The week began with Emmanuel Macron heading to Moscow for what he hopes will be the start of the long road to de-escalation over Ukraine.

Dutch airline KLM announced on Saturday that it is canceling flights into Ukraine, a move that comes amid heightened tensions between Moscow and Kyiv. The airline said the decision was made after “an extensive safety analysis,” noting that it followed “adjusted travel advice to code red.”

Washington claims Russia is moving forces towards Ukraine while Russia says more of its tanks and jets are leaving the area. Germany's Annalena Baerbock accused Moscow of making Cold War demands. DW has the latest.

Mercenaries, cyber-attacks, targeted disinformation — Russia no longer depends on classical methods of warfare in its campaign to destabilize Ukraine.

In this edition of Tech 24, we compare the two militaries of Russia and Ukraine, as fears of an invasion remain high. It's no surprise that the Russian arsenal far outstrips Ukraine's in terms of numbers, but Moscow has also come a long way in modernising its weaponry and support equipment. It now boasts long-range precision missiles, a huge fleet of tanks, as well as modern, high-manoeuvrability aircraft. So what can Ukraine do to defend itself? Peter O'Brien takes a look.

The US is moving to bolster Poland's defense capabilities amid the rising threat of war between neighboring Ukraine and Russia. Defense Secretary Austin said the conflict could lead to a flood of refugees.

Russian and Belarusian troops will continue their joint exercises near Ukraine, which were expected to end on Sunday, due to the "escalating situation" in Donbas.

Fear mongering content became viral on social media this week, as Ukrainian civilians prepare for an imminent Russian attack.

Germany has urged Russia to come back to the negotiating table as Russian media reported "no concrete plans" were in place for Putin to meet Biden.

FRANCE 24 spoke to Sir John Sawers, the former head of Britain’s secret intelligence service. Sawers, who headed the MI6 between 2009 and 2014, said that if Russia’s President Vladimir Putin decides to take military action against Ukraine, it would be in his interest to limit an invasion to eastern Ukraine. But, he cautioned: “There is no doubt that Russia has the capability to carry out a full invasion, take over Kiev, and install a puppet regime.”

Russia's move to recognise the breakaway Ukrainian regions of Donetsk and Luhansk has sent ripples through global markets on Tuesday, with falls across Asia, and in early trading in Europe. Oil prices also jumped, with the international benchmark Brent Crude hitting its highest level since mid-2014. Investors are now focusing on which sanctions the United States, the United Kingdom and the European Union might impose on Russia in response.

Global stock markets have taken a beating as investors rush for safe havens amid an escalation in geopolitical tensions over Ukraine. Russian stocks and bonds as well as the ruble are among the biggest losers.