Ukraine remains on high alert and says there is a threat of a Russia-backed coup.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said Monday there was a buildup of more than 100,000 troops at his country’s borders and Moscow is targeting Ukraine with disinformation.
Offensive operations
He reiterated that Ukraine does not intend to conduct offensive operations in Donbass and called on the international community to take action to discourage Russia, in an online press conference from Kyiv.
He added it was already clear that the reported move amounted to yet another attempt by President Vladimir Putin to impose pressure on the former Soviet republic at a time of threats from Russia’s military.
He said that Ukraine’s allies only had a window of “a few months” to take action to discourage the Kremlin from any military action.
Tensions
Universul.net asked the minister how its neighbors including Romania fit into the current picture in the context of growing tensions on Ukraine’s border.
Mr Kuleba said potential Russian military operations would include activity across the Black Sea.
He warned that Romanian and other Black Sea nations should be concerned about Russian encroachment in the region and have a mechanism to counter it.
Universul.net asked the minister what his country expected from Romania as a member of the EU and NATO.
Active position
“Since 2014 (when Russia annexed Crimea), Romania constantly supported us in the war with Russia and we are counting on Romania taking an active position at a NATO and EU level.”
“We are looking at the worst-case scenario and the steps that need to be taken if there is an escalation of hostilities,” he added.
During the online discussion with journalists from international news outlets, Ukraine’s foreign minister pointed out that Kiev had a good relationship with Turkey, a NATO Black Sea country and relations between the countries’ presidents.
Russia ‘irritated’ by Romanian foreign minister’s comments on Black Sea threats
