MOSCOW, May 6 (RIA Novosti) – Moscow has nothing to hide about military exercises conducted near the Ukrainian border and international inspections have already proven them non-threatening, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Tuesday.
Lavrov said that Russia had explained the situation related to the exercises of its troops near the Ukrainian border thousands of times.
“Our army is on its territory and is exercising the activities that are not prohibited by anyone, that do not violate any legal or moral principles, and that figure in the framework of international agreements,” Lavrov said.
The Russian foreign minister said Moscow has allowed various observer missions to monitor the exercises.
“The locations of these troops and areas of their exercises have been visited by numerous OSCE inspections. Observer planes flew above them under the Open Skies Treaty. Our partners have just requested another inspection. We have nothing to hide,” he said
The statement comes amid accusations that Russia has been building up troops along its border with Ukraine as the standoff between Moscow and Kiev rambles on.
Lavrov said last month Moscow had moved additional troops to the border, adding this was done in response to Kiev boosting its military presence in the region.
NATO earlier accused Russia of deploying approximately 35,000-40,000 troops in the vicinity of the Ukrainian border in preparation for a military intervention in Ukraine, despite Russia’s continued claims there was nothing unusual about its military drills.
