Interfax: Poroshenko statement on Russian troops in Ukraine is unfounded – Kremlin spokesman

Dmitry Peskov file photo adapted from image at kremlin.ru/wikimedia commons

MOSCOW. May 14 (Interfax) – The Kremlin sees Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko’s statement on the presence of 11,000 Russian troops in Ukrainian territory as unfounded and not conducive to any positive developments.

“I don’t see fit to repeat such unfounded accusations, without any concrete information and proof, which are not conducive to anything positive, to put it mildly,” Russian presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov told journalists on Thursday.

Poroshenko claimed on Wednesday that over 10,000 Russian servicemen were present on Ukrainian territory.

“About 11,000 Russian servicemen are on our territory today,” Poroshenko said in an interview with the German TV channel ZDF.

The Minsk agreements envision a ceasefire, the withdrawal of heavy weapons, the removal of all Russian forces from Ukrainian territory, and the establishment of control over the borders under the OSCE’s monitoring, Poroshenko said. However, “Russian troops are still staying on Ukrainian territory,” he said.

The Russian leadership has repeatedly denied the presence of Russian troops on Ukrainian territory. In particular, Russian President Vladimir Putin said during a Q&A session on April 16 that there were no Russian troops in Ukraine

 

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