Russia Ambassador to UK Warns of Possible Escalation in Ukraine
Russian ambassador to the United Kingdom Andrei Kelin spoke of the increase in the possibility of a war taking place in Ukraine due to the instability in Donbas.
"There is a risk of war on our border. It’s pretty serious. There is a possibility that there is a spark, and an incident can occur. NATO is stepping up its presence along the borders of the Russian Federation," Russian Ambassador to the UK Andrei Kelin told Sunday Radio Times.
The ambassador assured that the last thing Russia wants is conflict and urged for preventing this kind of escalation if it was to happen.
Kelin stressed that his country does not intend to invade Ukraine, "which is what the Russian authorities have repeatedly said." The ambassador also attributed the risk of war to the instability on the frontline in Donbas.
When asked about what would happen if NATO moved toward the Ukrainian-Russian borders, Kelin said that would be another escalation "that we must be ready for in addition to understanding the goal behind it."
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Russia had previously announced it was bolstering its armed forces to confront the NATO buildup on its western borders in light of Russian-Western tensions over Ukraine.
The Russian Foreign Intelligence Service had also accused the US State Department of spreading false information about Russia's alleged troop buildup for a military invasion of Ukraine.
"Recently, Washington officials have been actively intimidating the global community with Russia's alleged preparation for 'aggression' against Ukraine," the SVR said.
On the other hand, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said his country is "fully prepared" for a possible military escalation with Russia, which the west is accusing of a military buildup on the borders with Ukraine.