Vladimir Putin held a meeting of the Security Council in the Kremlin. During the meeting, he said that Ukraine’s accession to NATO would mean that “threats for Russia will increase many times over.”
The Kremlin Security Council discussed, in particular, the appeal of the leaders of the so-called Donetsk and Lugansk people’s republics to recognize their independence. Putin said that this issue “will be considered.”
Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu accused Ukraine of intensifying shelling of the territories of both republics, as a result of which some of their residents will lose water and gas supplies. According to Shoigu, the Ukrainian army has concentrated significant forces near the borders of the self-proclaimed republics.
150 thousand soldiers near the border with Ukraine
Meanwhile, the United States and Western allies estimate that Russia has deployed more than 150,000 troops near the border with Ukraine in recent weeks.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov announced that he will meet with US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken in Geneva on Thursday. The talks will focus on the situation around Ukraine and fears of a Russian invasion of this country. After the meeting of the Security Council in the Kremlin, Lavrov also said that “there is some progress in negotiations with the West,” but did not provide details.