A senior Kremlin official said on Thursday that Russia could face circumstances where it is needed defend its citizens in Eastern Ukraine and that military action may follow, Reuters reported
The deputy head of the Russian Presidential Administration, Dmitry Kozak, has been quoted as saying: “I support the assessment that … the beginning of military action – this would be the beginning of the end of Ukraine. “
The comments came the same day that the Russian president Vladimir Putin
Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin Overnight Energy: Progressives Fear Climate Climate Plans of Senate Infrastructure | EPA proposes vehicle emission standards for the end of July | Survey Shows Growing Partisan Gap On Climate Change Putin Plans To Attend Biden Climate Summit: Report CNN’s Chance Among Journalists Being Detained While Discussing Navalny Imprisonment MORE accused Ukraine of provocative action in the country’s eastern region during a telephone conversation with German Chancellor Angela Merkel. Putin accused Kiev of “stirring up the situation there”.
Ukraine announced on Saturday that it would hold joint military exercises with NATO forces, involving more than 1,000 soldiers from five NATO countries. There was no specification of when the exercises would be held.
The Ukrainian parliament issued a statement last week announcing an “escalation” along the front, citing a “significant increase in shelling and armed provocations by the armed forces of the Russian Federation.”