In a last-ditch attempt to prevent a Russian invasion of Ukraine: United States President Joe Biden and Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke for an hour this evening (Saturday night).
Earlier, French President Macron spoke for an hour and 40 minutes with Putin.
According to reports, Biden made it clear to President Putin: A Russian invasion of Ukraine would result in a harsh and decisive response from the US and its allies - for which Russia would pay.
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The Kremlin said in response to the conversation: "Hysteria is at its peak, it's absurd.".
The Associated Press reported today, citing a senior US security source, that Russia could invade Ukraine by Wednesday. The British Telegraph reported a similar report, citing a senior CIA official, who claimed that orders for the invasion had already been passed on to Russian military forces on Ukraine's eastern border.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky called for calm in his country and said during a short speech, in which he appeared alongside senior military officials, that spreading panic should stop: "If anyone has certain information that there is a danger of a Russian invasion by Wednesday, they are welcome to present the information they have to us.".
Moscow accused the US and Western countries of creating panic and sowing disinformation.
""At the end of 2021 and the beginning of 2022, the global media space witnessed a media campaign unprecedented in its scope and sophistication, the sole purpose of which was to convince the international community that the Russian Federation was planning to invade Ukraine," the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement. "This is a spread of lies designed to divert attention and agenda from the aggression of the United States and Western countries,",
Prime Minister Naftali Bennett held a consultation at the end of Shabbat with the Minister of Foreign Affairs, the Minister of Defense, the Chief of Staff, the Head of the Shin Bet, the Head of the National Security Council, and the National Security Advisor.
The conversation discussed preparations for the evacuation of Israelis from Ukraine. It was agreed to raise the travel warning to the region, along with a call for Israeli citizens to immediately leave Ukraine and return to Israel.
In addition, the strengthening of civilian flights on the Israel-Ukraine route will be examined.
The families of Israeli diplomats are expected to return to Israel tomorrow.
Meanwhile, 4,000 Israelis have registered to receive updates from the Foreign Ministry.
The Ministry of Education and the Jewish Agency are preparing to return to Israel tomorrow all the emissary teachers and their families from Ukraine. These are 'Haftziba' teachers, who teach in more than 20 Jewish schools in this country - including Haredi families.
A small group of Chabad teachers, working in Ukraine as a delegation of the Ministry of Education, will also return with their children, while the husbands will remain in the country.
The Ministry of Education's professional teams held joint discussions over the weekend with representatives of the Jewish Agency and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, to coordinate with them all the details required for the evacuation of the teachers and their families to Israel.
Upon their arrival in Israel, the Ministry of Education will work to place the children of the emissaries in educational institutions, and will ensure that they are given a broad range of support. To the extent possible, teachers will continue to teach the students of the Jewish community in a distance learning format.
Chabad emissaries will not abandon the Jewish communities and will remain in the country, so as not to sow panic among the communities.
