The shelling in eastern Ukraine over the past 48 hours is part of Russia’s efforts to create “false provocations” to justify further “aggression” against the former Soviet country, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Friday.
His words were voiced at the Munich Security Conference, the AFP agency reported. What has happened “in the last 24 to 48 hours is part of a scenario aimed at creating false provocations, a subsequent response to these provocations and committing further aggression against Ukraine”, Blinken said.
At the opening of the Munich Conference, German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said that By accumulating its troops, Russia poses an “absolutely unacceptable threat.”
“Therefore, this crisis is not a Ukrainian crisis. It is a Russian crisis. We call on Russia to withdraw its troops immediately.” Baerbock said during a panel discussion with Blinken.
At the same time, Baerbock defended her country’s decision not to send weapons to Ukraine through Germany’s past in connection with World War II and the obligation to look for other ways to secure peace.
The German minister also warned that in the event of a Russian invasion, the West would impose overwhelming sanctions on Moscow. The Biden administration has made it clear that the invasion would mean the end of the Nord Stream 2 pipeline, which was built to increase Russian gas exports to Germany.
“We in Germany are ready to pay a high price,” she said, adding that all options were on the table, including Nord Stream 2.
The 58th Munich Security Conference began on Friday and will last until Sunday. One of its main topics is the Ukrainian crisis and the tense relations between the West and Russia. Among the participants are US Vice President Kamala Harris, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, UN Chief António Guterres, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. On the contrary, representatives of Russia are missing.