WASHINGTON (AP) – American officials unsure why Russian President Vladimir Putin is building forces near the border with eastern Ukraine, but see it as another example of troubling military moves that require a statement from Moscow, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said on Wednesday.
“We will continue to urge Russia to act responsibly and be more transparent in building the armed forces on the border with Ukraine,” Austin said at a press conference at the Pentagon, adding, “We are not sure what exactly, Mr Putin? it is up to.”
Austin also criticized Russia for launching one of its old satellites on Monday.
“What is most worrying about it is the danger it poses to the international community,” Austin said. “It is undermining strategic stability, and as you know, there is now a rubble field that will be there forever. And it’s a security concern. That is why we urge Russia to act more responsibly in the future. “
Austin’s language about Russia’s anti-satellite missile deployment was milder than that of Foreign Minister Antony Blinken, who described the move as “dangerous and irresponsible”. Blinken said on Monday that it shows that Russia is ready to “endanger the exploration and use of space by all nations”.
The Russian Defense Ministry on Tuesday confirmed the destruction of a decommissioned satellite that has been in orbit since 1982, but insisted that “the US knows for a fact that the resulting fragments pose no threat to orbital stations, spacecraft and space activities in terms of test time and orbital parameters . “Statements by US officials have been labeled” hypocritical. “
Russian military build-up near Ukraine may be of greater concern. The Ukrainian Defense Ministry announced last week that around 90,000 Russian soldiers were stationed near the border and in rebel-controlled areas in eastern Ukraine.
Russia supported a separatist uprising in eastern Ukraine that broke out shortly after Moscow annexed the Ukrainian peninsula of Crimea in 2014 and claimed more than 14,000 lives.
Earlier this year, a massive deployment of Russian troops in western Russia in Ukraine and in the west raised concerns and fears that hostilities would escalate. Russian officials said the troops were used for training purposes and were part of measures to counter security threats from the deployment of NATO forces near the Russian border.
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