“Russia’s current escalation is systematic, largest in recent years,” Kuleba said, expressing concern over how the Kremlin is handling the long-running crisis in eastern Ukraine’s Donbas region.
“Russia’s actions have brought the situation to a dead end. The only way out is via diplomacy”, he said.
Read more: Belarus Sending Extra Forces to Border with Ukraine
Minister also said that Moscow must cease escalating military tensions, immediately and unconditionally reaffirm its commitment to resolving the conflict by political and diplomatic means and recommit to ceasefire.
“Ukraine in partnership with Germany and France as Normandy format mediators are taking every possible measures to get Russia engaged constructively in negotiations. Our other partners, including the U.S., Canada, the U.K. and NATO support Russia’s continued engagement in negotiations”, Dmytro Kuleba said in a statement.
“Whatever misinformation Russia may promote now, I would like to assure that Ukraine is placing priority on political and diplomatic means for settling this conflict, because peace and human lives are fundamental values to the Ukrainian state”, he went on to say in a statement.
Meanwhile, Ukrainian military Commander-in-Chief Ruslan Khomchak said in his speech to Parliament on Tuesday that Russia is building up its troops near Ukraine’s border, thus increasing its threat to the country’s security, and accused Moscow of pursuing an “aggressive policy” towards Kyiv.
Besides that, the U.S. military’s European Command raised its watch level from possible crisis to potential imminent crisis — the highest level — in response to the deployment of the additional Russian troops.
Read more: Russia ready for large-scale provocations against Ukraine - intelligence
