Unverified social media footage has suggested Russian Federation has been moving large quantities of tanks, armoured personnel carriers and other equipment to regions that border Ukraine as well as to Crimea, which Moscow annexed from Ukraine in 2014.
The Kremlin said on Thursday the West should not "worry" about Russian troop movements on the Ukrainian border, as Kiev raised concerns that the conflict in the country's east could once again escalate.
Mark Milley, chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, also spoke with his Russian and Ukrainian counterparts, Valery Gerasimov and Ruslan Khomchak. "We can not exclude that Biden's presidency is part of the Russian calculus, that it's time for Moscow to show a bit of muscle".
The Pentagon on Wednesday told journalists that United States forces in Europe have raised their alert status following the "recent escalations of Russian aggression in eastern Ukraine".
Secretary also said that they discussed regional security, and he reaffirmed USA unwavering support for Ukraine's sovereignty, territorial integrity, and Euro-Atlantic aspirations.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said in a statement that "Russia's current escalation is systemic, [sic] largest in recent years", adding that "Russia's actions have brought the situation to a dead end. Of course, this would call for additional measures from the Russian side to ensure its security", Peskov told reporters. Russian Federation was taking measures to ensure the security of its own borders, he said.
Although Russia has increased military activity near the Ukrainian border in the past, the situation today is particularly concerning since the ceasefire is about the expire.
On Wednesday, the Pentagon said USA forces in Europe had raised their alert status following the "recent escalations of Russian aggression in eastern Ukraine".
US Raises Alarm As Russia Moves Heavy Artillery, Tanks Towards Ukraine Border
"Muscle-flexing in the form of military exercises and possible provocations along the border are traditional Russian games", Zelensky said in a statement.
Both the Pentagon and North Atlantic Treaty Organisation have expressed concern about Russia's military build-up.
U.S. forces in Europe are now on higher alert, citing "escalations of Russian aggression" in the area.
Ukraine has been battling pro-Russian separatists in the eastern Donetsk and Luhansk regions since 2014, following Moscow's annexation of the Crimean peninsula after an uprising that ousted Ukraine's Kremlin-friendly president Viktor Yanukovych.
Khomchak said this week that 28,000 separatist fighters and "more than 2,000 Russian military instructors and advisers" are now stationed in eastern Ukraine.
"In addition, an attempt to advance Russian occupation forces deep into Ukraine is not ruled out", it said.
Several reports, including videos and photos shared on social media, have documented significant Russian military presence being deployed both in Crimea - the home of Russia's Black Sea Fleet which Russia annexed from Ukraine in 2014 - and near the border between Russia and the conflict zone in eastern Ukraine.
Kyiv has been locked in a conflict with Russian-backed separatists since 2014, and this week Ukrainian officials reported Russian troop movement in annexed Crimea and on the border, near territories controlled by Moscow-backed separatists.
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The official could not discuss an ongoing investigation publicly and spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity. The White House released a statement from President Joe Biden addressing the attack on the United States Capitol on Friday .
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