German Defense Minister Claims Russia Attempting To Provoke On Ukraine Border

BERLIN (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 14th April, 2021) German Defense Minister Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer said on Wednesday that Russia was allegedly trying to stage a provocation on the border with Ukraine.

"The Russian side is making every effort to provoke a reaction, and we, together with Ukraine, do not want to participate in this game," Kramp-Karrenbauer said on air with the German ARD broadcaster.

The minister expressed hope that there would be no further escalation.

On Monday, the G7 foreign ministers and EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs, Josep Borrell, expressed concerns over the Russian armed forces' movement on the border with Ukraine and in Crimea, and called for de-escalation.

Moscow, in turn, has described the situation on the border with Ukraine as "frightening", and vowed to bolster security in response to an increased NATO presence. Despite the Minsk peace agreements, ceasefire violations continue in southeastern Ukraine. According to UN data, about 13,000 people have fallen in the Donbas conflict since its inception in 2014. On April 2, a four-year-old boy was killed in what locals said was an attack by a Ukrainian drone.

The Russian Investigative Committee has opened multiple criminal cases against the Ukrainian security forces over the shelling of Donbas in recent days.