Kuleba believes decision to invade Ukraine “on table” in Kremlin
If we look at all Russia's actions comprehensively and put all the elements together, the situation looks rather grim.
That’s according to Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba who spoke in an interview with the Latvian news platform Delfi, published by the Ukrainian Embassy in Latvia, Ukrinform reports.
In particular, Minister Kuleba called to look at the picture in a broader context to understand the logic of developments.
The minister then drew attention to Russia's current military buildup along Ukraine's border.
"We do not yet see them forming strike groups, but there is a large number of Russian soldiers at the border, in the occupied territories of Donbas and Crimea, and plenty of military hardware that is not intended for defense. For example, among the hardware, we see missile systems and equipment for blocking radio communications," Kuleba said.
The head of Ukrainian diplomacy also reminded about the blocking by Russia of the Trilateral Contact Group’s work, Moscow’s refusal to hold a summit or a foreign ministerial in the Normandy format, as well as the fact that the work of OSCE observers is being hindered in the non-government-controlled territory.
“Russia has no respect for the OSCE and they don’t want the mission to be able to work throughout Donbas,” Kuleba said.
Other elements, according to the minister, include the situation in Belarus, which is becoming a source of instability and a threat to neighbors, as well as the ongoing gas crisis, Russia's pressure on the energy market, and efforts to complete certification of the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline.
“All these components need to be considered comprehensively. When you put them all together, the situation looks very grim,” the foreign minister concluded.
Also, according to the head of Ukrainian diplomacy, Russia considers the invasion as one of the alternative options. And although there is no evidence that the decision to go for it has already been made in Moscow, this option is “on the table,” Kuleba noted.
As Ukrinform reported earlier, The Washington Post wrote citing sources among the U.S. and EU officials that the movement of Russian troops to the border with Ukraine was being recorded. At the same time, "unusual movement" of equipment and military in Russia’s western regions was noted, which is reminiscent of the developments of April 2021 which caused a stir in the international community.
Later, Politico published imagery taken by a commercial satellite, in confirmation of the previous publication by The Washington Post.
On November 21, Kyrylo Budanov, head of the Ukrainian Defense Ministry's Main Intelligence Directorate, told Military Times that Russia had amassed more than 92,000 troops near Ukraine's borders and was preparing for an offensive that could be launched in late January-early February 2022.
On November 25, Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council, Oleksiy Danilov, said there was no imminent threat of a Russian large-scale invasion, although the situation could change.
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