Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said Wednesday that the threat of a direct intervention by Russia's military in Ukraine has risen over the last couple of days.
"We have reasons to suspect — we have been receiving such information in the last several hours — that the risk of a direct intervention [by Russia's military in Ukraine] is for sure higher than it was several days ago," Tusk told a news conference.
Russia has been conducting exercises near the border with Ukraine, raising concerns on the ground and in a number of Western capitals.
Moscow has also called an emergency meeting of the United Nations' Security Council over what it described as a "humanitarian situation" in Ukraine.
"If [it] were to come to a direct intervention of Russian forces in Ukraine than this would obviously be a qualitatively new situation and in my opinion nobody has a good, unequivocal answer today how the Western community should react to that," Tusk said.
Tusk also said sanctions imposed by the European Union on Russia would be costly for Europe's economy, but a lack of reaction to Russia's actions during the Ukraine crisis would have the most "catastrophic" consequences.
On Tuesday, Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered his government to prepare retaliatory measures against the latest round of Western sanctions.
See also:
A Message from The Moscow Times:
Dear readers,
We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."
These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.
We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.
Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.
By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.
Remind me later.
