US Wants Russia to Explain 'Military Buildup' Near Ukraine’s Border

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) - The US wants Moscow to give more information and explain the buildup of military forces near the Russian border with Ukraine, Pentagon spokesperson John Kirby said on Wednesday.

"[The buildup] is unusual in its size and scope […] We are certainly doing what we can to better come to grips with it and to understand it", Kirby told a press briefing. "We urge Russia to be transparent with the international community about what this means, what they’re doing […] We certainly want to better understand it. That understanding would be exponentially assisted by more transparency coming out of Moscow".

Kirby added that he would like to see officials in Moscow answer questions from the media about the buildup honestly and transparently.

Moscow has previously denounced claims of a Russian military build-up at the border with Ukraine, which were based on reports by several American media outlets, namely Politico, The Washington Post, and Foreign Policy. The Russian Foreign Ministry called the publications a part of a fake news campaign against Russia.

Neither John Kirby nor other US officials have so far confirmed the reports about the alleged deployment of Russian forces closer to the border with Ukraine. In the past, Moscow has moved parts of its forces westward, when clashes erupted between Kiev's military and the forces of the self-declared People's Republics in Ukraine's east. The Kremlin stressed that it has the right to deploy its forces to defend its territory in case the conflict spills over the border and defended the right to move its forces, like any other sovereign nation.