(Kiev) Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky expressed concern on Friday about “very dangerous” signals from Russia, accused of having deployed troops at the border, while saying he was “fully prepared” for a possible military escalation with Moscow.
Tensions have been at their highest for a few weeks between the two neighbors, already at daggers drawn since the annexation of Crimea in 2014 and a bloody conflict between Kiev and pro-Russian separatists in eastern Ukraine.
In recent weeks, the United States, NATO and the European Union have continued to express their concern about Russian troop movements on the Ukrainian border, with Kiev alarming about a possible invasion.
Speaking at a river press conference on Friday, Zelensky denounced “very dangerous rhetoric” on the part of Russia and felt that “this is the signal […] that an escalation is possible ”.
Zelensky said Russia was looking for a pretext for military intervention in Ukraine, citing for example criticism expressed by Moscow on the deployment of NATO troops in Ukraine and accusations by the Kremlin that Kiev is undermining the peace process. with the separatists.
“Today, there are intimidations saying that a war will take place tomorrow,” he continued, while promising that his country was “fully ready for any escalation” with the Russian neighbor.
“We have to rely on ourselves, on our army, it is powerful,” Zelensky insisted, when asked about the West’s potential support in Kiev in the event of an attack.
He also called on his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin to “say publicly” that he has no intention of invading Ukraine, which would be “an important signal”.
The head of the Ukrainian military intelligence service, Kyrylo Boudanov, assured Sunday that Russia had massed nearly 92,000 troops on the borders of Ukraine, anticipating an offensive in late January or early February.
This hypothetical attack could involve air and artillery strikes, followed by airborne and amphibious assaults, notably against Mariupol as well as a smaller incursion to the north via neighboring Belarus, Mr Boudanov told the American media outlet Military Times.
Western support
Moscow for its part denies any plan in this direction and in return accuses Kiev, NATO and the West of aggravating tensions by carrying out military maneuvers near the Russian borders.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters on Friday that Moscow had no hint of “interference” in Ukraine.
In 2014, Russia, in reaction to the arrival of pro-Western power in Kiev, annexed the Ukrainian peninsula of Crimea after a military operation followed by a referendum denounced as illegal by Kiev and the West.
She is also accused of supporting militarily and financially pro-Russian separatists in eastern Ukraine, with whom Ukrainian forces have been at war since 2014, in a conflict that left 13,000 dead.
A previous spike in tensions between the two countries took place in April, when Russia deployed tens of thousands of military personnel to Ukraine’s borders for “military exercises” and in response to “threatening” NATO activities.
Ukraine was then already alarmed of a possible imminent invasion, while armed incidents multiplied in parallel between Kiev forces and separatists.
After several weeks of tension, Moscow had finally withdrawn its troops from the border.
While the Ukrainian army was overwhelmed in 2014, it now seems more confident, with the experience of combat accumulated and better equipped, in particular thanks to the help of its Western allies.
Ukraine has received, among other things, ammunition, ships, American Javelin anti-tank missile devices and medical supplies from the United States. It also recently used a Turkish-made drone against separatists in the east.
Mr. Zelensky assured Friday that he had received assurances from his Western allies “that they will be on our side no matter what and that they will support us”.