Ukrainian soldiers on duty to protect their front lines in Donbas

DONBAS, UKRAINE - DECEMBER 18: While the negotiations on the solution of the Donbas crisis ongoing, Ukrainian army soldiers continue to defend their territory on the fronts in the Svitlodarsk region in Donetsk. Anadolu Agency Video News (AAVN) videoed some Ukrainian soldiers on duty on Saturday (Dec. 18). The Russia-Ukraine crisis started in 2014 after four Ukrainian soldiers were killed in the Donbas region by Russian forces. For the second time this year, Moscow has moved thousands of troops of the border, leading to accusations by the West and Kyiv that it is planning an invasion. Russia has rejected the claims as “a lie,” but the US, European Union and NATO have persisted with calls for de-escalation and a return to diplomacy, while also warning of sanctions and other countermeasures if Moscow attacks Ukraine. Ukraine currently is one of six NATO's Enhanced Opportunities Partners, alongside Australia, Finland, Georgia, Jordan, and Sweden. Russia sees Ukraine's entry into NATO as a threat to itself. Russian President Vladimir Putin and his US counterpart Joe Biden also held a two-hour video call last week, in which the Russian leader sought guarantees that NATO will not expand eastward, according to the Kremlin. (Footage by Anatoliy Stepanov/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)