Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
RUSSIA: RISK OF WAR IS SERIOUS
Kremlin warns UK on troop deployment
RUSSIA has warned the UK there is a serious risk of conflict as tensions rise in Ukraine.
The Kremlin spoke out after Britain announced plans last week to send an armoured brigade back into Germany.
In recent weeks Russian tanks have been seen massing close to the Ukraine border and there are fears President Putin is on the brink of sending forces into the country. Allied nations have issued declarations of solidarity with the government in Kyiv.
Andrei Kelin, Russia’s ambassador to the UK, has now warned there was big risk that clashes could be triggered at any moment.
He said “There is a risk of war on our border. It’s pretty serious. There is a possibility that there is a spark and an incident can occur.
“Nato is stepping up its presence along the borders of the Russian federation. We have lots of manoeuvring now in the Baltic Sea.
“We have strategic aviation, with nuclear warheads, flying 20km close to the borders.”
The ambassador said the decision by UK defence secretary Ben Wallace to move an armoured brigade back to Germany in response to increased Russian aggression sparked anger in Moscow.
He accused Britain of “stepping closer and closer” to Russia’s borders.
He also warned that further reinforcement of Nato forces in Ukraine would be seen as “a threat to invade Russia”.
Ukrainian military intelligence said there were more than 92,000 Russian troops massed near its border.
Nato chief Jens Stoltenberg, said if Russia used force against Ukraine “that would have consequences”.
The US said “all options are on the table”.
It’s pretty serious. There is a possibility there is a spark and an incident can occur ANDREI KELIN RUSSIA’S AMBASSADOR TO THE UK