Secretary of State Antony Blinken holds a press briefing at the end of a meeting of NATO foreign ministers at the Alliance’s headquarters in Brussels, Belgium, on March 24, 2021.
Olivier Hoslet | Reuters
WASHINGTON – Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Sunday he was worried about the number of Russian troops gathering on the Ukrainian border and warned Moscow that “there will be consequences” for the aggressive behavior.
“I must tell you that I have real concerns about Russia’s actions on Ukraine’s borders. There are more Russian forces massaged at these borders than at any time since 2014, when Russia first invaded,” Blinken said during a interview on “Meet the Press” on Sunday.
“President Biden has been very clear on this. If Russia acts recklessly or aggressively, there will be costs, there will be consequences,” Blinken said, adding that the United States was discussing border aggression with allies and partners.
On Friday, Blinken spoke in part with his German and French counterparts about “Russian challenges against Ukraine.”
Last week, White House press secretary Jen Psaki said the Biden administration was consulting with NATO allies on rising tensions and ceasefire violations.
“The United States is increasingly concerned about the recent escalation of Russian aggression in eastern Ukraine, including the movements of Russian troops on Ukraine’s border,” she told reporters on Thursday, calling the issue “deeply worrying.”
Read more: US worries over Russian troop movements near Ukraine, discussing regional tensions with NATO allies
In recent weeks, Moscow has stepped up its military presence along the Ukrainian border, raising concerns in the wake of an emerging military conflict between the two neighboring countries. Russia’s Defense Ministry says it is conducting more than 4,000 military exercises this month to inspect the availability of its forces.
The President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, visits the positions of the armed forces near the front with the separatists supported by Russia during his working trip in the Donbass region, Ukraine, April 8, 2021.
Ukrainian Presidential Press Service Prospect | through Reuters
Last month, the Ukrainian government said four of its soldiers had been killed by Russian bombing in Donbass. Moscow has denied strength in eastern Ukraine. Since 2014, Kiev has been fighting Russian-backed separatists in a conflict that has left at least 13,000 dead, according to UN figures.
Read more: The West is waiting for Putin’s next move as Russia-Ukraine tensions rise
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Friday that Moscow would move its forces into Russia at its discretion and called the growing tensions “unprecedented.” He also suggested that Ukraine was on the brink of civil war, which would threaten Russia’s security.
“The Kremlin fears that a civil war could resume in Ukraine. And if a civil war, a large-scale military action, resumes near our borders that would threaten the security of the Russian Federation,” Peskov told the Associated Press. “The continuous escalation of tensions is quite unprecedented.”
Russian President Vladimir Putin has accused Ukraine of resuming “dangerous provocative actions” in an appeal on Friday with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, according to a reading from the Kremlin. The Kremlin has previously said it is concerned about rising tensions in eastern Ukraine and fears that Kiev forces will try to rekindle conflict.
Last week, the Pentagon reiterated its demands to the Kremlin to explain its decision to mobilize troops at the border.
“The Russians are engaged in a military deployment along the eastern border of Ukraine and in Crimea, which still belongs to Ukraine, which is worrying. And we want to know more about what they are doing and what their intentions are because we don’t think it’s conducive to security and stability there, “Pentagon spokesman John Kirby told reporters on Friday.
This weekend, Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin will meet in person with NATO Secretary Jens Stoltenberg at the alliance’s headquarters in Brussels.