MOSCOW, Feb 14 - RIA Novosti. Part of the ongoing exercises of Russian troops is nearing completion, Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said at a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
"I want to repeat once again that the exercises will take place, some of them have been completed, some are being completed, something still needs to be done, taking into account the scale of the decisions that were planned, which were launched on your instructions in December," the head of the defense department said.
One of the most ambitious maneuvers of the Russian Armed Forces today is the joint Belarusian-Russian maneuvers "Allied Resolve-2022". This is the second stage of the verification of the reaction forces of the Union State, it will last until February 20. The goal is to work out the reflection of external aggression and terrorist attacks.
Earlier, Ukraine convened a meeting of the participating countries of the 2011 Vienna Document on Confidence- and security-building measures. Before that, Kiev demanded that Moscow explain the movement of troops on Russian territory, but the Ukrainian authorities did not receive a response. Consultations will be held in the OSCE on February 15.
The OSCE Vienna Document of 2011 is aimed at strengthening security and trust between countries. In accordance with the agreements, the States annually exchange information on military forces and major weapons systems, on defense planning and military budgets. The document provides for consultations in connection with "unusual military activities" and dangerous incidents.
The Ukrainian question
In recent months, the United States and other NATO countries have accused Moscow of preparing an "invasion" of Ukraine. So, the media write that US President Joe Biden told European leaders that Russia would "attack" a neighboring state on February 16.
The Kremlin and the Foreign Ministry reject all claims, emphasizing that Russia is not involved in the internal Ukrainian conflict and does not violate any agreements, unlike Kiev, which does not comply with the Minsk agreements.
The Ukrainian authorities have concentrated about half of the personnel of the armed forces on the border with the self-proclaimed DPR and LPR, the army regularly fires at the militia, including with the use of prohibited equipment transferred by Western countries.
The United States, Great Britain, Canada, France, Poland, Turkey, Lithuania, Czech Republic, Bulgaria, Romania, Estonia participate in the supply of weapons totaling billions of dollars. In addition, foreign military instructors continue to arrive in Ukraine.
Moscow has repeatedly called for stopping pumping weapons into the region, as this could provoke Kiev to military adventures.
