, have been living amid signs of a possible invasion for several weeks, with an estimated 150,000 Russian troops surrounding much of their country for military exercises. Russia said this week it was starting to pull back some troops, but Western military officials say there's no evidence of a serious withdrawal.Russia’s ambassador to the European Union, Vladimir Chizhov, accused Westerners of “slander�� for alleging an invasion was afoot. He insisted in an interview with German daily newspaper Welt that “there won’t be an attack this Wednesday.”Then Chizhov added: “Wars in Europe rarely start on a Wednesday.’”The statement seemed more flippant than historically significant. World War I started on a Tuesday and World War II started in Europe on a Friday, but Europe's history of war over centuries includes conflicts that kicked off throughout the week.Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov also took the West's growing fears lightly. Asked Wednesday whether Russia's presidential administration operated differently overnight, he told reporters that everyone slept calmly and resumed work in the morning as usual.“Western hysteria is still far from its culmination,�� Peskov said. "We need to have patience, as the remission will not come quickly.”The master of Russian diplomatic snark is Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. He is known worldwide for his quips �� often said in English �� over 18 years as the Kremlin’s top diplomat.On Wednesday, Lavrov mocked the West as sadly "lacking basic upbringing�� for trying to dictate or predict Russia’s plans.Beneath the sarcasm, Russia has narrated the current Ukraine crisis from the outset: first by moving troops toward Ukraine, then by periodically holding out the possibility of a diplomatic solution, keeping foreign officials and global markets on constant edge.While Putin offered more talks this week, his intentions in Ukraine remain unclear. Western intelligence suggests an invasion of some kind could still happen �� on a future Wednesday or any day of the week.

MOSCOW —

“Wars in Europe rarely start on a Wednesday.��

That’s how a top Russian diplomat brushed off speculation in the West that Russia could invade neighboring Ukraine as soon as Wednesday, Feb. 16.

As the U.S. and other NATO members warn of the potential for a devastating war, Russia is not countering with bombs or olive branches �� but with sarcasm.

It’s a tool that officials in Moscow have long used to belittle their rivals and to deflect attention from actions seen as threatening to the West or Russia’s neighbors. Laconic quips dovetail with the Kremlin’s domestic agenda by making Russia and its all-powerful president look more cool-headed and clever than countries in the panicky, democratic West.

As worries mushroomed that Wednesday could be the day President Vladimir Putin launches an invasion of Ukraine, Russian officials ridiculed them.

In a Facebook post, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova asked the “mass media of disinformation�� in the West “to reveal the schedule of our ‘invasions�� for the upcoming year. I’d like to plan my vacations.��

“To the regret of many Western media, the war again failed to start,�� Zakharova said at a briefing on Wednesday. “Fighting has erupted on their pages, but it has no relation to reality.��

Ukrainians, meanwhile, have been living amid signs of a possible invasion for several weeks, with an estimated 150,000 Russian troops surrounding much of their country for military exercises. Russia said this week it was starting to pull back some troops, but Western military officials say there's no evidence of a serious withdrawal.

Russia’s ambassador to the European Union, Vladimir Chizhov, accused Westerners of “slander�� for alleging an invasion was afoot. He insisted in an interview with German daily newspaper Welt that “there won’t be an attack this Wednesday.��

Then Chizhov added: “Wars in Europe rarely start on a Wednesday.’��

The statement seemed more flippant than historically significant. World War I started on a Tuesday and World War II started in Europe on a Friday, but Europe's history of war over centuries includes conflicts that kicked off throughout the week.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov also took the West's growing fears lightly. Asked Wednesday whether Russia's presidential administration operated differently overnight, he told reporters that everyone slept calmly and resumed work in the morning as usual.

“Western hysteria is still far from its culmination,�� Peskov said. "We need to have patience, as the remission will not come quickly.��

The master of Russian diplomatic snark is Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. He is known worldwide for his quips �� often said in English �� over 18 years as the Kremlin’s top diplomat.

On Wednesday, Lavrov mocked the West as sadly "lacking basic upbringing�� for trying to dictate or predict Russia’s plans.

Beneath the sarcasm, Russia has narrated the current Ukraine crisis from the outset: first by moving troops toward Ukraine, then by periodically holding out the possibility of a diplomatic solution, keeping foreign officials and global markets on constant edge.

While Putin offered more talks this week, his intentions in Ukraine remain unclear. Western intelligence suggests an invasion of some kind could still happen �� on a future Wednesday or any day of the week.

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How Russia uses sarcasm as weapon in Ukraine crisis

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