Russia and Ukraine exchange accusations of escalation, and Kiev warns of an imminent attack

Ukraine accused its neighbor Russia of mobilizing nearly 100,000 soldiers on the border, and of obstructing European efforts to maintain the ceasefire. It is likely that Russia will launch an attack early next year, while Moscow accused Kiev of not intending to implement the Minsk agreements.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmitro Kuleba revealed that Russia has mobilized 94,000 troops on his country's borders, and accused Moscow of working to obstruct the mission of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) mission aimed at preserving the ceasefire agreement in the Donbass region (east of the country).

Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksiy Rzhenkov suggested that Russia would launch an attack on his country early next year.

The Ukrainian Interior Ministry said that Minister Denis Monastirsky, during his meeting with the US ambassador to Ukraine, Christina Kvin, stressed the issue of strengthening security on Ukraine's borders, describing it as an urgent issue that needs more attention.

Kevin said that her country is ready to continue supporting the Ukrainian Interior Ministry, in the event of an escalation at the Ukrainian border.

US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin also renewed his country's commitment to help Ukraine defend its territory in the event of a Russian invasion, expressing concern about Russia's buildup of its forces at the border.

Russian position

On the other hand, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Sunday that the Ukrainian authorities did not intend to implement the Minsk agreements of their own free will.

Lavrov added - in a television interview with Russia Today Network - that if Ukraine is left alone, it will definitely not implement anything, so it must be forced to do so, and this is exactly the goal of creating the "Normandy" formula, he said.

Lavrov stressed that Berlin and Paris are still procrastinating in implementing their commitments regarding pushing Ukraine to abide by the terms of the Minsk agreements, noting that Russia is drawing their attention to the need to do so.

It is worth noting that Russian relations with the United States and European countries have witnessed over the past weeks an escalation of tension against the backdrop of the Ukrainian file and the refugee crisis at the Belarus border.