MOSCOW, January 17 - RIA Novosti. The exercises of the Russian Federation on its territory have nothing to do with the process of internal Ukrainian settlement, said the permanent Representative of the Russian Federation to the OSCE Alexander Lukashevich.
"The exercises of the Russian armed forces on their territory are in no way connected with the process of political settlement of the internal Ukrainian crisis," Lukashevich said during an online briefing at MIA Rossiya Segodnya.
Russia has repeatedly rejected accusations of "aggressive actions" by the West and Ukraine, stating that it does not threaten anyone and is not going to attack anyone, and statements about "Russian aggression" are used as an excuse to deploy more NATO military equipment near Russian borders. The Russian Foreign Ministry previously noted that Western statements about "Russian aggression" and the possibility of helping Kiev defend itself from it are both ridiculous and dangerous.
At the same time, Kiev and Western states have recently expressed concern about the alleged intensification of "aggressive actions" by Russia near the borders of Ukraine. The press secretary of the President of the Russian Federation Dmitry Peskov stated that Russia moves troops within its territory and at its discretion. According to him, this does not threaten anyone and no one should care.
