Russian military build-up near Ukraine largest ever, EU’s Borrell says

Brussels: Russia has concentrated more than 150,000 troops on Ukraine’s border and in annexed Crimea, the EU’s top diplomat Josep Borrell said on Monday (Tuesday AEDT) after EU foreign ministers were briefed by Ukraine’s foreign minister.

“It is more than 150,000 Russian troops massing on the Ukrainian borders and in Crimea. The risk of further escalation is evident,” Borrell said, declining to give a source for the figure.

European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell says 150,000 Russian troops have amassed on the border.Credit:AP

He said no new economic sanctions or expulsions of Russian diplomats were planned for the time being, despite saying that the military build-up on Ukraine’s borders was the largest ever.

In Washington, the Pentagon said the Russian military build-up was larger than that in 2014 and it was not clear that it was for training purposes.

A US official, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said the Russian build-up numbered in the tens of thousands but was not aware of intelligence that pointed to more than 150,000 Russian troops.

Russian special forces units board a helicopter during an exercise in the Tambov region, the Western Military District in Russia. Credit:AP

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba, after addressing EU foreign ministers, called on the EU to impose new sanctions on Russia.

Tensions between Moscow and Kiev have been rising amid the military build-up and clashes in eastern Ukraine between the army and pro-Russian separatists.

Reuters

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