MINSK, February 16. /TASS/: The situation around Ukraine is being artificially inflamed by those who do not want Russia to play a decisive role in ensuring security in the world, Belarusian Foreign Minister Vladimir Makey said at a press conference on Wednesday.
"Russia has recently seized the initiative in terms of ensuring regional and international security. <...> I think that everything that is happening now around Ukraine is created artificially and deliberately by forces that do not want Russia to play a decisive and important role in ensuring security in the region and in the world in general," he said.
The West and Kiev have recently been echoing allegations about Russia’s potential invasion of Ukraine. Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov castigated these claims as "empty and unfounded", serving as a ploy to escalate tensions, pointing out that Russia did not pose any threat whatsoever to anyone. However, Peskov did not rule out the possibility of provocations aimed at justifying such claims and warned that attempts to use military force to resolve the crisis in southeastern Ukraine would have serious consequences.
