The President Joe Biden-led United States government has warned Russia against making another “serious mistake” on Ukraine as it sought clarity about troop movements near the border.
In a recent meeting, while welcoming Ukraine’s foreign minister to Washington, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said that the United States was “concerned with reports of the unusual Russian activity near Ukraine.”
Speaking with newsmen, Blinken said “We don’t have clarity into Moscow’s intentions, but we do know its playbook”.
“Our concern is that Russia may make the serious mistake of attempting to rehash what it undertook back in 2014 when it amassed forces along the border, crossed into sovereign Ukrainian territory and did so claiming falsely that it was provoked”.
He added that “Our commitment to Ukraine’s sovereignty, to its independence, to its territorial integrity is ironclad, and the international community will see through any Russian effort to resort to its previous tactics”.
It should be noted that Ukraine has been ensnared in a deadly war with pro-Moscow separatists in its largely Russian-speaking east since 2014 when Russia seized the Crimea peninsula.
Recall that Russia took action after mass protests led to the ousting of the president who had suspended efforts to move closer to the European Union.
It could also be recalled that in March, Russia amassed 100,000 troops on Ukraine’s borders. It pulled back, but both Ukraine and the United States said at the time that the withdrawal was limited.
Harping the latest development, Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said Ukraine was looking to work with the United States to step up its defenses and “does not intend to attack anyone.”
Kuleba said “The best way to deter an aggressive Russia is to make it clear for the Kremlin that Ukraine is strong, but also that it has strong allies that will not leave it on its own in the face of Moscow’s ever increasing aggressiveness”.
He added that “Russian aggression against Ukraine will end on the day Ukraine’s place as part of the West is institutionalized and undoubted”.
In his reaction, Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said that the movement by Russia was “unusual in its size and scope.”
While referring to agreements to try to halt the fight inside Ukraine, he said “We urge Russia to be clear about their intentions and to abide by their Minsk agreements”.
