The frontline - inside Ukraine's trenches
President Putin has insisted he's still open to "direct and honest dialogue" - but western leaders are warning of the danger of an imminent invasion.
Vladimir Putin has long lamented the loss of the Soviet empire. In 2014, he succeeded in getting part of it back - seizing Crimea from Ukraine. He also helped Russian speaking rebels carve out enclaves in the regions of Donetsk and Luhansk in the east. Now he has said he backs the separatists' claims to the remaining two-thirds of the territory in those areas - which is currently held by Ukrainian government forces. In response, the US, EU, UK and others have announced sanctions aimed at cutting Russia off from international financing.
Mr Putin has an estimated 150 thousand soldiers massed on Ukraine's borders, and western leaders have warned of the danger of an imminent invasion. The United Nations Secretary General, Ant贸nio Guterres, said the world was facing a "moment of peril". What happens next is anybody's guess. For 5 Minutes On, our International Correspondent, Orla Guerin, speaks to those on the frontline in eastern Ukraine about the battle which may lie ahead.
Image Credit: Reuters via Elvis
