WASHINGTON, August 6 (RIA Novosti) - The United States sees Russia’s drills as a provocation no matter where they are held, State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki said late Tuesday.
“Obviously the conditions and the circumstances that any of these exercises are taking place in are a relevant factor, and that when we’re in a situation where we’re trying to reach a ceasefire where the Russians say they want to reach that, these sort of exercises send a different message,” Psaki said at the press briefing.
Russia is holding air forces exercises at Ashuluk from August 4 to 8. According to the country's foreign ministry, the drills are conducted in accordance with the training plan for 2014 which was approved last year. Ashuluk is located in hundreds of miles from the Ukrainian border.
Answering a direct question about the military excercise whereabouts, Psaki said Tuesday that the US was concerned about the drills and considered them as a provocation despite the distance from Ukraine.
On Monday, Psaki said that Washington was “deeply concerned by Russia’s plans to conduct large scale aviation exercises this week near border of Ukraine. Exercises of this kind are provocative and only serve to escalate tensions."
Tin response to the American concerns, the Russian Defense Ministry said Jen Psaki should check geographical facts before raising concerns over the Russian Air Forces exercises, allegedly taking place near Ukraine.
“The Defense Ministry is riveted by Ms. Psaki’s statements … and expresses its concern over her lack of basic knowledge in geography,” a Defense Ministry representative said.
The representative reminded that Ashuluk military range, where the exercises are taking place, is situated hundreds of miles away from the Russian-Ukrainian border.
“That is why when preparing such statements, before making a fuss about it in the media, it might be useful to look up information not only on social networks, but in official sources as well, for example, the Defense Ministry’s website and a map,” the representative added.
