US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken has warned that “there will be consequences” in the event of a Russian “attack” on Ukraine, expressing US “concern” over the movements of Russian troops on the border with Ukraine.
“There are more Russian forces on the border than at any other time since 2014, when Russia first invaded,” he said in an interview with NBC News, echoing an assessment made by the White House in recent days.
“President Biden has been very clear: if Russia acts recklessly or aggressively, there will be costs, there will be consequences,” he said, without specifying what the retaliatory measures will be.
Anthony Blinken, who discussed the issue on Friday, by telephone with his French and German counterparts, stressed that the US and “their European allies share the same concern.”
The war in Donbas began in April 2014, following a pro-Western uprising in Ukraine, which was also followed by Moscow’s annexation of the Ukrainian peninsula of Crimea.
The conflict has killed at least 13,000 people and displaced nearly 1.5 million people. The intensity of the fighting had largely subsided following the Minsk peace agreements in 2015, but the political settlement of the conflict has not progressed.
In recent days, Kyiv and Western capitals have criticized Moscow for military build-up on the border with Ukraine and on the annexed Crimean peninsula, while murderous incidents with separatists occur almost daily.
According to Ukraine, the Kremlin may be looking for an excuse to launch a large-scale military operation.
The Kremlin has not denied the military movements, but has said it does not threaten anyone, accusing Kyiv of “provocations” aimed at “worsening the situation on the front.”
Today, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peshkov ruled out a war with Ukraine.
“Of course, no one is committed to the path of war, and no one accepts the possibility of such a war,” Peshkov said in an interview with the public television channel Russia-1.
“No one also accepts the possibility of a civil war in Ukraine,” he added, “Russia will not remain indifferent to the fate of Russian-speakers living in southeastern Ukraine.”
“Russia is making every effort to help resolve this conflict. And we will continue to do so without interruption,” Peshkov said.
Source: ANA-MPA