Russia’s ambassador to Washington, Antadoli Antonov, on Sunday denied allegations that Moscow was planning an invasion of Ukraine, saying Moscow considered the separatist part of eastern Ukraine’s Donbass region “part of Ukraine.” Defender.
An important Russian-speaking community supported by Moscow lives in Donbass, and Russia has reportedly carried out mass exoduses in recent days.
“Russia is not trying to seize other countries’ territory,” Ambassador Anatoly Antonov was quoted as saying by Russia’s Rio-Novosti news agency on Sunday. “There are no such plans (to invade Ukraine),” Antonov said, adding that Moscow regards the Donbass region as “part of Ukraine”.
In addition, Antonov said his country was ready to pursue diplomatic efforts to resolve the current tensions, and denied that current troops would pose a threat to Ukraine. “Russian troops are in Russian sovereign territory. We did not intimidate anyone,” he said.
read more: Putin’s spokesman says Russia has never attacked anyone and does not want to call it a “war.”
Belarus is in danger
At the same time, Ambassador Antonov defended the presence of Russian troops in Belarus, saying it was not against international law.
On Sunday morning, the Belarusian Defense Minister said that Russian troops would remain in the country even after the planned joint exercises, raising fears that a Russian invasion might come from the country where Russia had brought in 30,000 troops. Minsk says Russian troops are relying on new training as violence erupts again between Kiev forces and pro-Russian separatists in neighboring eastern Ukraine.
Belarusian opposition leader Svetlana Dikanovskaya on Sunday condemned the retention of Russian troops in Belarus for military exercises, which Agerpres reported in the AFP as a threat to the country’s sovereignty.
In his opinion, Belarus “can go to war with someone else and become an occupier.” He accused President Lukashenko of paying the Kremlin’s support for his sovereignty.
“We demand the immediate withdrawal of Russian troops from our territory,” Svetlana Tihanovskaya added.
Author: Luana Pavaluca
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