Tensions in the Ukraine conflict are building up.
An alleged Russian troop transfer causes an uproar in Kiev and Washington.
The sensitive ceasefire on the border between Ukraine and Russia threatens to collapse.
The reason for this is an alleged Russian troop transfer along the border with the neighboring country.
From the US comes sharp criticism of Moscow's actions.
The government there threatens "measures."
Update from April 2, 6:50 p.m.:
After the tensions between Russia and Ukraine intensified on Friday, US President Joe Biden has now also intervened.
He assured his Ukrainian colleague Volodymyr Selenskyj that he could count on America's "unwavering support" for the country's sovereignty.
The White House accused Russia of “persistent aggression” in Donbass and Crimea in its announcement on the first telephone call by the two presidents since Biden took office in January.
The US State Department and the US Department of Defense had previously expressed their views, to which Moscow reacted sharply
(see initial report)
.
In Kiev, Zelenskyi expressed his delight at the conversation.
"We stand shoulder to shoulder when we have to preserve our democracies," he wrote on the short message service Twitter.
Glad to talk to @POTUS.
🇺🇦 appreciates 🇺🇸 support on different levels.
We stand shoulder to shoulder when it comes to preservation of our democracies.
My commitment to transform 🇺🇦, improve transparency & achieve peace is strong.
The American partnership is crucial for Ukrainians
- Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) April 2, 2021
Russia and Ukraine: is another escalation at the border looming?
First report from April 2:
Kiev / Moscow - A bloody conflict has been smoldering between Ukraine and Russia since 2014.
There has been a fragile ceasefire on Ukraine's eastern border since July 2020.
This could now be seriously endangered by alleged troop transfers by Russia.
Because Russia bundles significantly more military units than before along the border - that goes far beyond the usual saber rattling.
The US is also concerned.
Conflict between Russia and Ukraine: Armistice threatened by troop transfer
The massive relocation of troops does not only affect soldiers, but also weapons, tanks, communication systems, material for building bridges and military ambulances and should
verified videos from western Russian regions.
Picture
quotes
the Russian platform
Conflict Intelligence Team.
This had analyzed numerous videos from social networks.
The Ukrainian President Volodymyr Selenskyj had therefore accused Russia on Thursday of having increased its troop presence on the border with Ukraine.
Moscow wants to create a "threatening atmosphere".
Ukrainian military intelligence accused the Russian army of wanting to expand its presence in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions controlled by the pro-Russian rebels.
In light of these reports, US State Department spokesman Ned Price also expressed concern about the "recent escalation of the aggressive and provocative actions by Russia in eastern Ukraine" and warned Moscow against attempts to "intimidate or threaten our partner Ukraine".
According to Kiev, US Defense Minister Lloyd Austin promised his Ukrainian colleague Andrej Taran in a phone call not to leave Ukraine "in the event of escalating Russian aggression".
Only a week earlier, Ukrainian government soldiers had been killed in the conflict region.
Washington takes the side of Ukraine - Russia threatens "measures"
The reaction from Moscow was not long in coming after the criticism from the USA.
"Russia threatens no one and has never threatened anyone," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told journalists on Friday.
He also warned the West urgently against transferring troops to Ukraine.
"Such a scenario would undoubtedly lead to a further increase in tensions near the Russian borders," said Peskov.
"Of course, this would require additional measures on the Russian side to ensure Russian security."
The unusually high concentration of troops is due to an anti-drone exercise by the Russian army near the Ukrainian border.
50 battalions with a total of 15,000 soldiers would take part in the maneuver, the army said, without giving the exact time for the exercise.
In recent years, the Russian military has organized anti-drone exercises on a number of occasions.
As a rule, however, significantly fewer military personnel took part than in the maneuver announced on Friday.
Reciprocal blame: Is the violence escalating again in the conflict region?
The conflict was the subject of a video link between Chancellor Angela Merkel and Kremlin chief Vladimir Putin and French President Emmanuel Macron last Tuesday.
Putin had expressed concern about the "Ukraine-provoked escalation of the armed confrontation," the Kremlin said afterwards.
Moscow sees responsibility for the recent increase in violence in the Eastern Ukraine conflict in Ukraine.
Russia rejects the allegation that it provides military support to the pro-Russian rebels in the region.
"Russia is not a participant in the conflict," affirmed Peskov on Friday.
At the same time, he accused the Ukrainian armed forces of having committed "numerous" provocations in the region.
In the conflict over eastern Ukraine, which has been going on since 2014, more than 13,000 people were killed.
The trigger was the annexation of the Ukrainian peninsula of Crimea by Russia.
In July of last year, the conflicting parties agreed on a ceasefire.
Since mid-February, however, there has been increased fighting that undermines the already fragile ceasefire.
According to Ukrainian sources, 20 soldiers have been killed and 57 others injured in attacks by pro-Russian rebels since the beginning of the year.
(mam with dpa / AFP)
List of rubric lists: © Evgeniy Maloletka / dpa
