Vladimir Chizhov, Russia’s EU ambassador, has told the BBC that his country still believes diplomacy can help de-escalate the crisis over Ukraine. Mr. Chizhov stated that Russia had no intention of invading its neighbor, however, it warned the EU not to provoke Russia into changing its mind. The announcement comes after a series of diplomatic activity that took place earlier this week. Although Russia has denied all allegations that it is preparing to invade Ukraine, experts say that the massive military buildup at the border says otherwise.
On Monday and Tuesday, two days of intense diplomacy led by French President Emmanuel Macron took place. Some believe that a focus on the Minsk agreements, which aimed to end the conflict with Russian-backed separatists in eastern Ukraine, could be used as a abases to diffuse the current crisis and avoid conflict. Some diplomats agree that utilizing the Minsk agreements could be a viable political solution and a route to de-escalation. Talks are expected to be revived on Thursday.
Read More: Russia sees room for diplomacy