The EU and NATO on Monday (November 15) expressed concern about Russia’s increased military presence in Ukraine and its surrounding areas, as the escalating immigration crisis on the EU-Belarus border prompted the transatlantic allies to take Kiev’s warnings seriously.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba (Dmytro Kuleba), when arriving at a meeting between the foreign ministers of the EU’s Eastern Partnership countries and the senior representatives of Brussels, warned that Russia is in the annexed Crimea and the war-torn Ukraine Military presence increased in some areas of Donetsk and Lugansk in the east.
The other members of the Eastern Partnership are Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia and Moldova.Belarus left already Withdraw from participating in the EU sanctions policy this summer.
Last week, the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense stated that an estimated 90,000 Russian troops are located “near the border and temporarily occupied territories” and the Black Sea. according to Reuters.
A senior diplomat in Kiev stated that “this military buildup should not be treated separately from other crises and tensions in Europe”.
In addition to the Belarusian crisis, Kuleba also pointed out that soaring energy prices and false propaganda activities are “part of Russia’s broader strategy to crush Europe.”
NATO: “Big and Unusual”
Earlier on Monday, Kuleba met with NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg, who also stated that the Russian army had been concentrated on the Ukrainian border on a “large scale and unusual” in recent weeks.
Stoltenberg told reporters with Kuleba in Brussels: “We have seen an unusual concentration of troops… Russia’s military capabilities.”
Stoltenberg said: “In fact, we have seen this kind of military buildup also shortened any warning time between Russia’s decision to actually take military aggression against Ukraine.”
Stoltenberg refused to speculate on Moscow’s intentions, but added: “We have seen an unusual concentration of troops, and we know that Russia has been willing to use these types of military capabilities to carry out aggression against Ukraine.”
Speaking of troops in the Ukrainian border area, Stoltenberg said that these troops will be “partly troops close to the border between Russia and Ukraine, but some troops and capabilities are also in Ukraine, which means they are in Crimea, It was illegally annexed, and we also saw the militants, the separatists in Donbass, who were also part of Ukraine and received support and help from Russia.”
He emphasized that it is important to prevent the situation from getting out of control and urged Russia to be transparent about military activities to reduce tensions and prevent escalation.
Vilnius cannot “rule the attack”
Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis further hinted that Russia might intervene in military affairs.
“As we deal with the situation on the borders of Poland, Lithuania and Belarus, Ukraine is likely to be attacked,” he said.
Landsbergis told reporters before the EU foreign ministers meeting in Brussels on Monday that he also warned that Russia could also “deploy a permanent Russian military presence in Belarus.”
Landsbergis stated that the Kremlin “can go any way” and his analysis is based on the geographic location of the Russian military presence.
Josep Borrell, the EU’s chief diplomat, did not hint at a military escalation when pressured by reporters.
“For the time being, we are not talking about the military,” he said.
[Edited by Alice Tayor]
