In 2021, Russia criticized a massive NATO military exercise called
Defender-Europe 21,[422][423] one of the largest NATO-led military exercises in Europe in decades, which began in
March 2021. It included "nearly simultaneous operations across more than 30 training areas" in central and eastern Europe.[424][425] The representative of Ukraine in the Trilateral Contact Group on Donbas, Alexey Arestovich, said that "A large-scale NATO exercise called Defender Europe 2021 has begun, which means "protect Europe." The scenario is that from the Baltic sea to the Black Sea, we are practicing for, well, let's put it directly, the war with Russia, the scenario of armed confrontation with Russia."[422] On 15 April 2021, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova claimed that in 2021 alone "NATO is planning seven military exercises in Ukraine. The active phase of the Defender Europe 2021 exercise, the most extensive exercise for many years, is to commence near Ukraine soon."[423]
In late March–early April 2021, the Russian military moved large quantities of arms and equipment from western and central Russia, and as far away as Siberia, into occupied Crimea and the Voronezh and Rostov oblasts of Russia.[426] A Janes intelligence specialist identified fourteen Russian military units from the Central Military District that had moved into the vicinity of the Russo-Ukrainian border, and called it the largest unannounced military movement since the 2014 invasion of Crimea.[427]
...
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky spoke to American president Joe Biden and urged NATO members to speed up Ukraine's request for membership.[431][432]
...
In
September 2021, Ukraine conducted military exercises with NATO forces. The Kremlin warned that NATO expanding military infrastructure in Ukraine would cross "red lines" for the Russian President Putin.[446]
In November 2021, the Russian Defense Ministry described the deployment of the U.S. warships to the Black Sea as a "threat to regional security and strategic stability." The ministry said in a statement, "The real goal behind the U.S. activities in the Black Sea region is exploring the theater of operations in case of Kyiv’s attempts to settle the conflict in the southeast by force."[447]
On 13 November, Ukrainian President announced that Russia has again amassed 100,000 troops in the border area.[448] In early November, reports of Russian military buildups prompted U.S. officials to warn the EU that Russia could be planning a potential invasion of Ukraine.[449][450] Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov denied allegations that Russia is preparing for a possible invasion of Ukraine.[451] He accused Ukraine of "planning aggressive actions against Donbass."[452] Peskov urged NATO to stop "concentrating a military fist" near Russia's borders and to stop arming Ukraine with modern weapons.
...
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russo-Ukrainian_War
Connect With Us