Tensions rising in East West as Russian troops gather at Ukraine’s border
(Vatican Radio) Tensions are rising in the most serious East-West confrontation since
the collapse of the Soviet Union with Russia moving tens of thousands of troops near
its border with Ukraine, while the NATO military alliance is boosting its presence
in several nearby Eastern European countries.
Amid the turmoil, Ukrainian
Prime Minster Arseniy Yatsenyuk accused Russia of seeking to start World War III by
occupying Ukraine both “militarily and politically”, creating a conflict that he warned
would spread across Europe.
He spoke amid reports that as many as seven pro-Russian
separatists died in clashes with Ukrainian security forces in the east of the country.
"Attempts
at military conflict in Ukraine will lead to a military conflict in Europe," Yatsenyuk
told the interim cabinet in remarks broadcast live. "The world has not yet forgotten
World War II, but Russia already wants to start World War Three."
As many as
40.000 Russian troops are believed to participate in Moscow's massive show of forces
just outside Ukraine's borders. Moscow says they are military exercises in response
to what it calls Ukraine’s escalating operations against pro-Russian separatists,
who want to join Russia.
PRO RUSSIAN INSURGENTS
Ukraine's Interior
Ministry said pro-Russian "insurgents" were killed amid clashes for control over the
eastern city of Sloviansk, a separatists’ stronghold.
Ukrainian officials claim
they have dismantled several illegal checkpoints, including around the eastern city
of Sloviansk as well as regaining control of at least one government building in the
port city of Mariupol.
Western observers say well-armed Ukrainian special
forces appear to be involved in what has been described as Ukraine's most serious
battle since the latest crisis began after the ouster of its pro-Russian president
Viktor Yanukovych.
The actions have prompted an angry reaction from Russian
Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, who accused the U.S. of controlling events in Ukraine.
"Well, it’s quite telling that they chose a moment of [the] vice-president of the
United States visit to announce the resumption of this operation because the launching
of this operation happened immediately after the John Brennan’s visit to Kiev," he
said in an interview.
"So I don’t have any reasons not to believe that the
Americans are running the show in a very close way."
RUSSIAN ACTION
And
in a worrying sign to the west, Lavrov did not rule our direct Russian military action
in eastern Ukraine. "If we are attacked, we would certainly respond," the minister
warned.
"If our interests, our legitimate interests, the interests of Russians
have been attacked directly, like they were in South Ossetia for example, I do not
see any other way but to respond in full accordance with international law. Russian
citizens being attacked is an attack against the Russian Federation," Lavrov said.
Russian
Defence Minister Serguei Shoigu defended Moscow's decision to send tanks as close
as eight kilometres from Ukraine's borders.
“If this military machine is not
stopped," he said, "it will lead to greater numbers of dead and wounded." Shoigu also
acknowledged that the Russian movements were a reaction to NATO’s decision to boost
troops in its eastern European member states.
"Planned exercises by NATO
forces in Poland and the Baltic countries do not foster normalisation of the situation
surrounding
Ukraine, either.”
NATO WARSHIPS
On Wednesday, five
NATO warships took part in a “battle stations” exercises on the waters of the Baltic
Sea, while hundreds of additional American troops were rushed to Poland as well as
Baltic states Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia.
Separately, Britain, Netherlands
and Denmark scrambled fighter jets after Russian military aircraft were seen approaching
their airspace.
"It is clear that Russia's goal is to wreck the [May 25
presidential] election in Ukraine, remove the pro-Western and pro-Ukrainian government
and occupy Ukraine politically as well as military," Ukrainian Prime Minister Yatsenyuk
said.
He took office in February after pro-European protests prompted the
pro-Russian President Viktor Yanukovych to flee to Russia.