Russia: Increased Western militarization of Ukraine undermines peace efforts

MOSCOW, Jan 8 (KUNA) -- Russia's Foreign Ministry warned on Thursday that Western countries' plans to further militarize Ukraine are "far removed from a peaceful settlement" and represent a dangerous escalation threatening the security of Russia and other European states, stressing that any Western military presence on Ukrainian territory would be considered a "legitimate target for Russian forces." Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said in a press statement that the deployment of Western military units, facilities or military infrastructure in Ukraine would be classified as direct foreign intervention, emphasizing that such warnings "have been repeatedly expressed at the highest levels and remain in force." Zakharova added that Moscow believes a peaceful resolution to the Ukrainian conflict can only be achieved by addressing what it described as the "root causes of the crisis," foremost among them Ukraine's return to a neutral and non-aligned status, demilitarization, ensuring human rights and linguistic, cultural and religious freedoms, in addition to recognizing what she termed the "existing regional realities." The Russian remarks came following the "Coalition of the Willing" summit held in Paris on January 6, with the participation of several European leaders alongside US envoys and a Ukrainian delegation headed by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, during which the possible deployment of Western forces in Ukraine in the event of a peace agreement was discussed.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer had announced that the coalition adopted a declaration calling for the establishment of military bases and equipment depots across Ukraine to support its armed forces in the event of a ceasefire, a move strongly opposed by Russia, which considers any presence of NATO forces on Ukrainian territory "unacceptable." On the other hand, the Russian Foreign Ministry expressed deep concern over what it described as an "illegal US military action" against the oil tanker Marinera, considering the boarding and seizure operation a blatant violation of international maritime law principles.
Moscow called on the US to immediately cease any unlawful actions against the tanker and other vessels operating legally on the high seas, demanding the humane treatment of Russian citizens working aboard the ship and the facilitation of their return home.
The Russian Foreign Ministry stressed that these steps reflect, in its words, Washington's readiness to provoke serious international crises, expressing regret over their potential repercussions on global stability. (end) dan.aa