4/14/21
Germany has accused Russia of seeking provocation with its troop buildup in the occupied Crimean Peninsula and along the border with Ukraine, while rejecting Moscow's claim that it was responding to threats from NATO. "My impression is that the Russian side is trying everything to provoke a reaction," German Defense Minister Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer told public broadcaster ARD television on April 14. "Together with Ukraine, we won't be drawn into this game," she said, adding it was clear that Russia "is just waiting for a move, so to speak, from NATO, to have a pretext to continue its actions." Recent photographs, video, and other data suggest major movements of Russian armed units toward or near Ukraine's borders and into Crimea, seized by Moscow in 2014, fueling concerns that Russia is preparing to send forces into Ukraine. Ukraine and the West also blame Moscow-backed separatists holding parts of the country's eastern regions of Donetsk and Luhansk for a recent spike in hostilities, while Moscow has pointed the finger at Kyiv.
Kramp-Karrenbauer also cast doubt on Moscow's claim that the buildup is in response to "threats" from the transatlantic alliance. "If it is a maneuver, like the Russian side says, there are international procedures through which one can create transparency and trust," she said. With tensions rising, U.S. President Joe Biden on April 13 urged his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, to take measures to de-escalate the situation with Kyiv and proposed a summit between the two leaders in a third country.Such a summit would be the first between Putin and Biden, who took office vowing a tougher stance toward Moscow than the one taken by his predecessor, Donald Trump. Some analysts have suggested that Russia’s recent actions may be meant to test the new U.S. administration and its commitment to Ukraine. According to Ukrainian President Volodomyr Zelenskiy's office, Russia has massed more than 40,000 troops both on Ukraine's eastern border and in the occupied Crimean Peninsula. Kyiv has so far reacted in a "sober" manner, the German defense minister said in the ARD interview, stressing that NATO allies were "committed to Ukraine, that is very clear."
www.rferl.org
