US and EU Worried about Russian Troop Movements at Border with Ukraine

On Friday, the United States and the European Union (EU) expressed concern over new “unusual” Russian troop movements near the border with Ukraine.

“We are deeply concerned about certain unusual troop movements we are seeing on the border with Ukraine,” US Secretary of State Antony Blinken told reporters. However, Russia would “commit a serious mistake” if it “repeats what it did in 2014,” he referred to as the annexation of Crimea.

The European Union is also concerned. “We are following the situation closely, and the information we have received to date is very worrying,” said High Representative for Foreign Policy Josep Borrell said Friday. He indicated that the EU is in contact with the US and the United Kingdom. “We are ready to consider measures with our partners if necessary,” said the spokesman.

Russia had already responded to Western concerns on Thursday. “Russia is not a threat to anyone (…) We are minding our own business and taking measures to ensure our security if necessary, in the face of provocative actions by our opponents near our border,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitri Peskov said. He accused NATO troops of “being very active and acting brutally near our borders, in the air, on water and land”.

Ukraine has conflicted since 2014 between the government in Kyiv and pro-Russian separatists in the east of the country.