Putin’s goal is to put Kiev in a vulnerable position, according to Foreign Minister Dmitry Kuleba
Russia has not gathered enough forces to launch an upcoming full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmitry Kuleba was quoted as saying by CNN, while Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov threatened to take action if the West continued its “aggressive line”.
Kuleba told reporters in Kiev that Russian troops could attack Ukraine at any time, as in 2014, when Russia annexed the Ukrainian peninsula of Crimea, but currently do not have the capacity to launch a full offensive. “The number of Russian troops stationed on Ukraine’s borders and in the occupied territories is large, it is a threat – a direct threat to Ukraine,” Kuleba said. “However, this number is insufficient for a full-scale offensive along the entire Ukrainian border. They also lack some important military indicators and systems for conducting a full-scale offensive,” he added. “We can repeat 100 times a day that invasion is inevitable, but that does not change the situation on the ground,” Kuleba said.
Ukraine has warned that Russia is trying to destabilize the country before any planned military invasion. The Kremlin denies planning an attack and says NATO support for Ukraine – including increased arms supplies and military training – poses a growing threat to Russia’s western flank. Kuleba told reporters that a military invasion was not the only threat to Ukraine. “We see a scenario of destabilization of Ukraine and this scenario is inevitable, it is already being implemented – by causing panic, by putting pressure on the financial system of Ukraine, by carrying out cyber attacks against Ukraine,” he said. “I am sure President Putin would be happy to see this plan succeed, even if he does not have to resort to military force to put Ukraine in a very vulnerable position. “The number one priority today is to keep things under control, to be realistic in assessing the immediate threat, while not reducing the threat of a potential military invasion,” he said.
A source close to the Ukrainian leadership confirmed to CNN that according to the latest military intelligence, Russian forces are not yet ready to invade the country.
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