Russia discusses “uncontrollable escalation” in Ukraine with France, Turkey

After a flurry of calls with Washington, the Russian defence minister discussed with French and Turkish counterparts the “uncontrollable escalation” of the Ukraine situation in Sunday phone calls.

“The situation in Ukraine, which has a steady tendency towards further, uncontrolled escalation, was discussed,” by Russia’s Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu and France’s Sebastien Lecornu, the Moscow-based ministry said.

The French Defence Ministry confirmed the meeting without further details.

The phone call came after Shoigu and his American counterpart Lloyd Austin spoke twice in three days, on Friday and Sunday, the first phone calls since the start of the Ukraine war in February. They discussed international security, particularly the Ukraine situation, the Russian Defence Ministry announced in a statement on Friday.

Shoigu also spoke with UK Defence Secretary Ben Wallace and in all calls, conveyed “concerns about possible provocations by Ukraine with the use of a ‘dirty bomb’”.

The announcements come as pro-Russian authorities in Kherson have been calling for the evacuation of civilians for several days, saying that Ukrainian forces are closing in on the town, which was the first major capture by the Russian army at the start of the invasion on 24 February.

The Ukrainian advances are part of a wider counter-offensive denounced by Moscow, which says it has seen a “considerable increase” in Ukrainian fire on several Russian border regions.

Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymr Zelenskyy reacted to Russia’s claims.

“If Russia calls and says that Ukraine is allegedly preparing something, it means one thing: Russia has already prepared all this. I believe that now the world should react as harshly as possible,” Zelenskyy said.

(Charles Szumski | EURACTIV.com)