Ukranian Defense Minister Tries To Calm Citizens About Russian Invasion: Don't Worry, Have A Good Sleep

President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky. (Wikimedia Commons / National Guard of Ukraine)

JAKARTA - Ukrainian leaders on Tuesday tried to reassure the nation that an invasion from neighboring Russia was imminent, even as they acknowledged the threat was real, and accepted shipments of US military equipment to shore up their defenses.

Moscow has denied that it was planning an attack, but has amassed about 100.000 troops near Ukraine in recent weeks, holding military exercises at several locations in Russia. That has sent the United States and its NATO allies rushing to prepare for a possible war.

Several rounds of high-stakes diplomacy have failed to produce any breakthrough, and tensions have escalated further this week. NATO says it is strengthening its deterrence in the Baltic Sea region.

The US ordered 8.500 troops on higher alert for a possible deployment to Europe as part of the alliance's "response force" if necessary. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson also said he was ready to send troops to protect NATO allies in Europe.

The US and its allies have vowed to hit Russia with unprecedented sanctions if Moscow sends its military to Ukraine. However, they provided few details, saying it was best to keep President Vladimir Putin guessing.

In response to developments in the situation, Ukrainian authorities have tried to project calm so as not to destabilize the situation, avoiding panic, with many citizens having expressed skepticism about an imminent invasion.

In parliament, Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov said "as of today, there is no reason to believe" Russia was preparing to strike in the near future, noting Russian forces had not yet formed what he called a fighting group that could breach the border.

"Don't worry, sleep well. No need to pack your bags," he said, quoting the Associated Press on January 26.

Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov. (Wikimedia Commons/Y27)

Reznikov's remarks followed several reassurances from President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and other officials. On Monday, President Zelenskyy told the country the situation was "under control."

However, in an interview broadcast late Monday, the defense minister acknowledged that "there are risky scenarios" that "may and may occur in the future."

Analysts say Ukrainian leaders are caught between trying to pacify the nation and ensuring adequate assistance from the West in the event of an invasion.

"Ukrainian authorities are trying to prevent destabilization and panic at home, therefore a reassuring statement says there is no threat of an imminent Russian invasion," said political analyst Volodymyr Fesenko.

"The Kremlin's plans include undermining the situation inside Ukraine, inflaming hysteria and fear among Ukrainian citizens, and the authorities in Kyiv are finding it increasingly difficult to contain this snowball," he said.

A Kyiv International Institute of Sociology poll found about 48 percent of Ukrainians believe an invasion in the coming months poses a real threat.

But with many aware of the possibility that the recent moves could also be part of an information war, 39 percent said they didn't see it happening. The national poll of 1.205 people from January 21-22 had a margin of error not exceeding 3.2 percentage points.

The crisis did not stop large groups of people from gathering in front of parliament in Kyiv, demanding changes to the state's tax laws and even clashing with the police at one point. Other Ukrainians watched warily.

"Of course, we are afraid of Russian aggression and war, which will lead to further impoverishment in Ukraine. But we will be forced to fight and defend ourselves," said Dmytro Ugol, a 46-year-old construction worker in Kyiv.

"I am ready to fight, but my whole family doesn't want it and lives in tension. Every day the news scares us more and more."