Sharjah 24 – AFP: Moscow warned the West Friday against sending troops to Ukraine to buttress its ally, after Kiev accused Moscow of building up troops on its border.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Thursday accused Russia of massing troops on the border and Washington pledged to stand by Ukraine in the event of Russian "aggression".
Weeks of renewed frontline clashes have raised fears of a an escalation of the long-simmering conflict in eastern Ukraine, where Kiev's forces are battling pro-Russian separatists.
Speaking to reporters on Friday, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Russia would be forced to respond if the US sent troops to Ukraine.
"There is no doubt such a scenario would lead to a further increase in tensions close to Russia's borders. Of course, this would call for additional measures from the Russian side to ensure its security," Peskov told reporters.
He declined to specify which measures would be adopted, while insisting that Russia was not making moves to threaten Ukraine.
"Russia is not threatening anyone, it has never threatened anyone," Peskov said.
His comments come after the United States warned Russia against "intimidating" Ukraine, with both Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin and Secretary of State Antony Blinken calling their Ukrainian counterparts to stress support.
The Pentagon said earlier this week that US forces in Europe had raised their alert status following the "recent escalations of Russian aggression in eastern Ukraine".
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