Amid war-like situation, Ukraine asks Russia to pull back troops: 'Diplomacy is the only responsible way'
Ukraine
Kyiv has urged Russia to pull back its troops from Ukraine's border and must continue diplomatic engagement with the West if Moscow is serious when it says it doesn't want a new war.
Moscow has deployed tens of thousands of troops, weapons, tanks, ammunition on the border of Ukraine, causing fears of invasion and resulting Russia-West relations at the lowest point since the Cold War.
However, pushing forward the efforts to de-escalate the heightened tensions between the two countries, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba re-affirmed the continuation of diplomatic engagement between Russia and the West countries.
Kuleba tweeted: "If Russian officials are serious when they say they don't want a new war, Russia must continue diplomatic engagement and pull back military forces it amassed along Ukraine's borders and in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine." "Diplomacy is the only responsible way," he said.
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Moscow has denied fears for an invasion and said it does not want war but is seeking security guarantees from Washington and NATO to curb the eastwards expansion of the alliance.
These include a guarantee that NATO will not admit new members, in particular Ukraine, and the United States will not establish new military bases in ex-Soviet countries.
On one side Ukraine is advocating for diplomatic ways to diffuse the situation, on the other hand, Kyiv is also urging the West to remain "vigilant and firm" in its talks with Russia.
On Saturday, in a phone conversation with French counterpart Yves Le Drian, Kuleba weighed in on de-escalation efforts. Kuleba urged the West to remain "vigilant and firm in contacts with the Russian side"
As per the statement, the talks between the two highlighted the need to "refrain from steps that could fuel anxiety" in Ukrainian society. Also, the need to "undermine the financial stability".
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