Russia moves its naval exercises that rattled EU member Ireland
MOSCOW — Russia says it will relocate naval exercises off the coast of Ireland after Dublin raised concerns about them amid a tense dispute with the West over expansion of the NATO alliance and fears that Russia is preparing to invade Ukraine.
The Feb. 3-8 exercises were to be held 150 miles off southwestern Ireland — in international waters but within Ireland’s exclusive economic zone.
Irish Foreign Minister Simon Coveney this week objected to the war games, saying “This isn’t a time to increase military activity and tension in the context of what’s happening with and Minister Sergey Lavrov said in Ukraine. The fact that it leaves little chance for they are choosing to do it on reaching agreement, though the western borders, if you he also says Russia does not like, of the EU, off the Irish want war. coast, is something that in Defense Secretary Lloyd our view is simply not welcome.” Austin said Friday that Mr. Putin could use any portion
Russia’s embassy in Ireland of his force to seize Ukrainian on Saturday posted a cities and “significant letter on Facebook from Ambassador territories” or to carry out Yuriy Filatov saying “coercive acts or provocative the exercises would be political acts” like the relocated outside of the Irish recognition of breakaway economic zone ”with the territories inside Ukraine. aim not to hinder fishing activities.” Two territories in eastern Ukraine have been under
The decision was a rare the control of Russia-backed concession amid the escalating rebels since 2014. tensions surrounding A Russian lawmaker is Russia’s massing of an estimated encouraging residents of 100,000 troops near those areas of Ukraine to the border with Ukraine and join the Russian army, a its demands that NATO sign that Moscow is continuing promise never to allow to try to integrate those Ukraine to join the alliance, territories as much as possible. stop the deployment of
NATO weapons near Russian Viktor Vodolatsky said borders and roll back its Saturday that residents of forces from Eastern Europe. the regions controlled since
The U.S. and NATO formally 2014 by Russia-backed rebels rejected those demands fear assaults by Ukrainian this week, although forces and that those who Washington outlined areas hold Russian passports where discussions are possible, would be welcomed in the offering hope that there military. could be a way to avoid war. “If Russian citizens residing
Russian Presidentresiding in the (territories) want Vladimir Putin has made no to join the Russian Armed public remarks about the Forces, the Rostov regional Western response. Foreign military commissariat will register and draft them,” Mr. Vodolatsky, deputy chairman of parliament committee on relations with neighbors, told the state news agency Tass.
Russia has granted passports to more than 500,000 people in the territories. Mr. Vodolatsky said the recruits would serve in Russia — but that leaves open the option that they could join any future invasion force.
A senior official in President Joe Biden’s administration said the U.S. welcomed Mr. Lavrov’s comments that Russia does not want war, “but this needs to be backed up with action. We need to see Russia pulling some of the troops that they have deployed away from the Ukrainian border and taking other de-escalatory steps.”
Mr. Lavrov has said the U.S. suggested the two sides could talk about limits on the deployment of intermediate-range missiles, restrictions on military drills and rules to prevent accidents between warships and aircraft.
He said the Russians proposed discussing those issues years ago, but Washington and its allies never took them up on it until now.