EU’s Borrell overstated number of Russian troops on Ukraine's border
The office of the EU's foreign policy chief Josep Borrell has corrected the number of Russian troops deployed to Ukraine's border and Crimea to 100,000 after the top diplomat put the figure at more than 150,000.
Speaking at a news conference after a virtual meeting of the EU foreign ministers on Monday, Borrell originally said that over 150,000 Russian troops had amassed on Ukraine's border and in Crimea, described it as the highest ever, but he declined to reveal the source of that figure.
Borrell’s office later corrected the number to more than 100,000 troops, without providing a reason for the change.
Borrell also said that the EU does not plan to slap new economic sanctions on Russia for the time being.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba, who addressed the EU foreign ministers on Monday, called for sanctions on Russia.
The US Department of Defense also said the Russian military build-up was larger than what is was back in 2014.
"It is certainly bigger than the one in 2014," Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said, but declined to give a specific number.
He added that it was not clear that the military build-up was for training purposes.
Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov has stressed that the Russian forces’ movement across Russia should not concern other states since this did not pose any threat to them.
Washington has also voiced its "deep concern" over Russia's plans to block foreign naval ships and other vessels in some parts of the Black Sea.
"This represents yet another unprovoked escalation in Moscow’s ongoing campaign to undermine and destabilize Ukraine," State Department spokesman Ned Price said in a statement.
Russia has temporarily restricted the movement of foreign naval ships and other state vessels in some parts of the Black Sea near the Crimean Peninsula.
Moscow has repeatedly questioned the goal of US warships’ navigating the Black Sea.
The US Federal Aviation Administration on Monday called on airlines to exercise "extreme caution" when flying near the Ukraine-Russian border, citing potential flight safety risks.
The caution comes as tensions between Moscow and Kyiv have been rising amid clashes in eastern Ukraine between the army troops and pro-Russian fighters.
Russia has denied any involvement in the conflict.
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