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Ukraine has said Russian forces near its border are not yet strong enough to carry out a full-scale invasion, although the United States continues to insist the attack could be “quick.”
Russia has deployed more than 100,000 troops and heavy equipment near the border with Ukraine and Crimea.
The US sees these actions as signs of invasion.
“At the moment, with the assessment of Ukraine and its partners, this number of troops is not enough for a complete occupation,” Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said in an interview with foreign media.
“However, we will remain vigilant, we will monitor other dynamics,” he said.
The administration of US President Joe Biden announced last month that it would evacuate the families of US embassy officials in Ukraine and urged Americans to leave the country after the risk of conflict.
Kuleba said the decision by the US and some other countries to advise their citizens to leave Ukraine was premature.
He has said that there has been talk for weeks about war and given the fact that nothing has happened yet, diplomacy is working.
He called on the West to reach an agreement on what sanctions it would impose on Russia if it invaded Ukraine, and to make sure the Kremlin knew about the measures.
The United States and its Western allies have warned Russia that it will impose economic sanctions and send more weapons to Ukraine in the event of an invasion.
Shortly after Kulebas’ interview, the Pentagon announced plans to send some 3,000 troops to Poland, Romania and Germany, but not to Ukraine.
The United States has rejected a key request from Moscow that NATO refuse to recognize Ukraine – but has insisted that it is offering Russia “a serious diplomatic route.”
Russian President Vladimir Putin has accused the West of ignoring Russia’s security concerns.
Moscow’s claims to the West include:
Ukraine not to join NATO
N
ATO to end military activity in Eastern Europe and withdraw troops from Poland and Baltic republics, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania
The North Atlantic Alliance should not position missiles in countries near or on the border with Russia
The United States and NATO have responded by saying that Ukraine has the right to choose its allies, but have offered Russia the opportunity to negotiate on missiles and other issues.
If Russia invades Ukraine, this would not be the first time.
Russia annexed the Ukrainian Crimea in 2014.
The country also supports rebels in the conflict in eastern Ukraine, in which some 14,000 people have died.
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