Concern about new developments in the Ukraine conflict is growing in the West.
Russia has significantly increased its military presence within a short period of time.
Update from April 20, 6.45 a.m.:
The US government has strongly condemned Russia's plans to partially restrict shipping in the Black Sea.
The spokesman for the State Department in Washington, Ned Price, said on Monday that such a step would be another "unprovoked escalation" by Russia in the Ukraine conflict.
He accused Moscow of wanting to "undermine and destabilize" Ukraine.
According to Russian state media, Russia plans to block parts of the Black Sea near the annexed Crimean peninsula to foreign warships and other state ships from the end of April to the end of October.
The Ukrainian ports on the Sea of Azov would be affected.
Price said the development was "particularly worrying" because there were also credible reports of Russian troops being transferred to Crimea and the Ukrainian border.
The Russian troop strength there has reached a level never before since the beginning of the Ukraine conflict in 2014, Price said.
The spokesman for the US Department of Defense, John Kirby, spoke on Monday of the largest Russian troop deployment since 2014.
Ukraine escalation?
100,000 Russian soldiers on the border and in the Crimea
Update from April 19, 11:25 p.m.:
The EU foreign affairs representative Josep Borrell is now talking about 100,000 Russian soldiers on the Ukrainian border and in the Crimea.
In the afternoon, the EU foreign affairs representative had given the number as 150,000 and spoke of the “largest Russian military march on the Ukrainian borders” “that ever existed”.
In the evening, the EU corrected the number to 100,000 soldiers without giving any reason.
"We call on Russia to withdraw troops from the Ukrainian border," said Borrell.
He did not want to comment on where he got the number of Russian soldiers.
But it was his "reference number", he said.
The Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba was also connected to the EU video conference on Monday.
Update from April 19, 3:38 p.m.:
According to the EU Foreign Affairs Representative Josep Borrell, Russia has "more than 150,000 soldiers" stationed on the border with Ukraine and on the annexed Crimean peninsula, reports AFP. This is "the largest Russian military march on the Ukrainian borders that there has ever been," said Borrell on Monday after consultations with the EU foreign ministers. This is "the risk of further escalation obvious".
Federal Foreign Minister Heiko Maas (SPD) also expressed concern about the “military march”. The main aim is therefore to prevent “unintended events from setting in motion a military escalation spiral,” he said. It is necessary for both sides to have "a reasonable dialogue". Maas confirmed discussions at working level for a possible meeting in Normandy format. This would be a meeting of representatives of Russia and Ukraine, mediated by Germany and France. Whether it will come to that is still open, said Maas. This also applies to the level at which such a meeting can take place.
More than 13,000 people were killed in the conflict with pro-Russian separatists in eastern Ukraine, which has been going on since 2014.
Since mid-February there has been increased fighting again, which has further undermined an already fragile ceasefire.
Moscow and Kiev blame each other for this.
Ukraine escalation?
Putin with the next explosive military maneuver - "extremely worrying development"
First report from April 17:
Moscow - Vladimir Putin has followed up the announcements with deeds. On Friday, the Russian Defense Ministry announced plans to move warships into the Black Sea. A total of 15 warships then passed the Kerch Strait on the Crimean peninsula on Saturday (April 17th). You should take part in maneuvers that can stretch over months. For this undefined period of time, sea areas around the Crimea are to remain closed. This action comes at a time when the US has announced new sanctions against Russia.
According to Russian information, other shipping should not be affected by this deployment.
However, concerns about current developments are growing internationally.
The German press agency quotes a high-ranking EU official who speaks of an "extremely worrying development".
Not only the drastically increased military presence around the Crimea is causing concern, but also a previous Russian troop deployment on the eastern border of Ukraine.
There parts of the Donetsk and Luhansk areas on the Russian border are still controlled by separatists.
Ukraine sees "demonstration of strength" behind Putin's troop deployment
The head of the Ukrainian military operation, Sergei Najew, however, indicated that he does not expect a new war.
"We don't see any preparations for an attack," he said on Saturday night on Ukrainian television.
"In military language we speak of a demonstration of strength."
Angela Merkel calls for withdrawal - Putin is sending more Russian military
This demonstration did not go uncommented in Berlin and Paris either.
Chancellor Angela Merkel and President Emmanuel Macron called on Vladimir Putin on Friday to withdraw the troops.
During a conversation with the Ukrainian head of state Volodymyr Selenskyj, they expressed concern about the current development.
The Russian plans for military maneuvers in the Black Sea, and thus a next level of escalation in the conflict, follows regardless of this appeal.
Relations between Ukraine and Russia are also strained by another incident.
A Ukrainian diplomat was arrested in St. Petersburg.
The consul of the Ukrainian Consulate General, Alexander Sosonjuk, was caught trying to obtain "confidential information" from a Russian citizen.
(rm with dpa)
List of rubric lists: © dpa / Alexei Druzhinin
