Russia, on Thursday, defended its military actions near eastern Ukraine, and directed sharp criticism to Western countries, while affirming its willingness to cooperate with the United States for the sake of global stability.
The Kremlin said today that the recent movement of Russian forces and military equipment near the border with Ukraine aims to ensure Russia's security, and does not pose any threat to anyone.
"Russia is taking measures to ensure the security of its borders along the NATO line of activities," he added.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov made it clear that Russia had moved its forces within its borders as it saw fit.
He stressed that Russian forces have not and will not participate in the military conflict in Ukraine.
The commander-in-chief of the Ukrainian armed forces accused Moscow this week of building its forces near the common border, and said that pro-Moscow separatists regularly violated the ceasefire in eastern Ukraine as tensions escalated.
Knock
For his part, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said that Moscow and Beijing do not need to establish a military alliance similar to NATO (NATO), "and the relations between the two countries are completely different."
"The confrontation with the West has reached a bottom, and we hope that everyone is aware of the risks associated with escalating tension," the foreign minister added.
At the same time, he said, "Russia is ready to improve relations with the European Union, but it will not take the initiative to knock on the door."
He stressed that Moscow is ready to work with Washington in the interest of global stability, and "we are not looking for confrontation."