US Secretary of State Antony Blinken reiterated on Saturday that the United States is "
seriously concerned
" by Russia's actions and statements towards Ukraine where tensions are mounting.
“
We have serious concerns about Russia's unusual military activities on the border with Ukraine.
We are really concerned about certain rhetoric that we have seen and heard both from Russia and on social networks,
”Anthony Blinken told the press in Dakar, where he is making the last leg of his African tour.
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He said these concerns were "
widely shared
" by US allies but did not comment on whether US intelligence believes Russian President Vladimir Putin would like to seize Ukrainian territory.
The precedent of the Crimea
“
We don't know what President Putin's intentions are.
But we do know what has taken place in the past.
We know the strategy of quoting illusory provocations from Ukraine or any other country and using them as an excuse for Russia's plans
, ”Blinken said.
He was referring to the crisis that arose in Ukraine in 2014 after the overthrow of the pro-Western Ukrainian government.
In the same year, Moscow annexed the Ukrainian peninsula from Crimea, in response to a pro-Western revolution.
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Ukraine: Vladimir Putin accuses the West of "aggravating" the tensions between the two countries
The Donbass region in eastern Ukraine has been in the throes of a war since 2014 that has left more than 13,000 dead between Kiev forces and pro-Russian separatists, of which the Kremlin is considered the military godfather despite its denials.
Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday accused the West of fueling growing tensions on Ukraine's eastern borders and the Black Sea.
He also accused Western bombers of approaching 20 km from Russia.
