Moscow points the finger at Kyiv for fighting:
Russia has accused Kyiv of aggravating tensions in eastern Ukraine following the biggest upsurge of fighting between Ukrainian government troops and pro-Russian separatists in months.
"The Ukrainian side has taken steps to aggravate tensions many times in the past in the run-up to some major international events," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told journalists on June 4. "We are seriously concerned now over the most recent manifestation of such activity."
Leaders of the Group of Seven (G7) major economies are meeting in Germany on June 7–8 and a European Union summit is scheduled for later this month.
Meanwhile, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said the Minsk peace agreement faced a "constant threat" from the Ukrainian side.
He said the Kyiv authorities were "trying to avoid fulfilling their obligations" to establish direct dialogue with the rebels.
The Minsk deal has served as the basis for a shaky cease-fire since February. (Reuters, AFP, TASS, Interfax)
More on Poroshenko's warning:
President Petro Poroshenko has warned that there is what he called a “colossal threat” of resumption of “large-scale” fighting in eastern Ukraine.
In his annual address to parliament on June 4, Poroshenko also said that Ukraine’s military must be ready to defend the country against "a full-scale invasion along the whole length of the border with Russia."
He added that more than 9,000 Russian soldiers were currently in Ukraine.
Kyiv and the West accuse Russia of backing pro-Russian separatists in eastern Ukraine, which Moscow denies. (AFP, Reuters, Interfax)
President Petro Poroshenko has warned that there is a "colossal threat" of renewed, large-scale military operations in eastern Ukraine. (Interfax, Reuters)