Ukraine Is Being Accused Of Mobilizing Artillery, Russia: Peaceful Settlement Negotiations Deadlocked

Ukrainian military illustration. (Wikimedia Commons/president gov ua)

JAKARTA - Russia accused Ukraine on Thursday of moving heavy artillery to the front lines of fighting with pro-Russian separatists, failing to engage in the peace process, in a new escalation of hostile rhetoric against Kyiv.

Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova's remarks gave no sign Moscow was willing to dampen its scathing criticism of Ukraine, despite two hours of talks this week between Russian President Vladimir Putin and his US counterpart Joe Biden.

"Negotiations for a peace settlement are practically deadlocked," Zakharova told reporters, referring to the seven-year conflict between Ukrainian forces and separatists in the eastern Donbass region.

Quoting Zakharova, the ministry's Twitter feed said, "With the support of NATO countries pumping the country with weapons, Kyiv is building its contingent on the contact line in Donbass."

He said Ukraine was simply "copying" the process of fulfilling its obligations under the 2014 and 2015 Minsk agreements designed to end the conflict.

There was no immediate response from the Ukrainian side. Kyiv has denied allegations Russia plans to retake territory by force and President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said this week he hoped to reach a new ceasefire agreement.

Meanwhile, Tuesday's US-Russia phone call was dominated by tensions over Ukraine, with President Biden voicing concerns about Russia's military build-up near the border. Telling President Putin Moscow would face serious economic consequences if it invaded.

President Putin said talk of an invasion was "provocative" and accused Ukraine and NATO of fanning tensions.

Earlier, the head of the Russian Armed Forces, Valery Gerasimov, was quoted by Russian news agencies as telling foreign military attaches that the situation in eastern Ukraine was improving and Kyiv was to blame.

"The delivery of helicopters, unmanned aerial vehicles, and aircraft to Ukraine prompted the Ukrainian authorities to take sharp and dangerous steps," he said.

"Any provocation of the Ukrainian authorities through the forced settlement of the Donbass issue will be suppressed," Gerasimov stressed.