Conflict between Ukraine and Russia is now possible, according to Nobel Laureate Dmitry Muratov, because “the powerful actively promote the idea of war”.  

As per a report by Reuters, Muratov, a journalist, claimed that Russian leaders are to be blamed for the Ukraine border conflict while accepting his Nobel Peace Prize at Oslo City Hall.

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“Moreover, in (the) heads of some crazy geopoliticians, a war between Russia and Ukraine is not something impossible any longer,” he said.

In acknowledgment of their continued struggle for freedom of expression, Muratov, editor-in-chief of the Russian daily Novaya Gazeta, and Maria Ressa, co-founder of the Philippine news portal Rappler, shared the 2021 award. 

He also mentioned Russian journalists being labelled as “enemies of the people” and stated the country was “in a dark valley”. 

As per the report, he dedicated his medal to all investigative journalists and his Novaya Gazeta colleagues who were killed as a result of their work. 

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According to a communiqué seen by Reuters, the G7 countries warned on Sunday that if Russia attacked Ukraine, it would suffer “massive consequences”.

“We reaffirm our unwavering commitment to Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, as well as the right of any sovereign state to determine its own future,” the statement said.

The Russian Embassy in London had already denounced Britain’s use of the term “Russian aggression” during the G7 conference this weekend. 

Russia is preparing to push into Ukraine from numerous sites, according to US intelligence, with a buildup of troops and weaponry around the border, but officials say it’s unclear whether Putin intends to invade. 

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Despite the fact that Russia’s military has amassed 90,000 troops along the Ukrainian border, Moscow says that it would not invade Ukraine unless “provoked” — and has set a red line across Ukraine’s membership in NATO.