Ukrainians ready themselves for resistance | First Thing

Army less well equipped than Russia's but can call upon half a million war veterans. Plus, wildfires could increase by a third

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Good morning.

If Russian forces try to take new territory in Ukraine, they will face an army that is far smaller and less well equipped than their own but hardened by eight years of fighting, writes Emma Graham-Harrison in Kyiv.

Is Russia invading Ukraine and what will happen next? Putin has sent soldiers on a peacekeeping mission" but is likely to threaten Ukraine with a broader war. Here is an explainer on what could happen next.

Is all hope for a diplomatic solution lost? Not necessarily. Putin said this morning: Our country is always open for direct and honest dialogue, for the search for diplomatic solutions to the most complex problems." However, he added Russia's interests were non-negotiable".

What is Biden doing to stop the crisis? The president has threatened tougher steps for further provocation, but some believe he is holding back in order to preserve the potency of sanctions as a deterrent.

It remains to be seen if any of the US convoys would seek to actively shut down Washington's streets, the way their Canadian counterparts did in Ottawa. Some convoy organisers have spoken of plans to briefly roll through the city, then focus on shutting down the Beltway, which encircles the capital.