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The appearance of US troops in Ukraine, as well as an increase in combat readiness of NATO troops in countries bordering Ukraine, would lead to a further increase in tensions near Russia’s borders, said the secretary of press of Russian President Dmitry Peskov.
If US troops appear on Ukrainian territory, “additional measures” will be required to ensure Russia’s security. This was announced on April 2 by the press secretary of Russian President Dmitry Peskov, reported the Russian “Interfax”.
Peskov was asked to comment on the statement by Pentagon chief Lloyd Austin that the United States would not leave Ukraine in the event of an escalation of Russian aggression, as well as the proposal by the deputy chief of the office of the President of Ukraine Roman Mashovets to increase preparedness for the combat of NATO troops in the states bordering Ukraine.
Peskov responded that such a development of the situation would lead to further escalation of tensions near Russia’s borders. According to him, this will require “additional measures” from the Russian Federation “to ensure their safety.”
“All that is needed,” Peskov said.
In 2014, immediately after the annexation of Crimea, Russia launched an armed aggression in eastern Ukraine. The fighting is between the Armed Forces of Ukraine, on the one hand, and the Russian army and the Russian-backed militants who control parts of the Donetsk and Lugansk regions, on the other. Officially, the Russian Federation does not recognize its invasion of Ukraine, despite the facts and evidence presented by Ukraine.
On July 22, 2020, the Trilateral Contact Group agreed to a full and complete ceasefire in Donbas starting at midnight on July 27. The Ukrainian side regularly reports cases of violations of the ceasefire by militants.
Recently, the situation in Donbass has worsened. In particular, on March 26, 2021, in the Shumy village area, Donetsk region, illegal armed groups from Russia opened fire on Ukrainian positions. Four soldiers were killed, including Lieutenant Colonel Sergei Koval, two more were wounded.
On March 30, at an extraordinary meeting of the Verkhovna Rada, the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Ruslan Khomchak, said that Russia was increasing its military presence near the border with Ukraine in the south, east and north: in the Bryansk, Voronezh regions, as well as in occupied Crimea.
“An additional concentration of up to 25 battalion tactical groups is expected, which, together with existing forces and assets deployed near the state border of Ukraine, pose a threat to the military security of the state,” he said.
Khomchak emphasized that the Ukrainian army is ready to give an adequate response “both in the case of an escalation in the JFO zone, and in the case of a complication of the military-political, military-strategic situation in Ukraine.”
Former US Army commander in Europe Ben Hodges suggests that the troop withdrawal could be a “stance” by Russia and a “test” of the administration of new US President Joe Biden.
Peskov stated that the movement of Russian troops through the territory of the Russian Federation should not disturb other states and this does not threaten them in any way.
On April 1, Ukrainian intelligence reported that the Russian Federation was ready to escalate the situation in Donbass, and an attempt to drive the invaders deeper into Ukraine was not ruled out.
Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Dmitry Kuleba issued a statement highlighting that the current escalation in the Russian Federation is systemic and the most ambitious in recent years.
Due to the escalation of the situation in Donbas, the command of the American troops in Europe has declared the maximum disposition.
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