After seeing an unusually large concentration of Russian troops at Ukraine’s borders, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg warned today against Kremlin’s aggressive actions against Kiev.
Stoltenberg stressed that it was important to stop situations spiraling out of control and urged Russia’s transparency about its military activities to lower tensions, as well as to avoid an escalation.
“We need to see clearly and be honest about our challenges. “And what we see, is a substantial, large Russian military building-up,” said Mr Stoltenberg at a Brussels press conference alongside Dmytro Kunleba, Ukraine’s Foreign Minister.
While he didn’t want to speculate about Russia’s intentions, he added that despite the unusual concentration of troops, Russia had been ready to deploy these military capabilities in order to take on aggressive action against Ukraine.
This warning came after Kiev claimed that 100,000 Russian troops had been assembled at their border.
Over the last days, fears have been raised about a potential attack by Russia’s troop movements. Moscow rejected such suggestions and complained of the NATO’s increasing presence in the area.
Pro-Kremlin TV networks accused NATO, accusing it of being “super-aggressive” in the Black Sea. This is where tensions between the military and civilian world are at an ‘epidemic point”. The region has seen warships eyeing each other at close distances while military aircraft have played cat and dog in the skies.
After seeing an unusually large concentration of Russian troops at Ukraine’s borders, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg warned against Kremlin’s aggressive actions against Kiev
Pro-Kremlin TV networks accused NATO, accusing it of being aggressive in the Black Sea. This is where tensions between the military and civilian worlds are at an ‘explosive point’. Picture: US Navy ships are escorted by the Russian Black Sea fleet, and Russian Air Force in Black Sea
Speaking about Russian military buildup at Ukraine’s border, Stoltenberg said: “Any additional provocation or aggressive action by Russia would cause serious concern. We demand that Russia be open about all its military actions.
The United Kingdom also reiterated its support for Ukraine’s territorial integrity, and it will continue to back it even in the face Russian hostility.
UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s spokesman, when asked about the buildup of Russian troops on Ukraine’s borders, said: ‘We are seeing a concerning situation at that border. Our unwavering support remains for Ukraine’s territorial integrity, and we will continue to support them in spite of Russian hostility.
Russia annexed Crimea, Ukraine from Ukraine in 2014 and claims the waters around them now belongs to Moscow despite the fact that most countries still recognize it as Ukrainian.
Russian-backed separatists gained control over Ukraine’s eastern Donbass area that same year. Both sides continue to lose soldiers in this conflict.
Stoltenberg said that the troop border building-up, which Ukraine had last week estimated at 100,000, was risky because it decreased the warning time should Russia take’military aggressive actions against Ukraine’.
His words were: “This includes partly forces near the Ukrainian border, but also troops and abilities that are in Ukraine. They are also in Crimea which has been illegally annexed. We also see the militants, separatists from Donbass, which is another part of Ukraine and is supported and assisted by Russia.”
NATO’s source said, when asked how Russia deploys its military equipment toward Ukraine: “Large equipment, such as tanks and self-propelled artillery, is moved at night in order to prevent tell-tale photos showing up on social networks like they did during Russia’s spring military build-up.”
Gabrielius, Lithuania’s foreign Minister, stated that the country can move in any direction. He spoke out to journalists on Monday at a European Union meeting.
While the West is not able to exclude Russia’s attack on Ukraine, international attention is on Belarus’ migration crisis or Russia’s permanent military presence, he stated.
He stated, “I wouldn’t rule out that as an option.”
Polish Armed Forces soldiers patrol the Belarus-Polish frontier on November 11.
This comes just as Russia has dramatically increased its rhetoric warning that military tensions with NATO are ‘almost boiling point.
One Pro-Kremlin TV channel TV presenter warned that a ‘confident and clod-blooded’ Vladimir Putin was ‘ready to simply destroy’ in the event of a ‘brazen violation’ of its borders, which Moscow sees as including annexed Crimea.
Russian outrage over US battleships’ presence and NATO-included British spy planes comes amid tension at a separate border between Belarus and Poland where increasing numbers of migrants seek to enter the EU.
Vesti Nedeli current affairs TV host Dmitry Kiselyov – dubbed Putin’s ‘mouthpiece’ and ‘propagandist-in-chief’ – claimed NATO aircraft and ships, including the USS Mount Whitney and USS Porter, were ‘clearly trying to feel out the weak points in our defence’.
Allies were displaying a willingness to take on nastiness and acting more aggressively than before.
Rossiya 1’s show also claimed that the West had ‘incited’ Ukraine to go to war against Russia.
Gazprom’s NTV presented Irada Zeynalova, who claimed the West was “exacerbating” the Black Sea situation. She said that it had reached a boiling point in both the air and sea.
She said, “It’s already dangerous.”
Her warning came as NATO members Poland and Lithuania mobilized troops on their territory, prompting her to warn of an ‘alarming’ military situation. Meanwhile, the alliance was conducting unplanned drills at the Black Sea.
Russian Air Force, Black Sea Fleet and NATO Reconnaissance Aircraft and US Navy Ships are escorted by the US Navy in the Black Sea Area.
Russian Air Force helicopter hovers in front of a US Navy Ship, Black Sea.
Meanwhile, the US has been voicing increasing concern to allies over the recent Russian troop movements at the frontier with Ukraine.
Antony Blinken Secretary of State said that Russia’s actions in 2014, when it took Crimea from Kiev, would have been a grave mistake.
The German foreign ministry also urged Moscow on Monday to show’restraint’ at Ukraine’s border.
NATO raised alarm in spring about Russia’s possible plans to interfere in Ukraine. It could do so by building up troops along the Ukrainian border.
Dmytro Kuleba, Ukrainian Foreign Minister, said that the current movements are a continuation to the pressures his country has faced in the past.
He stated that the current situation at Ukraine’s border was not due to a pure military buildup. Russia had already sent a military armada along our borders in spring, and it has never been withdrawn since.
“What we are seeing now is a rapidly deteriorating situation in which Russia is showing that it can activate its already assembled troops and equipment quickly and that all options, even military, are available for Russian leadership.”
Kuleba indicated that Kiev would closely cooperate with its Western partners to take ‘any measures which could help to deter Russia or to prevent the worst possible scenario’.
An army vehicle from Britain was seen departing the NATO base today for the front line.
The conflict between Ukraine and Russia’s backed separatists is still raging in Ukraine, which began seven years ago.
This comes after Russia claimed that Britain was responsible for migrants crossing the Belarus-Poland border.
Today saw hundreds of migrants break through the Belarusian border fencing, while Polish police rushed to put an end to them.
Videos taken near the Kuznica border crossing point on Monday showed hundreds of people – the majority of whom appeared to be young men – pushing their way through a broken fence towards a smaller barbed wire barricade where polish border police in riot uniforms confronted them.
Further footage captured a Polish helicopter hovering above the crowd, while dozens joined the police to keep the migrants away. It appeared that the soldiers were staging a sit down protest at the Polish border crossing.
This is the fourth attempt by migrants to cross the border en masse. It comes at a time when EU foreign ministers are meeting in Brussels, sanctioning dictator Alexander Lukashenko’s regime.
Near the Kuznica border crossing with Poland and the Belarusian border fence, hundreds of migrants broke through. They then rushed to reach the Polish barbed-wire barricades.
Polish soldiers and border officers have tried to prevent the migrants crossing the Polish border. This is just one of many flashpoints in a crisis for migration that Belarus has been accused of creating.
Video taken at the border revealed that most people rushing to cross were young men. However, some children and women were seen among the crowds.
Lukashenko was accused of misleading migrants by promising passage into Europe. He then pushed them over the border to force them to cross illegally.
Boris Johnson, the UK Prime Minister, criticised Lukashenko over its migration crisis at Poland’s border.
He stated that “What we see are the latest in an abhorrent series of attempts by the Lukashenko Regime to engineer the migrant crisis to undermine Poland, and other countries in the area,”
“We stand in solidarity to our European partners, and we are committed to ensuring that the Lukashenko government is held responsible for its actions.”
On Monday, the EU will likely impose sanctions on airlines and travel agencies that are believed responsible for ferrying migrants to Belarus.
Lukashenko has denied responsibility for the crisis but vowed to respond strongly today to EU policies. He told high-ranking officials that he would defend himself and added: “That’s all.” There is no place to hide.
The Russian Foreign Ministry, his closest ally, has responded to Liz Truss’ suggestion that Russia should step in.
Ms Truss stated that the migrant crisis had been ‘carefully constructed’ and urged Russia to “press the Belarusian authorities into ending the crisis, and entering into dialogue.”
Maria Zakharova a spokeswoman for Russia’s foreign ministry, stated that Britain’s invasion of Iraq was “carefully designed”.
‘Britain bears a clear historical responsibility for everything that has happened in the region since – the deaths of Iraqis, the destruction of Iraqi statehood, the endless flows of refugees, the emergence of Isis, the humanitarian disasters in this part of the world.
“Until London is held responsible for its crimes,” its representatives cannot point fingers at anybody.
The EU is expected to announce later today what its new sanctions package will include, but it is expected to target airlines and others accused of transporting migrants to Belarus.