A senior Kremlin official said on Thursday that Russia could face circumstances in which it must to defend its citizens in Eastern Ukraine and that military action could follow, Reuters reported.
Russia’s deputy head of the presidential administration, Dmitry Kozak, was quoted as saying: “I support the assessment that … the beginning of military action – this would be the beginning of the end of Ukraine. ”
The remarks came on the same day as the Russian president Vladimir Putin
Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin Night Energy: Progressives Fear Infrastructure Climate Plans Will Not Survive Senate | The EPA will propose vehicle emission standards by the end of July Poll shows growing partisan divide over climate change Putin plans to go to Biden climate summit: reports CNN’s chance among detained journalists while covering Navalny prison MORE accused Ukraine of provocative actions in the eastern region of the country during a phone call with German Chancellor Angela Merkel. Putin accused Kiev of “inflaming the situation there.”
Ukraine announced on Saturday that it will hold joint military exercises with NATO troops, with more than 1,000 soldiers from five NATO nations. There was no indication of when the exercises would take place.
The Ukrainian parliament issued a statement last week declaring an “escalation” along the front, citing “a significant increase in bombings and armed challenges by the armed forces of the Russian Federation.”