Western Media Calls February 16 Is Possibly An Invasion Day, President Zelenskiy: We'll Make It Unity Day

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

JAKARTA - President Volodymyr Zelenskiy called on Ukrainians to raise the national flag from buildings and sing the national anthem in unison on February 16, a date some Western media have cited as the possible start of a Russian invasion.

Ukrainian officials stressed that President Zelenskiy did not predict an attack on that date, but responded with skepticism to foreign media reports. Several Western media organizations have cited US officials and others, citing the date when Russian troops will be ready to strike.

"They told us February 16 would be the day of the attack. We will make it a day of unity," Zelenskiy said in a video address to the country, citing Reuters February 15.

"They are trying to scare us by mentioning the start date of the military action. On that day, we will raise our national flag, wear yellow and blue banners, and show the whole world our unity," he explained.

President Zelenskiy has long said that while he believes Russia is threatening his country, the possibility of an imminent attack has been exaggerated by Ukraine's Western allies, responding to Moscow's attempts to intimidate Ukraine and sow panic.

Meanwhile, Mykhailo Podolyak, an adviser to Zelenskiy's chief of staff, told Reuters the president was responding in part "with irony" to media reports about a possible invasion date.

"It's completely understandable why Ukrainians today are skeptical about various 'certain dates', from the so-called 'start invasion' announced in the media. When 'start of invasion' becomes a kind of rolling tour date, such media announcements can only be considered irony, " he explained.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy. (Wikimedia Commons/Нацгвардія аїни)

Meanwhile, President Zelenskiy's Office released the text of the decree calling on all villages and towns in Ukraine to raise the state flag on Wednesday, and the entire nation to sing the national anthem at 10 a.m. It also called for an increase in the salaries of soldiers and border guards.

US officials said they did not expect the strike ordered by Russian President Vladimir Putin on a particular day, but repeatedly warned it could come at any time.

"I'm not going to mention a specific date, I don't think it's smart. I'm just going to tell you, it's very possible he could move (invasion) without warning," Pentagon spokesman John Kirby told reporters.

Earlier, Kirby said Moscow was still adding to its military capabilities on the Ukrainian border.

Separately, Foreign Minister Antony Blinken said Washington, which has repatriated most of its diplomats, was moving its diplomatic mission operations in Ukraine from Kyiv to the western city of Lviv, further away from the Russian border. He cited a "dramatic acceleration in the buildup of Russian troops".

Russia has more than 100.000 troops gathered near the Ukrainian border. While denying Western accusations they were planning an invasion, Moscow said it could take unspecified military-technical action unless a series of demands were met, including barring Kyiv from joining the NATO alliance.

On Monday, Russia said it was ready to resume talks with Western countries to try to defuse the security crisis.

In a televised conversation, President Putin is shown asking Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov if there is a possibility of a deal to address Russia's security concerns, or if it is simply being dragged into tortuous negotiations.

"We have warned more than once that we will not allow endless negotiations on questions demanding a solution today," Lavrov replied.

"It seems to me that our possibilities are far from exhausted. At this stage, I would advise to go ahead and build on it," he added.

Western countries have threatened sanctions on an unprecedented scale if Russia did strike. The Group of Seven major economies (G7) warned on Monday of "economic and financial sanctions that will have major and immediate consequences on the Russian economy".

Separately, after speaking with the foreign ministers of Russia and Ukraine, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said he still believed, from his own analysis, that there would be no conflict, a UN spokesman said.

For information, Moscow says Ukraine's attempt to join NATO is a threat. While NATO has no immediate plans to recognize Ukraine, with Western countries saying they cannot negotiate over a sovereign nation's right to form an alliance.