Kyiv's diplomacy and legislation on 17 February 2022
A look back at a day when Ukraine ratified an aviation deal with the EU, announced a new alliance and heard warnings from London.
What did Ukraine's government do on 17 February 2022, while warnings about a Russian invasion intensified? It pursued legislative and diplomatic business on two tracks.
The Verkhovna Rada passed a law ratifying the agreement between Ukraine and the European Union and its member states on a common aviation area. The vote tied Kyiv's institutions to the EU through a lasting legal framework, even as the security outlook darkened.
Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba announced that Ukraine had created a trilateral alliance with Poland and the United Kingdom. The announcement showed Kyiv seeking closer partnerships with two states at a time of acute tension.
The warnings were stark. Senior British officials said that Russian President Vladimir Putin had decided to invade Ukraine, citing changes in the previous 24 hours. That assessment sat uneasily with Russia's statement of 15 February that troops would be partially pulled back from the border, though exercises would continue and Putin said diplomatic talks would go on.
The same day, the Russian State Duma had passed a bill to recognise the self-proclaimed Donetsk and Luhansk People's Republics as independent states, and sent it to Putin for final approval.
Neighbouring states were also acting. Germany deployed 130 troops and 60 armoured personnel carriers to Lithuania, and President Gitanas Nauseda said the forces were authorised to defend the country from threats. More troops were expected later that week.
Domestic administration continued as well: on 16 February the Cabinet of Ministers had appointed Serhiy Kruk to head the State Emergency Service of Ukraine.
Taken together, 17 February 2022 shows a government continuing ordinary legislative and administrative work while building external alliances, as allies and neighbours positioned themselves for a possible invasion.
