MOSCOW, Feb 15 - RIA Novosti. The number of Russian forces on the border with Ukraine is equivalent to the number of military personnel involved in the Zapad-21 exercises in September last year, but then no one said a word, said Russia's permanent representative to the EU Vladimir Chizhov.
A report by the British Guardian newspaper, interviewed by the Russian envoy, says that Chizhov "rejected Western concerns about the inevitability of the conflict, saying that the number of Russian troops on the border with Ukraine is equivalent to the number of (military) at large-scale exercises "West-21".
"And no one (then) said a word," Chizhov said.
Kiev and Western states have recently expressed concern about the alleged intensification of "aggressive actions" by Russia near the borders of Ukraine. Moscow has repeatedly rejected such accusations, stating that it does not threaten anyone and is not going to attack anyone, and statements about the "aggression of the Russian Federation" are used as an excuse to place more NATO military equipment near the 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. 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 should not worry anyone.
