The High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Josep Borrell, expressed concern on Monday 19 April about Russian troop movements on the Ukrainian borders and in Crimea, estimating the number of troops amassed at 150,000.
“There are more than 150,000 Russian soldiers massing on the Ukrainian border and in Crimea. The risk of a new escalation is evident”, stressed Borrell at the end of the video conference meeting of European foreign ministers, during which they met with their Ukrainian counterpart, Dmytro Kuleba.
According to the High Representative, this is the “largest ever military deployment on the Ukrainian border”. “The military build-up must stop”, he warned.
“We urge [Russia] to de-escalate [the situation] and ease tensions”, Borrell said, welcoming Ukraine’s restraint in the face of Russia’s attitude.
“We are waiting for explanations [on Russian troop movements] within the framework of existing mechanisms”, an EU source added, referring to Chapter 3 of the OSCE Vienna Document on Confidence and Security-Building Measures. For this source, Russia must be transparent.
The High Representative also recalled the EU’s strong support for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine. He called again for the full implementation of the Minsk agreements.
While Ukrainian Minister Dmytro Kuleba called for new - sectoral - EU sanctions against Russia, the EU High Representative explained that the Union was not working on additional sanctions.
“Sanctions were not the issue today, our priority is to ensure appeasement”, an EU source justified, adding that the logic was “to focus on diplomatic efforts to avoid escalation, including uncontrolled escalation, and to get the right messages across”. (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)