Ukraine said on Wednesday that European diplomatic efforts to avoid a worrisome Russian invasion of the former Soviet state were working, but tensions remained tense.
“The situation is still tense but under control. Diplomacy is continuing to de-escalate the tension,” Foreign Minister Dmitro Cooleba told reporters after talks with Spanish counterpart Jose Manuel Albarez.
“The way the greater European Community responds to this crisis will determine European security and the future of each European country.”
Quleiba’s remarks came after French President Emmanuel Macron conducted a round of shuttle diplomacy between Moscow and Kiev before continuing talks in Berlin.
Macron said he received a promise from Russian President Vladimir Putin that the Kremlin “will not be a source of escalation”.
But Washington has warned that Russia’s decision to amass more than 100,000 troops near the Ukrainian border means Putin is seriously considering an invasion aimed at reversing Kiev’s pro-Western course.
Ukraine has been trying to downplay the prospect of war because of the dire effects on the country’s investment climate and public sentiment.
But it has also pushed for tough preventive sanctions on Russia aimed at punishing Russia for its role in the eight-year-long conflict that has divided the country in eastern Ukraine.
“It is no exaggeration to say that Russia is trying to avenge the loss of the Cold War to the Soviet Union, which is why today we are talking about defending the entire security architecture of Europe,” Kuleba said.
“Ukraine’s position is that, in recent years, Russia has seriously violated international law and the Minsk Agreement in resolving separatist conflicts,” he said.
“For that, it should be sanctioned.”
Complete News Source : Hindustan Times
