Russia still desires to occupy Ukraine – Ukrainian defense minister

11:49, 21.05.2016 1 min read

Ukrainian Defense Minister Stepan Poltorak has said that the Russian Federation has still a desire to occupy Ukraine.

"We clearly see that the Russian Federation is strengthening its military groups on the border with Ukraine. They seek to additionally deploy its troops on the border with Ukraine. This is evidence that the Russian Federation has not abandoned its desire to occupy Ukraine, Poltorak told reporters in Kyiv on Saturday.

The minister said that everyone who lives in Ukraine must not forget about a threat that has not disappeared.

"[The threat] still exists. I think that it will exist… We can influence this by no means: the actions of Russia and statements of the Russian defense minister. However, we can jointly make correct decision and plan our work to be ready to the contingency actions. The Defense Ministry and the General Staff are working seriously to be able to respond to intimidation," Poltorak said.