Great Britain and Austria on Tuesday summoned the Russian ambassador for talks, after Kremlin sends troops to two rebel regions backed by Moscow of Ukraine.
“This morning the stranger office summoned the Russian ambassador,” British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said. official spokesman told reporters, after the prime minister said that London “hit Russia very hard” with targeted penalties.
Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer said that son country had summoned the Russian ambassador to protest Moscow’s breach of Ukrainian sovereignty.
Nehammer said Austria supports the European Union’s approach of impose penalties against Russia step by stepen starting with a formal decision Tuesday afternoon by the bloc’s foreign ministers.
“There is a variety of punishments options that now need use in a target way because we have to assume that we haven’t reached the top yet of escalation,” he told reporters. in Vienna.
Nehammer also assured the Austrians that even if Russia were to immediately stop supplying natural gas, “the energy supply is secure”.
Authorities in Vienna are also to walk up monitoring of potential cyber threats against Austria government establishments. The country’s foreign ministry has been targeted in a cyberattack two years ago that was attributed to Russia.
Russia affirmed its recognition of independence for areas in eastern Ukraine extends over the territory currently held by Ukrainian forces. Tuesday’s statement further raises the stakes amid Western fears that Moscow could follow up on Monday Recognition of rebel regions with a full- full-fledged invasion of Ukraine.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that Russia has recognized the independence of the rebel regions “in borders that existed when they proclaimed “their independence in 2014.
Ukrainian forces then regained control of A large part of the two regions during nearly eightyear conflict that has killed over 14,000 people.
