Russia gathers military forces near Ukraine

NATO reported ‘new Russian military buildup’ in the proximity of the Ukrainian border, including heavy weaponry such as tanks.

It remains unclear whether Moscow is raising an army to seal the borders and stop separatists’ movements or whether it is supporting pro-Russians with heavy weaponry and troops.

‘Yes, I can confirm that we now see a new Russian military buildup, at least a few thousand more Russian troops deployed to the Ukrainian border, and we see troop maneuvers in the neighborhood of Ukraine. I consider this a very regrettable step backwards and it seems that Russia keeps the option to intervene further,’ stated NATO chief Anders Fogh Rasmussen.

If Russia decides to intervene in Ukraine, then the country will be faced with further sanctions.

Nonetheless, the Russian military buildup sparked confusion among European powers. No later than a few days ago, Putin discussed with Ukrainian President, Petro Poroshenko, France’s Francois Hollande and Germany’s Angela Merkel on how to stabilize the situation in eastern Ukraine and bring the fighting to an end.

Following those talks, Poroshenko proposed a unilateral ceasefire in which his troops would allow separatists to lay down their weapons and leave Ukraine without being attacked.

Separatists, on the other hand, did not respond well to Poroshenko’s plans and refused to enter a ceasefire period.