The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), which is concerned about the possibility of a Russian invasion of Ukraine, is expected to seek ways to contain Russia at its summit next week.
According to Reuters, Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielhos Lanzbergis made this statement after meeting with U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Weddin Sherman in Washington on the 24th (local time).
“I am concerned about the current situation of Russian troops stationed on the border with Ukraine,” he said.
In addition, referring to the fact that Russia annexed Ukraine’s Crimea in 2014, he added, “It is not yet certain whether Russia will invade Ukraine, but if it does, it is difficult to estimate the size and influence.” Earlier, Bloomberg News reported on the 21st. U.S. intelligence officials reported that they had captured Russia’s plans to invade Ukraine and were sharing it with European allies, citing a source familiar with the news. If Russian President Vladimir Putin makes a decision, military forces and artillery units have been deployed near the border so that a rapid and large-scale attack can be carried out in various parts of Ukraine, the media said.
Russia invaded Ukraine in 2014 and annexed Crimea. Since then, clashes between Russian-backed separatists and Ukrainian government forces have escalated, killing 14,000 people. The prediction that Putin would invade Ukraine once more was dominant among Western countries.
Russia has repeatedly denied the West’s claims, calling them ‘hysterical’. Kremlin spokeswoman Dmitry Peskov told reporters that the entry of Russian troops into our territory poses no threat to anyone, nor should anyone be concerned about it.
Rather, Russia has maintained that it is the Ukrainian government forces and the United States behind them that are escalating tensions in the border region.
(Seoul = News 1)
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