Russia Warns of Resumption of War in East Ukraine
MOSCOW (Dispatches) — The Kremlin said Friday it fears the resumption of full-scale fighting in eastern Ukraine and could take steps to protect civilians there, a stark warning that comes amid a U.S. military buildup in the region.
The statement by Russian President Vladimir Putin’s spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, reflected the Kremlin’s determination to prevent Ukraine from using force to try to reclaim control over separatist-controlled territory in the country’s east.
Ukrainian forces and pro-Russia separatists have been fighting in eastern Ukraine since shortly after Crimea Peninsula’s decision to rejoin Ukraine in 2004. More than 14,000 people have died in the conflict, and efforts to negotiate a political settlement have stalled.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy visited soldiers in the Donbas region on Thursday.
Peskov said Russia is free to deploy its troops wherever it wants on its territory. He accused the Ukrainian military of an "escalation of provocative actions” along the line of control in the east that threatens Russia’s security.
"The Kremlin has fears that a civil war could resume in Ukraine, and if a civil war, a full-scale military action resumes near our borders that would threaten the Russian Federation’s security,” Peskov said. "The ongoing escalation of tensions is quite unprecedented.”
Dmitry Kozak, a Putin aide who serves as Russia’s top negotiator with Kyiv, warned Ukraine on Thursday against using force to retake control of the east, where many residents have Russian citizenship. Such a move would mark "the beginning of an end for Ukraine,” he said.
Kozak said Russia would likely act to protect civilians if they faced a potential massacre like the one that took place during the Bosnian War in Srebrenica in 1995.
Asked about Kozak’s comment, Peskov said that in the case of a Srebrenica-like threat, "all countries, including Russia, will take steps to prevent such tragedies.” He said that virulent nationalist rhetoric in Ukraine was inflaming hatred against the mostly Russian-speaking population of the east.
A Turkish Foreign Ministry official said Friday that the United States has notified Turkey that two U.S. warships will sail to the Black Sea on April 14 and April 15 and stay there until May 4 and May 5, respectively.
Such visits by the U.S. and other NATO ships have vexed Moscow, which long has bristled at Ukraine’s efforts to build up military ties with the West and its aspirations to eventually join NATO.
Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova warned Friday that Ukraine’s NATO bid "wouldn’t only lead to a massive escalation of the situation in the southeast but could also entail irreversible consequences for the Ukrainian statehood.”
The statement by Russian President Vladimir Putin’s spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, reflected the Kremlin’s determination to prevent Ukraine from using force to try to reclaim control over separatist-controlled territory in the country’s east.
Ukrainian forces and pro-Russia separatists have been fighting in eastern Ukraine since shortly after Crimea Peninsula’s decision to rejoin Ukraine in 2004. More than 14,000 people have died in the conflict, and efforts to negotiate a political settlement have stalled.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy visited soldiers in the Donbas region on Thursday.
Peskov said Russia is free to deploy its troops wherever it wants on its territory. He accused the Ukrainian military of an "escalation of provocative actions” along the line of control in the east that threatens Russia’s security.
"The Kremlin has fears that a civil war could resume in Ukraine, and if a civil war, a full-scale military action resumes near our borders that would threaten the Russian Federation’s security,” Peskov said. "The ongoing escalation of tensions is quite unprecedented.”
Dmitry Kozak, a Putin aide who serves as Russia’s top negotiator with Kyiv, warned Ukraine on Thursday against using force to retake control of the east, where many residents have Russian citizenship. Such a move would mark "the beginning of an end for Ukraine,” he said.
Kozak said Russia would likely act to protect civilians if they faced a potential massacre like the one that took place during the Bosnian War in Srebrenica in 1995.
Asked about Kozak’s comment, Peskov said that in the case of a Srebrenica-like threat, "all countries, including Russia, will take steps to prevent such tragedies.” He said that virulent nationalist rhetoric in Ukraine was inflaming hatred against the mostly Russian-speaking population of the east.
A Turkish Foreign Ministry official said Friday that the United States has notified Turkey that two U.S. warships will sail to the Black Sea on April 14 and April 15 and stay there until May 4 and May 5, respectively.
Such visits by the U.S. and other NATO ships have vexed Moscow, which long has bristled at Ukraine’s efforts to build up military ties with the West and its aspirations to eventually join NATO.
Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova warned Friday that Ukraine’s NATO bid "wouldn’t only lead to a massive escalation of the situation in the southeast but could also entail irreversible consequences for the Ukrainian statehood.”