The US has warned Moscow that military aggression in Ukraine is a “grave mistake” in the pursuit of Western wisdom that has exposed the Russian military on the Ukrainian border.
Speaking to reporters Friday, United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken stated that Washington “is deeply concerned about the steady pace of military action that we see on. . . Borders of Ukraine ”.
“It would be a great mistake for Russia to repeat what it did in 2014,” he added, referring to the capture of Moscow on the Ukrainian island of Crimea.
The warning came after Washington and Kyiv told EU allies this week that an increase in the number of troops could signal a possible end to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Moscow has been embroiled in a proxy separatist war in the eastern Donbass region. Kyiv says the conflict has killed more than 14,000 people.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov on Friday refuted the allegations, saying Russia was “not a threat to anyone”.
“We have repeatedly said that our military operations in our region should not be a concern for anyone,” he added.
In a statement issued Friday, French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian and Florence Parly expressed concern about the Russian offensive in Ukraine after meeting with Russian counterparts in Paris.
“The two ministers expressed their concern for the security situation in Ukraine and warned of dire consequences that could undermine Ukraine’s credibility,” he said.
An EU official said the agency had asked Russian officials for more information on the military, after being briefed by US officials on what was happening last week.
“We’re also seeing the rise [of troops] and we’re talking to our US and UK counterparts on their review. This is a worrying development and we are following with anxiety, “he added.
Ukrainian Presidential Adviser Volodymyr Zelensky told the Financial Times on Friday that Ukrainian security minister Oleksiy Reznikov was heading to Washington early next week for further talks.
“The real question is what the US and Nato should do to stop the planned Russian atrocities,” the adviser added.
Ukraine has asked the US for immediate assistance, including intelligence sharing, or air security systems, “or whatever,” said Dmytro Kuleba, Ukraine’s foreign minister, after meeting Blinken in Washington.
The Biden government is concerned that Moscow’s intentions in Ukraine could thwart US-Russia talks on cyber attacks and arms controls. Bill Burns, the CIA chief, led US envoys to Moscow this month to discuss Ukraine, among other issues.
Meanwhile, relations between Russia and the EU have deteriorated in recent months over what European policy makers say is Moscow’s refusal to supply more gas between global demand and inflation.
Tensions escalated this week as the EU accused its Russian counterpart Belarus of using “terrorist” tactics on its borders with Poland, encouraging refugees to reach the area in order to provoke instability in EU borders.
Russia has sent two bombers to Belarus, Russia’s Defense Ministry said on Thursday, and launched a military training campaign in the country, near the Polish border.
Source link
