Top news, the United States is trying to drag Russia into war: Putin

Russia has strongly condemned the US decision to deploy additional troops to Eastern Europe. News AFP. Russia's Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko said the move by the United States would make it harder for the two sides to reach an agreement. Alexander Grushko called the US decision to deploy additional troops to Eastern Europe a "destructive step". Alexander Grushko added that such a move would increase military tensions. Will reduce the chances of making political decisions. Russia has deployed about 100,000 troops on Ukraine's eastern border. Ukraine and Western countries are in tension with Moscow over this. Kiev and Western nations fear Moscow is planning a military intervention in Ukraine. However, Moscow has denied the allegations. At the same time, they are reluctant to withdraw troops from the Ukrainian border. In that context, the United States announced on Wednesday that it would send additional troops to Eastern Europe. According to the US announcement, one thousand US troops already stationed in Germany will go to Romania. Two thousand U.S. troops will travel to Germany and Poland from a U.S. military base in North Carolina. Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said the deployment of additional US troops to Eastern Europe was a reflection of the United States' commitment to the NATO alliance. Ukraine is not a member of NATO. A Pentagon spokesman said no US troops would be sent to the country to fight. After announcing the deployment of additional US troops in Eastern Europe, US President Joe Biden said, "As long as (Russian President Vladimir Putin) is acting aggressively, we will reassure our NATO allies in Eastern Europe that we are on their side." A day before the announcement of sending additional US troops to Eastern Europe over fears of Russian aggression in Ukraine, President Putin accused the United States of trying to send his country into a war. This information was given in the report of BBC online on Wednesday. This is the first time in the last few weeks that the Russian president has made a significant comment on the ongoing crisis in Ukraine. Putin said the United States aims to use the conflict as an excuse to impose more sanctions on Russia. The Russian president also said the United States was ignoring Moscow's concerns about NATO forces in Europe. After talks with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán in Moscow, Putin said, "It seems to me that the United States is not so concerned about Ukraine's security ... its main task is to hold back Russia's development." In that sense, Ukraine is a tool to achieve this goal. Tensions are running high over the deployment of Russian troops near the Ukrainian border. Russia has in recent weeks mobilized about 100,000 troops near the Ukrainian border, equipped with tanks, artillery, ammunition, and warplanes. Westerners, including Kiev, have accused the Kremlin of plotting a military coup in Ukraine. However, the Kremlin has denied the allegations. The Kremlin says it has no plans to launch a military operation in Ukraine. On the contrary, they have expressed concern over security issues, including NATO's expansion policy in Europe. Russia, in particular, has demanded that neighboring Ukraine not be included in the alliance. However, the United States has rejected Russia's claim. Putin said the United States had ignored Russia's demands for security, including a halt to NATO expansion in Eastern Europe. Russia occupied the Crimean Peninsula in Ukraine about eight years ago. At the same time, the country supports the bloody uprising in the eastern Donbass region of Ukraine. According to Moscow, the Ukrainian government has failed to implement the international agreement reached to restore peace in the eastern part of the country. At least 14,000 people have been killed in the conflict in the region. Russia-backed rebels control much of the region. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky warned on Tuesday that Russian aggression would not be a war between Ukraine and Russia, it would be a war in Europe, a full-scale war. UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson is visiting Ukraine as part of a diplomatic effort to prevent a possible Russian aggression. He has accused Ukraine of targeting Putin at gunpoint. He called on the Kremlin to avoid military action. Boris told reporters after talks with President Zelensky in the Ukrainian capital, Kiev, that the Ukrainian army would retaliate if attacked.