"Russia is not planning any attack on anybody," Russia's veteran EU ambassador, Vladimir Chizhov, has pledged.
"I can confirm to you that no Russian troops are in a position preparing to enter Ukraine," he told EUobserver in Brussels this week.
"Why should Europe be so concerned about non-existent plans and given certain troop movements within Russia's own territory?," he added.
Asked if a flare up in ongoing fighting in Donbas in east Ukraine could be a 'casus belli' for...
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Andrew Rettman is EUobserver's foreign editor, writing about foreign and security issues since 2005. He is Polish, but grew up in the UK, and lives in Brussels. He has also written for The Guardian, The Times of London, and Intelligence Online.