The United States and NATO have described the movements and concentrations of troops in and around Ukraine as"unusual."
The Ukrainian Defense Ministry's latest intelligence assessment says Russia has now deployed more than 127,000 troops near Ukraine, including some 21,000 air and sea personnel, transferred more Iskander operational-tactical missiles to the border, and increased its intelligence activity against the country.
Meanwhile, Ukraine's eastern Donetsk and Luhansk regions bordering Russia, an area known as Donbas, have been under the control of Russian-backed separatists since 2014. Russian forces are also present in the area, referred to by Ukraine as"temporarily occupied territories," although Russia denies it.U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken opened a hastily arranged visit to Kyiv as he and other administration officials step up warnings about a possible Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Shortly afterwards, pro-Russian separatists in Ukraine's Donetsk and Luhansk regions declared their independence from Kyiv, prompting months of heavy fighting. Despite Kyiv and Moscow signing a peace deal in Minsk in 2015, brokered by France and Germany, there have been repeated ceasefire violations.
Moscow sees the growing support for Ukraine from NATO -- in terms of weaponry, training and personnel -- as a threat to its own security. It has also accused Ukraine of boosting its own troop numbers in preparation for an attempt to retake the Donbas region, an allegation Ukraine has denied. If the US and its NATO allies do not change course in Ukraine, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has warned that Moscow has the"right to choose ways to ensure its legitimate security interests."Ukraine's government insists that Moscow cannot prevent Kyiv from building closer ties with NATO if it chooses.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba warned that a planned coup could be part of Russia's plan ahead of a military invasion."External military pressure goes hand in hand with domestic destabilization of the country," he said.
Let’s protect you Ukraine’s border more than our southern border -🤡show
Nato did that 2013/14 This is just a reaction by russia. Stop nato from expanding and we are all fine
Thanks, Biden!
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