Kiev: Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky said Friday that Russia was sending “very dangerous” signals with troop movements on the border, warning that his military was ready to push back any offensive.
He also claimed Kiev had uncovered a coup plot involving Russian citizens, but did not give full details.
His warning came as Western governments raise worries over Russian troop movements on Ukraine’s border, with Washington saying it has “real concerns” over the troop build-up.
NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg warned that “if Russia uses force against Ukraine, that will have costs, that will have consequences”.
Zelensky, in a wide-ranging press conference in Kiev, said that “very dangerous rhetoric is coming out of Russia”.
“It is a signal that there could be escalation,” he said.
Zelensky said Ukraine was ready to take on Russia if Moscow decides to move troops across the border.
“There is a threat today that there will be war tomorrow,” he said, adding that Kiev’s “powerful” army was “entirely prepared”, as his forces reported one soldier killed on the frontline with separatists in the east on Friday.
Zelensky called on Russian President Vladimir Putin to deny he was planning an invasion.
