Kiev. December 5th. INTERFAX-UKRAINE - Ukrainian Defense Minister Alexei Reznikov called on Western leaders to support and strengthen his country, as well as to resist Russian pressure.
"With the threat of a full-scale Russian invasion looming over Ukraine, the democratic world must act before it is too late. Western leaders still have time to restrain Russia and demonstrate that Ukraine is not alone," Reznikov wrote in an article for the Atlantic Council analytical center.
According to him, the "big war" in Ukraine could plunge Europe into crisis, but Western leaders can still restrain Russia.
"A big war in Ukraine will plunge the whole of Europe into crisis. The sudden appearance of three to five million Ukrainian refugees fleeing the Russian invasion will be just one of the many serious problems facing European society," the Defense Minister predicts.
He also noted the likelihood of a food crisis.
"The EU is heavily dependent on food imports, including grain. A major war will seriously undermine and possibly completely prevent the import of many goods, both from Ukraine and from Russia, creating a number of problems with food security for the entire continent," Reznikov believes.
At the same time, Reznikov stressed that "the only real way to deal with the Kremlin is to demonstrate readiness to resist Russian aggression."
Speaking in the country's parliament on December 3, Reznikov said that the total number of Russian troops that can be used to escalate the situation around Donbass is estimated at 94.3 thousand people today.
"Currently, 41 battalion-tactical groups are in constant readiness around Ukraine and in the temporarily occupied Crimea, of which 33 are on a permanent basis, 8 have been additionally transferred to Crimea. The total number of troops on the territory of the Russian Federation, as well as in the temporarily occupied territories that can be used for escalation, is estimated at 94.3 thousand people today," the head of the Defense Ministry said.
