MFA Ukraine refutes Putin’s claim that Kiev is planning an offensive in Donbass

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Russian President Vladimir Putin’s claim about Ukraine’s alleged preparations for a “military operation” in the east is false. Ukraine seeks only peace.

This is according to a comment provided to Ukrinform by Foreign Ministry spokesman Oleh Nikolenko.

“The statement of the President of Russia on the alleged preparation of a” military operation “in Donbass by Ukraine is false,” said Nikolenko.

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He noted that Ukraine seeks only peace and that the constant efforts of the Ukrainian leadership to break the deadlock peace process, especially in the Norman format, clearly illustrate Ukraine’s commitment to use political and diplomatic tools to resolve the armed conflict.

“In addition, the head of the Ukrainian president’s office and our delegation in the trilateral contact group did a titanic job to restore the ceasefire yesterday,” Nikolenko said.

The Foreign Ministry also called on Russia to focus on implementing the ceasefire agreements and ending the international armed conflict in eastern Ukraine.

“People on both sides of the contact line in the Donetsk and Lugansk regions deserve peace and quiet, especially on the eve of the New Year’s holidays,” the Foreign Ministry spokesman said.

Also read: Putin claims gas prices in Europe are rising due to reverse flow to Ukraine

Russian President Vladimir Putin told a press conference on Thursday that “Ukraine may be preparing for a military operation.”

As Ukrinform reported, on December 22, Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council Oleksiy Danilov said 122,000 Russian military personnel were deployed 200 km from the Ukrainian border and 143,500 others at a distance. of 400 km.

NATO has warned Russia that further aggression against Ukraine would have far-reaching “strategic and economic” consequences.

Moscow has denied accusations of a conspiracy to incursion into Ukraine, explaining the latest mobilization with efforts to prevent Ukraine from joining NATO.

Read also: Stoltenberg calls on Putin to use the holidays to withdraw his troops from Ukraine

On December 5, Defense Minister Oleksiy Reznikov said the total number of Russian troops deployed near the Ukrainian border could reach 175,000.

According to Deputy Defense Minister Hanna Maliar, the situation around Ukraine’s borders remains difficult, as Russia continues to amass troops to maintain tensions in the region.

The United States and the European Union have maintained their unwavering support for Ukraine amid Russia’s military escalation. Washington and Brussels are in constant consultation to develop a common position in response to hostile rhetoric from Russia and the strengthening of troops near Ukraine.

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