US ‘deeply concerned’ by Ukraine clashes
The United States yesterday said it was in talks with Nato allies over Russia’s military build-up near the Ukrainian border as fresh reports showed ballistic missiles arriving.
Jen Psaki, the White House press secretary, said Washington was “increasingly concerned” about what has been described as Russia’s largest military manoeuvres in the area since hostilities began in eastern Ukraine in
2014. “Five Ukrainian soldiers have also been killed this week alone.
“These are all deeply concerning signs,” Psaki said.
Russia’s military build-up was first reported last month as social media footage showed an unusually large number of tanks, troops and other equipment moving across to the south and the southwest.
Fighting between Russian-backed separatists and Ukrainian government troops started after Moscow’s
2014 annexation of Crimea but subsided in recent years. Janes, a military analysis group, said its experts have identified the Iskander shortrange ballistic missile systems among Russia’s most recent deployment in the Voronezh region.
It also said tanks and artillery units had been sent to the area, which now houses a field hospital and a large communication system.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy yesterday flew to the frontline, where he handed out awards to soldiers clad in helmets and bulletproof vests. “Thank you for keeping people calm and protecting our land. You are a real example of heroism and dedication,” he said.
His visit came two days after he asked Nato to speed up his country’s request to join the alliance.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who has previously taken an active role in mediating the conflict, phoned Russian President Vladimir Putin and “demanded that this buildup be unwound in order to deescalate the situation”, her office said.
The Kremlin has rejected the accusations of whipping up tensions, claiming its deployment was purely defensive. But Dmitry Kozak, chief negotiator in relations with Kyiv and Moscow-backed separatists, said that Russia could be “forced” to defend its citizens in eastern Ukraine under certain circumstances.
He warned an escalation in the conflict would be “the beginning of the end of Ukraine”, describing that scenario for the ex-Soviet country as “not a shot in the leg, but in the face”.
US President Joe Biden has previously affirmed America’s “unwavering support” for Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.