Zelensky called on Western countries not to “provoke panic” in order to preserve his country’s economy
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky called on Western countries not to create panic amid the continued build-up of Russian troops on the border with his country.
Speaking at a news conference Friday evening in Kiev, Zelensky said that talk of an imminent Russian invasion of his country puts Ukraine’s economy at risk.
On Thursday, US President Joe Biden warned of the possibility of a Russian invasion of Ukraine next month.
Moscow denied on Friday that it had a plan to invade its neighbor when the Russian foreign minister stressed that his country did not want war.
While Russia has massed regarding 100,000 troops on the border with Ukraine, Zelensky said he sees no greater threat now than the buildup of Russian forces posed last spring.
“There are signs, even from respected leaders of countries, that they are saying that there will be war tomorrow. This is panic – how much will that cost our country?”
“The destabilization of the situation inside the country is the biggest threat to Ukraine,” he added.
Washington officially announced its rejection of Moscow’s demand not to include Ukraine in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), but announced that its offer of a “serious diplomatic path” to Russia was still valid.
That called on Russian President Vladimir Putin to accuse the West of ignoring Russia’s national security concerns.
But he said he would study the US response before deciding what to do, according to a transcript of a phone call between the Russian president and his French counterpart released by the Russian government.
France said the two leaders agreed that the crisis needed to be defused, and that French President Emmanuel Macron had told his Russian counterpart that Russia must respect the sovereignty of neighboring countries.
‘No decision has been made yet’
US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said Friday that Russia had amassed enough military capabilities to launch an attack on Ukraine.
He reiterated the United States’ commitment to helping Ukraine defend itself, including by helping it provide more arms supplies.
picture released, Archyde.com
Russia has amassed regarding 100,000 troops on its border with Ukraine
“Conflict is not inevitable, and there is still time and space for diplomacy,” Austin said.
Meanwhile, the head of Germany’s General Intelligence said that Russia was ready to invade Ukraine, but had not definitively decided whether or not to do so.
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg announced that the military alliance is ready to increase its presence in Eastern Europe to show its determination.
Stoltenberg said Russia is massing thousands of equipped combat troops and has missile systems in Belarus, which also borders Ukraine.
Last month, Russia announced a wide range of security demands from Western powers, which include the following:
- Ukraine should not join NATO.
- NATO should end its military activity in Eastern Europe and withdraw its forces from Poland, the Baltics, Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania.
- NATO should not deploy missiles in countries close to or bordering Russia.
The US and NATO response indicated that Ukraine had the right to choose its allies, but offered Russia talks regarding missile deployment sites and other issues.
If Russia invades Ukraine, this will be the first time this has happened.
Russia announced the annexation of Crimea in 2014. Moscow also supports the rebels, who seized parts of the Donbass region in eastern Ukraine soon following. The conflict in Donbass has claimed regarding 14,000 people so far.
