Secretary of State Antony Blinken gives a press conference at the end of a meeting of NATO foreign ministers at Alliance headquarters in Brussels, Belgium, March 24, 2021.
Olivier Hoslet | Reuters
WASHINGTON – Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Sunday that he was concerned about the number of Russian troops gathering at the Ukrainian border and warned Moscow that “there will be consequences” for aggressive behavior.
“I have to tell you that I am really concerned about Russia’s actions on Ukraine’s borders. Press. ”Sunday.
“President Biden has been very clear on this. If Russia acts recklessly or aggressively, there will be costs, there will be consequences,” Blinken said, adding that the United States discussed the unfolding aggression at the border with allies and partners.
On Friday, Blinken spoke in part with his German and French colleagues about “Russian provocations against Ukraine”.
Last week, White House press secretary Jen Psaki said the Biden administration was consulting with NATO allies about mounting tensions and violations of the ceasefire.
“The United States is increasingly concerned about the recent escalating Russian aggression in Eastern Ukraine, including Russian troop movements on the Ukrainian border,” she told reporters on Thursday, calling the matter “very worrying.”
Read more: US concerned about Russian troop movements near Ukraine, discuss regional tensions with NATO allies
In recent weeks, Moscow has increased its military presence along the Ukrainian border, raising concerns in the west about a burgeoning military conflict between the two neighboring countries. Russia’s Defense Ministry has said it is conducting more than 4,000 military exercises this month to inspect the readiness of its troops.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy visits armed forces positions near the front line with Russian-backed separatists during his work trip in the Donbass region, Ukraine, April 8, 2021.
Ukrainian Presidential Press Service | Handout | via Reuters
Last month, the Ukrainian government said four of its soldiers were killed by Russian shelling in Donbass. Moscow has denied having troops in Eastern Ukraine. Since 2014, Kiev has been fighting Russian-backed separatists in a conflict that has killed at least 13,000 people, according to UN figures.
Read more: The West awaits Putin’s next move as tensions between Russia and Ukraine grow
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Friday that Moscow will move its troops across Russian territory as it sees fit, calling the escalating tensions “unprecedented”. He also suggested that Ukraine was on the brink of civil war that would endanger Russian security.
“The Kremlin fears that a civil war could resume in Ukraine. And if a civil war, a large-scale military action, resumes near our borders, it would threaten the security of the Russian Federation,” Peskov said, according to the Associated Press. “The ongoing escalation of tensions is quite unprecedented.”
According to a reading from the Kremlin, Russian President Vladimir Putin accused Ukraine of resuming “dangerous provocative actions” during a call Friday with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. The Kremlin has previously said it was concerned about mounting tensions in eastern Ukraine and that it feared Kiev forces were trying to resume conflict.
Last week, the Pentagon reiterated its call to the Kremlin to explain its decision to mobilize troops to the border.
“The Russians are engaged in a military build-up along the eastern border of Ukraine and in Crimea, which is still part of Ukraine, and we are concerned. believe it is conducive to security and stability there, ” Pentagon spokesman John Kirby told reporters on Friday.
Later this week, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin will meet in person with NATO Secretary Jens Stoltenberg at the Alliance’s headquarters in Brussels.