Russia held military exercises on Wednesday and sent more forces and fighter jets to Belarus for exercises next month as officials prepared for talks in Paris over the conflict in eastern Ukraine.
The Kremlin’s head of Ukraine issues is expected to meet officials from France, Germany and Ukraine for “Normandy”-style talks in Paris against the backdrop of a buildup of Russian troops near the Ukrainian border that has sparked fears of an invasion.
Russia insists it does not intend to invade, but the West has threatened severe economic penalties if it does. US President Joe Biden said on Tuesday he would consider personal sanctions on Russian President Vladimir Putin, and Britain said on Wednesday it would not rule out doing the same.
Talks in Paris to end the war in eastern Ukraine between Kiev and Russia-backed separatists have been without real progress for years, but Wednesday’s talks can be seen as a positive sign of diplomacy taking place despite rising tensions
The clash over Ukraine triggered a sell-off in Russian markets this week and the ruble dropped again on Wednesday.
Interfax news agency said the Russian Defense Ministry announced on Wednesday, a day after deploying artillery and marine forces ahead of joint exercises with Belarus next month, that it had deployed a unit of paratroopers to the neighboring country. It also claimed that Russia was sending Su-35 fighter jets to Belarus for the exercises.
The accumulation of Russian forces in Belarus, in northern Ukraine, creates a new front for a possible attack.
Separately, Russian artillery forces in the southern Rostov region, which borders Ukraine, began shooting training later on Wednesday as part of a combat readiness inspection of the Southern Military District, the Defense Ministry said. .
In the far north, Russian warships entered the Barents Sea to practice protecting a large swath of Arctic shipping, the Northern Fleet said. Moscow announced naval sweeping exercises last week.
A spokesperson for Dmitry Kozak, the Kremlin’s representative for Ukraine, said talks in Paris would start at 8 am (GMT) with a press briefing expected after 11 am.
Andriy Yermak, Ukrainian President Volodymr Zelenskiy’s chief of staff, said Ukraine has ruled out speaking directly to Russian-backed separatists.
Reference: CNN Brasil
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