Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuliba said today, Tuesday, that Russia will soon have more than 120,000 troops on his country's borders, and called for new Western economic sanctions to deter Moscow from "further escalation."
"Russian forces will continue to arrive near our borders in the south, and within about a week, the size of the combined forces is expected to exceed 120,000," Koliba said during an Internet press conference.
"This does not mean that they will stop mobilizing their forces at this number," he said, warning of what he described as the unpredictability of Moscow's steps, and said that Ukraine does not want to enter into conflict with this country.
Kuliba called on Moscow to return to abide by the ceasefire agreement in eastern Ukraine, where Russia supports forces fighting Ukrainian forces in a conflict, which Kiev says has killed 14,000 people since 2014.
Ships and aircraft
In a related context, today more than 20 Russian warships conducted maneuvers in the Black Sea with the Air Force, and "Sukhoi Su-25SM3" fighter jets participated in the exercises, according to a statement issued by the Black Sea Fleet. Of the Russian Navy.
The statement stated that more than 50 warplanes were deployed in the Crimea peninsula, which was annexed by Russia in 2014.
Russia says that its forces have mobilized a surprise 3-week military training to test readiness, in response to what it describes as threatening behavior from NATO.
On Tuesday, Moscow accused the United States and NATO of "provocative activity" in the waters and airspace of the Black Sea.
Washington condemns
For its part, the United States condemned Russia's intention to obstruct navigation in the Black Sea, and called on it to stop its military build-up on the borders of Ukraine, while Kiev called for the imposition of economic sanctions on Moscow.
In a statement issued late yesterday evening, Monday, State Department spokesman Ned Price described reports of Russia's intention to ban navigation in parts of the Black Sea as an unjustified escalation, especially since such a measure affects the entry of ships into Ukrainian ports.
Price said that the escalation comes within the framework of Russia's ongoing campaign to undermine and destabilize Ukraine, calling on Moscow to stop harassing ships sailing in the Black Sea.
The US spokesman also urged Russia to reduce the forces it had recently mobilized on the borders of Ukraine and in the Crimea.
The Pentagon said earlier yesterday that the current Russian military build-up on Ukraine's borders is the largest since 2014.
The Pentagon called on Russia to clarify its intention regarding Ukraine, to stop provocation, and to contribute to the support of stability in the region.
For about 7 years, relations between Kiev and Russia have been witnessing escalating tension due to the latter's illegal annexation of the Crimean peninsula to its territory, and its support for separatists in the Donbas region (eastern Ukraine).