KYIV, Jan 29 (NNN-AGENCIES) — President Volodymyr Zelensky called on the West to avoid creating “panic” in the face of the Russian troop buildup on Ukraine’s border. “We don’t need this panic,” Zelensky told a news conference with foreign media.
He pointed to the need to “stabilise” Ukraine’s already battered economy as he insisted he saw no greater threat now than during a similar massing of Russian troops last spring.
“Because of all these signals that tomorrow there will be war, there are signals even from respected leaders of states, they just say that tomorrow there will be war. This is panic — how much does it cost for our state?,” he asked.
The attempts by the Ukrainian leader to tamp down tensions come as some Western allies — spearheaded by the United States — have warned of a potentially imminent invasion by Moscow.
“The greatest risk for Ukraine… is the destabilisation of the situation inside the country,” Zelensky said.
The West says Russia has deployed over 100,000 troops and heavy armour along Ukraine’s borders and threatened massive sanctions if the Kremlin stages an incursion.
The US, Britain and Australia recently angered Kyiv by ordering the families of diplomats to leave their embassies in Ukraine.
Ukraine has been fighting a conflict with Russian-backed separatists in the east of the country since 2014 that has cost over
Meanwhile in MOSCOW, Russian President Vladimir Putin told his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron Friday that the West had ignored Moscow’s security concerns over NATO expansion and Ukraine, the Kremlin said.
The United States and NATO earlier this week delivered a response to sweeping security demands put to them by Russia, that called on the West to promise never to admit Ukraine to the US-led security alliance.
“The US and NATO responses did not take into account Russia’s fundamental concerns including preventing NATO’s expansion and refusing to deploy strike weapons systems near Russia’s borders,” Putin told Macron, the Kremlin said in a statement.
Putin said the US had “ignored” other key concerns outlined by Russia and had failed to explain how security in Europe could be guaranteed without hurting defence concerns of other countries.
The Kremlin said the two leaders had spoken at length, with Putin telling Macron he will “carefully” study the US and NATO’s responses “after which he will decide on his further actions”.
A Russian troop build-up close to the border with eastern Ukraine has raised Western fears the Kremlin is planning to invade its pro-EU neighbour.
Russia denies any plans to invade but has demanded wide-ranging security guarantees from the West, which keeps trying to engage Moscow diplomatically.
The Elysee Palace on Wednesday hailed as a “positive signal” talks in Paris between Russia and Ukraine — as well as France and Germany — which produced the first joint written statement on the conflict in eastern Ukraine signed up to by Moscow and Kyiv since 2019.
Putin told Macron Friday it was important for Ukrainian authorities to establish “direct dialogue” with separatist leaders in the ex-Soviet country’s war-ravaged east.
“Taking into account the results of the meeting” in Paris, the Kremlin said, “the mood for further work of Russia and France in this format was confirmed.” — NNN-AGENCIES
