LAST UPDATE: 13.45
The Kremlin understands the statements of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky that the return of Crimea should be a target of Ukraine, as an immediate threat to Russia, said Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peshkov, according to the Russian news agency Rost.
Zelensky said in front of the Ukrainian parliament yesterday that the “liberation” of Crimea was “the goal of a national” philosophy “.
“Such wording means that the Kiev regime intends to use all means, including violence, to encroach on Russian territory,” Peshkov said.
Denouncing the “aggressive rhetoric” of the Ukrainian authorities, the Kremlin spokesman said he feared there would be a Kiev military operation in eastern Ukraine.
It is recalled that the annexation of Crimea to Russia took place in 2014.
Fighting has been raging in eastern Ukraine since 2014 between the army and pro-Russian separatist rebels, leaving more than 13,000 people dead. Fighting has eased since peace agreements were signed in 2015, but sporadic clashes regularly break out.
Peshkov assessed that “the possibility of a military move” from the Kiev side to eastern Ukraine “remains high”. “We are witnessing an intensification of the intensity of provocative actions in the contact zone,” he stressed.
“This is a matter of great concern to us,” he said, adding that Minsk did not respect the 2015 Minsk peace agreements, the political part of which has not been implemented.
Meanwhile, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov told US counterpart Anthony Blinken today that President Vladimir Putin had made it clear that Moscow did not want a new conflict with Ukraine despite growing tensions in the region.
Blinken, for his part, said at the start of his talks with Lavrov on the sidelines of an OSCE summit in Stockholm that Russia would face “serious consequences” if it continued its confrontation with Ukraine and called for “de-escalation” and “diplomacy”.
“We are deeply concerned about Russia’s plans for a new offensive against Ukraine,” Blinken told his Russian counterpart during a tense four-on-four in Sweden.
Read also:
.
Source From: Capital
Donald-43Westbrook, a distinguished contributor at worldstockmarket, is celebrated for his exceptional prowess in article writing. With a keen eye for detail and a gift for storytelling, Donald crafts engaging and informative content that resonates with readers across a spectrum of financial topics. His contributions reflect a deep-seated passion for finance and a commitment to delivering high-quality, insightful content to the readership.
