MOSCOW, August 6 (RIA Novosti) – Pentagon and NATO attempts to accuse Russia of building up troops near the border with Ukraine are groundless and resemble “an auction to sell soap bubbles,” the Russian Defense Ministry said Wednesday.
“The Russian Defense Ministry can only feel sorry for Pentagon, US Department of State and NATO officials, who have to constantly improvise in order to make their allegations believable,” ministry spokesman Maj. Gen. Igor Konashenkov said.
“Their frequent remarks about the movement of additional Russian troops to the border with Ukraine resemble an auction to sell soap bubbles, when the most important thing is to get the highest price before the bubble bursts,” Konashenkov said.
“We would like to explain that it is impossible to move thousands of troops with weapons and military equipment so quickly and without being noticed by OSCE observers deployed in the region,” the spokesman added.
On Tuesday, Pengaton spokesman John Kirby said Russia had amassed 10,000 troops on the border with Ukraine.
Shortly after, NATO Deputy Secretary General Alexander Vershbow said 20,000 servicemen were already there. On Wednesday, NATO spokeswoman Oana Lungescu made the same statement and added that NATO is concerned that Russia could send troops into eastern Ukraine under the “pretext” of a humanitarian or peacekeeping mission.
The West has repeatedly accused Russia of building up forces on its border with eastern Ukraine and supplying independence supporters with weapons, a claim Moscow has rejected.
On July 27 the Russian Defense Ministry said in the past four months 18 international inspection teams have visited the areas in Russia bordering Ukraine under the Vienna Document of 2011 and the Treaty on Open Skies and found “no violations or undeclared military activity.” Russian President Vladimir Putin said that before accusing Moscow real evidence must be shown.
