Monday morning news - February 14, 2022

For WORLD Radio, I'm Kristen Flavin. 

Washington warns Russian invasion of Ukraine imminent » U.S. officials say the long-anticipated Russian invasion of Ukraine could come as soon as this week. Jake Sullivan is a spokesman for the U.S. State Department.

SULLIVAN: We have seen over the course of the past 10 days a dramatic acceleration in the buildup of Russian forces, and the disposition of those forces in such a way that they could launch a military action at any time.

More than 130,000 Russian troops are now massed along Ukraine’s border. Over the weekend, Washington ordered an evacuation of the U.S. Embassy in Kyiv. And the State Department is urging all other American citizens in Ukraine to leave at once.

SULLIVAN: As long as those commercial transit options are available, Americans should avail themselves of them. They should move out by air, or rail, or road as rapidly as possible because if there is military action, if there is a war between Russia and Ukraine, started by a Russian invasion of Ukraine, President Biden is not intending to send in American forces to fight Russia in that war.

But the list of commercial transit options is getting shorter. Ukraine’s air traffic safety agency has declared the airspace over the Black Sea a “zone of potential danger.” It recommends planes avoid flying over the area for the next six days.

Dutch airline KLM has canceled all flights to Ukraine until further notice. In 2014, a Malaysian jetliner flying from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur was shot down over a part of eastern Ukraine held by Russia-backed rebels.

On Saturday, President Biden talked to Russian President Vladimir Putin for about an hour, trying to ease tensions. Putin continues to insist he has no plan to invade Ukraine and wants to find a diplomatic solution to the growing crisis.

But Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the evidence suggests otherwise.

BLINKEN: The way for Moscow to show that it wants to pursue that path is simple. It should deescalate, rather than escalate. And it should not only talk about seeking a diplomatic outcome, but actually work one.

On Sunday, Biden spoke with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to renew promises of economic retaliation if Russia does invade. But Zelensky continues to downplay U.S. concerns, even as the Ukrainian military held a drill near the border with Russian-annexed Crimea over the weekend.

Canadian police clear blocked border crossing » Canadian police have cleared a blockade at one of the busiest border crossings in the country. The Ambassador Bridge carries 25 percent of all trade between Canada and the United States. It links Windsor, Ontario, home to several Canadian automotive plants, with Detroit.

Drivers protesting pandemic-related restrictions had blocked the bridge since February 7th.

On Saturday, police persuaded most of the protesters to move. By the time officers moved in on Sunday, only a few remained. Police arrested 12 people and towed seven vehicles.

SOUND: [Sound of truck horn]

Meanwhile, protests in the country’s capital, Ottawa, continued for their third straight weekend. Police there estimated about 4,000 people filled downtown streets to call for an end to vaccine mandates and other restrictions.

AUDIO: It's a freedom of choice, it's not about any. I am vaccinated but my thing is, that was my choice. And if someone beside me choses to not, that's none of my business. And it's the freedom of choice.

The protest began as a convoy of truckers frustrated by cross-border vaccine requirements. But it has grown to include others who are ready for an end to all pandemic restrictions.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has resisted calls to use the military to clear the protesters. Local police say they are waiting for reinforcements before implementing a plan to end the demonstrations.

Protests in Paris and New Zealand » The Canadian protest has inspired others as far away as Europe and New Zealand.

SOUND: [Airhorn and chants of ‘Freedom! Freedom! Freedom!’]

Protesters have been camped outside New Zealand’s parliament building in Wellington for a week. Not even a tropical cyclone that blew in over the weekend could convince them to pack up and go home.

SOUND: I've been to a few protests in my day, but it's never felt like this, where people just want their lives back, they do. And people are sad because they have lost family members, they've lost their jobs, they've lost their businesses, their livelihood, it's crazy.

Police initially used the parliament building’s sprinkler system to soak protesters, in hopes it would encourage them to go home. When that didn’t work, they used loudspeakers to blast decades-old Barry Manilow songs and the 1990s earworm hit “Macarena.”

Protesters responded with their own soundtrack, including Twisted Sister’s “We’re Not Gonna Take It.”

AUDIO: [Sound of car horns, cheering]

Similar protests are also taking place in France, where a convoy of about 300 vehicles drove to the border with Belgium on Sunday. They are protesting the “vaccine pass” required to enter restaurants, cafes and other public places.

LA Rams win the Super Bowl » Super Bowl LVI is in the books. WORLD’s Leigh Jones has that story.

LEIGH JONES, REPORTER: The Los Angeles Rams took home the Lombardi Trophy on Sunday, beating the Cincinnati Bengals 23-20.

It was the team’s first NFL title since the 1999 season, when they won as the St. Louis Rams. And they did it in their current home stadium, making them the second consecutive Super Bowl host to win the championship. Tampa Bay became the first last year.

Rams wide receiver Cooper Kupp won the Most Valuable Player award after making eight receptions for 92 yards and two touchdowns. His 1-yard reception from Matthew Stafford with less than 2 minutes remaining in the game gave the Rams the lead that carried them to victory.

Reporting for WORLD, I’m Leigh Jones.

I'm Kristen Flavin. For more news, features, and analysis, visit us at wng.org. 

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