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Putin threatens to send troops to Riga, Vilnius, Tallinn, Warsaw and Bucharest. EU refuses to comment
Russia could send its troops to Riga, Vilnius, Tallinn, Warsaw and Bucharest in two days, the Russian president Vladimir Putin seems to have told his Ukrainian counterpart Petro Poroshenko, according to the German daily “Sueddeutsche Zeitung”.The European Commission refused on Thursday to comment the press news about president Putin’s declarations which had in view European states, Romania included, AFP writes.
According to the German daily, Putin seems to have threatened, in a conversation with his Ukrainian counterpart, Petro Poroshenko, that he could send troops to Poland, Romania and the Baltic states.
“If I want, Russian troops could reach in two days not only Kiev, but Riga, Vilnius, Tallinn, Warsaw and Bucharest”, Putin seems to have said. The Herman daily does not mention the date of those statements.
Poroshenko informed the president of the European Commission, Jose Manuel Barroso about the threats, during his visit to Kiev on September 12, the publication shows, quoting a document of the EU diplomatic service.
According to the German daily, Putin would have warned Poroshenko not to count too much on EU and said he could use his influence with many member states to obtain “a blocking minority” against decisions unfavorable to Moscow.Previously, the Russian president had boasted in a phone talk with the CE president that he could conquer Kiev in two weeks.
In an article published on September 1 by the Italian daily La Republica, Jose Manuel Barroso said that Putin did not want to answer his questions about the presence of Russian soldiers in Ukraine and threatened: “If I want I’ll have Kiev in two weeks.”
The Kremlin reacted then denouncing the leak of information in the press and declared ready to make public the recording of the conversation between Putin and Barroso “to eliminate any misunderstanding”.
According to the information published in Thursday by Sueddeutsche Zeitung, the European Commission declared it did not intend to “take diplomacy to the press” or “comment on excerpts from confidential talks.” “What matters to EU is to contribute to a durable peace, prosperity and stability in Ukraine,” spokesperson Pia Ahrenkilde Hansen added.
President Poroshenko had several talks with Putin in the last weeks to negotiate the ceasefire in Eastern Ukraine and his peace plan to put an end to the conflict.