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Russia
WorldRussia & Central Asia

Russia denies preparing invasion of Ukraine, amid US accusations of further escalation

  • Moscow’s ambassador to the EU told German newspaper Die Welt that ‘Russia is not planning an attack’
  • The US and Western allies have accused Russia of ‘escalating’ the tense situation at the border with Ukraine, and promised to present a united front in January talks

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Russian soldiers take part in drills at the Kadamovskiy firing range in the Rostov region, amid a troop build-up on the border with Ukraine. Photo: AP
Agence France-PresseandReuters
Russia is not preparing a military invasion of Ukraine, its ambassador to the European Union was quoted as saying on Thursday, after Moscow unnerved the West with a massive troop build-up on its territory close to the Ukrainian border.
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Vladimir Chizhov told German newspaper Die Welt in an interview that Russia wanted to support Russian-speaking people and compatriots living in other countries, but he added that Moscow never said it wanted to use military means for this.

“Russia is not planning an attack against any country. I can assure you that no Russian troops are currently preparing for an invasion of Ukraine,” Chizhov was quoted as saying.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Tuesday that Russia had no room to retreat in a stand-off with the United States over Ukraine and would be forced into a tough response unless the West dropped its “aggressive line”.

Putin addressed his remarks to military officials as Russia pressed for an urgent US and Nato reply to proposals it made last week for a binding set of security guarantees from the West.

Meanwhile, several Western countries on Wednesday accused Russia of “escalating” the tense situation at the border with Ukraine, and promised to present a united front when talks with Moscow begin in January.

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