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Ukrainian military exercise in 2015: "Restore a country's border"
Photo: ANATOLII STEPANOV / AFP
The Ukrainian army has announced a joint military exercise with NATO in a few months' time.
More than 1,000 soldiers from at least five NATO member states are to take part, the armed forces write on Facebook.
In the current tense situation, the exercise is apparently intended to serve as a deterrent - but it could also worsen relations with Russia.
"In particular, defense is rehearsed, followed by an offensive to restore a country's border and the territorial integrity of a state threatened by a neighboring state," the statement said.
The army did not give a date for the exercise, and the location was also initially unknown.
Ukraine is under massive threat from Russia.
Russia has annexed the Ukrainian peninsula of Crimea and is also providing military support to rebels in eastern Ukraine.
In recent years there have been several militarily sensitive situations along the Russian-Ukrainian border.
Currently, however, the tensions go beyond the usual saber rattle.
Russia is concentrating more military units than before along the border, while Ukraine is preparing to call up reservists.
"Unshakable support" of America
US President Joe Biden assured his Ukrainian colleague Volodymyr Selenskyj on Friday that he could count on America's "unshakable support" for the country's sovereignty and integrity.
Both presidents made their first phone call since Biden took office on Friday.
The White House issued a statement accusing Russia of "continuing aggression" in Donbass and the Crimea.
Ukrainian President Zelenskyi accused Russia on Thursday of having increased its troop presence on the border with Ukraine.
Moscow wanted 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.
Fragile truce
The Kremlin has denied the allegations.
"Russia threatens no one and has never threatened anyone," said Kremlin spokesman Dmitri Peskov in front of journalists.
Regarding a possible Western troop transfer to Ukraine, Peskov emphasized that “such a scenario would undoubtedly lead to a further rise in tensions near the Russian borders”: “Of course, this would require additional measures on the Russian side to ensure Russian security guarantee."
In the conflict over eastern Ukraine, which has been going on since 2014, more than 13,000 people were killed.
In July last year, the conflicting parties agreed on a ceasefire.
But since mid-February there has been more fighting again, undermining the already fragile ceasefire.
Experts suspect that the Russian troop transfers could serve to test the reaction of the new US administration under President Joe Biden.
sep / Reuters
