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Transcript/Script WASHINGTON WEEK AHEAD
HEADLINE: Russia Extends Military Drills Amid Fears It Will Invade Ukraine
TEASER: US President Joe Biden convenes National Security Council
PUBLISHED AT: Sunday, 02/20/2022 at 3:09 p.m.
BYLINE: Arash Arabasadi
DATELINE: Washington
PRODUCER: Arash Arabasadi
SCRIPT EDITORS: sv; caw; SR
VIDEO SOURCE (S): AFP/ RUSSIAN DEFENSE MINISTRY/ TWITTER/ “MEET THE PRESS”/ RADIO FREE EUROPE/RADIO LIBERTY/ ABC “THIS WEEK”/ VGTRK
PLATFORMS (mark with X): WEB __ TV X RADIO X
TRT: 2:22
VID APPROVED BY: SV
TYPE: TVPKG/RADIO
EDITOR NOTES:))
((INTRO)) [[ Russia on Sunday extended its military drills in Belarus, along Ukraine’s northern border, after two days of sustained shelling in eastern Ukraine between Russian separatists and Ukrainian forces. This comes amid U.S. warnings of a Russian invasion of Ukraine, with more than 100,000 Russian troops massed at the border VOA’s Arash Arabasadi has more.]]
((VAR, ICBM TEST, PLESETSK, RUSSIA, AFP/RUSSIA, 02/19))
((mandatory cg Russian Defense Ministry))
((VAR, BUS EVACUATION, RUSSIA, AFP, 02/19))
((VAR, TRAIN EVACUATION, MAKIIVKA, UKRAINE, AFP, 02/19))
((NARRATOR))
Recent video from the Russian Defense Ministry shows the launch of a Yars intercontinental ballistic missile fired from Russia. The Kremlin maintains that its military readiness drills and the more than 100-thousand soldiers amassed along Ukraine’s border pose no threat to its neighbor, which Russia says it has no intention of invading.
In the United States, a push for diplomacy continues amid growing calls from Congress to impose crippling sanctions on Russia.
[RADIO TRACK: On Sunday, Secretary of State Antony Blinken told NBC’s “Meet the Press” that the White House is holding out hope for diplomacy.]
((mandatory cg TWITTER / “Meet the Press”))
((BITE CONTAINS WHITE FLASH))
((Antony Blinken, U.S. Secretary of State))
“Until the tanks are rolling, and the planes are in the air, we’re going to try everything we possibly can to get President Putin to reverse the decision we believe he’s made… We continue to try to build everything we can to deter him from the course he’s now set on, and until the last minute, there’s still an option for him to pull back.”
((SHELLING VIDEO, DONETSK, RFE/RL, 02/19))
((mandatory cg Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty))
((NARRATOR))
And while Russia repeatedly denies allegations of plans to invade its neighbor, shelling this week in eastern Ukraine near areas backed by Russian-separatists, marks an escalation of tensions.
((NEWS CONFERENCE, MOSCOW, AFP/VGTRK, 02/18))
((mandatory cg VGTRK))
((NARRATOR))
At a recent news conference in Moscow, President Vladimir Putin lashed out at NATO members for not addressing Russia’s security concerns, an accusation the United States denies.
[RADIO TRACK: Sunday, on ABC’s “This Week,” Acting U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine Kristina Kvien ((ka-VEEN)) said the U.S. has been working in good faith with the Russian president.]
((mandatory cg ABC “THIS WEEK”))
((Kristina Kvien, Acting U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine))
“We can address some of his security concerns. We’ve given him papers laying those out. And it would really be an easy decision for him. All he has to do is decide to take the diplomatic path.”
((VAR, JOINT MILITARY DRILLS, BREST, BELARUS, AFP/RUSSIA, 02/16))
((mandatory cg RUSSIAN DEFENSE MINISTRY))
((NARRATOR))
While both publicly pledge there are no plans to invade Ukraine, Russia and its neighbor Belarus continue joint military exercises just north of the Ukrainian border.
[RADIO TRACK: Sunday, on CBS “Face the Nation,” Russian Ambassador to the U.S. Anatoly Antonov defended the country’s right to military readiness.]
((mandatory cg TWITTER / “FACE THE NATION”))
((Anatoly Antonov, Russian Ambassador to the U.S.))
“There is no invasion and there is [sic] no such plans. It was fixed in Russian documents that we conveyed to our American friends and State Department. Russia has publicly declared its readiness to continue diplomatic efforts to resume all outstanding issues. Russian troops are on sovereign Russian territory. We don’t threaten anyone.”
((MILITARY BOARDING PLANES, FORT CAMPBELL, KY, AFP, 02/19))
((NARRATOR))
U.S. soldiers from the 101st Airborne Division, seen here deploying from Kentucky to Europe, are a continued show of support for NATO allies. Russia’s chief demand of the West is that Ukraine never be given entry to NATO, which the United States calls a deal breaker.
((Arash Arabasadi, VOA News))
NewsML Media TopicsArts, Culture, Entertainment and Media
NetworkVOA
Location (dateline)Washington D.C.
Embargo DateFebruary 21, 2022 22:43 EST
BylineArash Arabasadi
Brand / Language ServiceVoice of America - English
