Dutch airline KLM will "immediately" stop flying to Ukraine, CNN's affiliates RTL News and NOS reported on Saturday.
The KLM flight scheduled to land in the capital Kyiv on Saturday evening has been canceled, RTL News reported, adding that KLM aircraft will no longer fly through Ukraine's airspace until further notice.
"The decision follows the adjusted travel advice to code red and an extensive safety analysis," the airline said in a statement, according to RTL News.
Normally, KLM flies to Kyiv twice a day, NOS reported.
Earlier on Saturday, the Dutch Ministry for Foreign Affairs urged all Dutch people to leave Ukraine in light of the worsening security situation in the country.
11:59 a.m. ET, February 12, 2022
Thousands attended a march in Kyiv for Ukrainian unity, organizers say
From CNN's Conor Powell, Luis Graham-Yooll and Lauren Kent
An anti-war demonstration led by the No Surrender Movement gathers in Independence Square in Kyiv, Ukraine, on February 12, 2022. (Timothy Fadek/Redux for CNN)
Crowds of people gathered in the Ukrainian capital Saturday afternoon for what was billed as a "March of Unity for Ukraine." CNN's team in Kyiv reported that many of the people marching carried Ukrainian flags and signs with pro-Ukrainian slogans.
About 2,000 to 3,000 people marched from Shevchenko Park to Maidan Square, also known as Independence Square, in Kyiv with the goal of demonstrating "unity in the face of a common threat," according to organizers.
Several demonstrators taking part in the peaceful march spoke to CNN to voice their support for a democratic Ukraine, free from the influence of Russia.
“We are together, we are strong. And no matter how crazy our neighbor, we still want to be a peaceful democratic Ukraine," said demonstrator Karina Kravchenko. “We don’t want to be friends, to be brothers with that crazy neighbor. We just want to be -- to stand outside far, far away from that country."
Another demonstrator, Vyacheslav Stelmah, told CNN that “Ukrainians will resist the possible Russian aggression. We are not going to just stay calm and stay silent while Russia poses a significant risk to our country."
Among the many signs in the crowd was a large red one that read #PutinWarCriminal and #PutinMassMurderer.
The Ukrainian government has continued to urge its citizens to remain calm in the face of the threat of a Russian invasion. Earlier on Saturday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky cast some doubt on suggestions that Russia might take military action as soon as next week, and the Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said it was critical for citizens to remain calm, stay united, and "refrain from actions that undermine stability and sow panic."
An anti-war demonstration led by the No Surrender Movement gathers in Independence Square in Kyiv, Ukraine, on February 12, 2022. (Timothy Fadek/Redux for CNN)
11:28 a.m. ET, February 12, 2022
Call between Biden and Putin has begun
From CNN's Ross Levitt
(Getty)
President Joe Biden’s call with Russian President Vladimir Putin began at 11:04 a.m. ET, according to the White House pool.
The call comes following a week of diplomatic efforts to avoid conflict in Ukraine as Russia continues its buildup of troops near the Ukrainian border.
The United States has moved some US forces out of Ukraine and ordered the evacuation of most of its embassy staff on Saturday as fears mount that a Russian invasion of the country could potentially take place in the next few days.
11:31 a.m. ET, February 12, 2022
Putin, Macron had "in-depth" exchange of views on Russian security and Ukraine, Kremlin says
From CNN's Uliana Pavlova
The Kremlin described a call Saturday between Russian President Vladimir Putin and French President Emmanuel Macron as involving an "in-depth exchange of views" on issues relating to Russian security and "overcoming the impasse in resolving the intra-Ukrainian conflict."
According to a Kremlin readout, "Vladimir Putin once again drew attention to the lack of a substantive response from the United States and NATO to well-known Russian initiatives. The unwillingness of the leading Western countries to push the Kyiv authorities to implement the Minsk agreements was also emphasized."
Following months of fighting between Ukrainian forces and pro-Russian separatists in Ukraine's Donetsk and Luhansk regions, Kyiv and Moscow signed a peace deal in Minsk in 2015. The deal, brokered by France and Germany, has never been fully implemented.
"Vladimir Putin and Emmanuel Macron also discussed the situation related to provocative speculations about an allegedly planned Russian 'invasion' of Ukraine, accompanied by a large-scale pumping of this country with modern weapons and the prerequisites are being created for possible aggressive actions of Ukrainian security forces in the Donbas," the readout said.
The two sides agreed to maintain dialogue on these issues "at the highest level," the Kremlin readout added.
11:15 a.m. ET, February 12, 2022
Germany to reduce diplomatic staff at embassy in Kyiv
From CNN's Sharon Braithwaite
Germany will keep its embassy in Kyiv open but reduce its diplomatic staff, Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said on Saturday.
"I have decided to further reinforce the crisis prevention measures that have already been taken," Baerbock said in a tweet posted by the German Foreign Office.
"Our Consulate General Donetsk, based in Dnipro since 2014, is temporarily being relocated to Lviv," she added.
The office also issued a travel warning for Ukraine on Saturday and asked German nationals in Ukraine to consider leaving the country.
10:27 a.m. ET, February 12, 2022
US and Polish officials scouting border control sites to assist Americans leaving Ukraine, officials say
From CNN's Barbara Starr
US and Polish officials are scouting where to establish border control points to assist Americans coming out of Ukraine, according to two defense officials.
Multiple sites have been identified along the border with Ukraine. The officials would not yet say the exact locations.
One is expected to be an already existing Polish facility, while others are being built. The officials said the sites would offer temporary shelter and other amenities, as well as State Department services for Americans in transit.
Troops of the 82nd Airborne in eastern Poland are expected to be handling much of the effort.
A senior defense official told CNN Friday that Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin had ordered 3,000 more soldiers from the 82nd Airborne Division to deploy to Poland, joining the 1,700 already there. The soldiers are there to help Americans who may try to leave Ukraine.
Pentagon press secretary John Kirby told reporters earlier this month that 82nd Airborne troops were sent to Poland primarily because "they are multi-mission capable."
10:22 a.m. ET, February 12, 2022
Macron and Putin discussed "conditions for security and stability" in Europe, according to Élysée Palace
From CNN’s Xiaofei Xu in Paris
French President Emmanuel Macron and Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke on the phone for 1 hour and 40 minutes Saturday in a follow-up to discussions the two held on Feb. 7, according to the Élysée Palace.
"The two presidents discussed different paths to proceed on the implementation of the Minsk Agreements and continued their discussion on the conditions for security and stability in Europe. They both expressed a willingness to continue the dialogue on these two points," the Élysée statement said. "The President of the Republic conveyed the concerns of his European partners and allies to his interlocutor. He told President Putin that sincere dialogue was not compatible with an escalation."
On Feb. 7, the two leaders met for more than five hours. After that meeting, Macron said that he and Putin were able to find "points of convergence" over the crisis and that it was "up to us to agree, jointly, concrete and specific measures to stabilize the situation and to de-escalate tensions."
"A number of his proposals and ideas, about which it is too early to speak, I consider quite possible in order to lay a foundation for our further steps," Putin said about the meeting.
10:07 a.m. ET, February 12, 2022
Turkey recommends against travel to eastern Ukraine, while Iran urges citizens to be prepared
From CNN's Isil Sariyuce and Adam Pourahmadi
Turkey has advised its citizens against traveling to eastern Ukraine as fears mount over a potential Russian invasion.
The Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Saturday on Twitter that it is "monitoring the security situation in Ukraine very closely."
"In this regard, we recommend our citizens avoid traveling to the eastern border regions of Ukraine unless they have to," the ministry said.
Citizens undertaking necessary travel should "take all possible precautions for their personal safety" and contact the Turkish embassy in Kyiv before departing, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Meanwhile, Iran's Embassy in Ukraine has urged Iranians there to "remain calm and prepare for a possible state of emergency.”
It also asked Iranian nationals to "stay in contact" with the embassy, according to Iran's semi-official ISNA news agency Saturday.
10:02 a.m. ET, February 12, 2022
Spanish foreign ministry tells its citizens in Ukraine to "seriously consider" leaving the country
From CNN's Claudia Rebaza
Spain's Ministry of Foreign Affairs updated its travel guidance on Saturday to advise against travel to Ukraine and urged citizens in the country to "seriously consider" leaving.
“Due to the volatility of the security situation, we advise not to travel to Ukraine," the ministry said in an update on its website.
“We advise all Spanish citizens who are in the country to seriously consider the option of leaving temporarily via available commercial options (flights) while the current situation persists," the guidance said.
