KYIV, Ukraine. —Russia has not assembled sufficient forces to launch a full-scale invasion of Ukraine imminently, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said Wednesday.
Kuleba told reporters in Kyiv that Russian troops could attack Ukraine at any time, as had been the case since 2014, but currently would not be able to mount a full offensive.
“The number of Russian troops amassed along the border of Ukraine and in occupied territories is large, it poses a threat — a direct threat to Ukraine,” said Kuleba.
“However, as we speak this number is insufficient for a full-scale offensive along the entire Ukrainian border. They also lack some important military indicators and systems to conduct such a large full-scale offensive,” he added. “We can say 100 times a day invasion is imminent, but this doesn’t change the situation on the ground.”
Kuleba told reporters that a military invasion is not the only threat to Ukraine.
“We see a scenario of destabilization of Ukraine and that scenario is imminent, it’s already taking place — by spreading panic, by putting pressure on Ukraine’s financial system, by conducting cyber-attacks against Ukraine,” he said.
“I am certain President Putin would be happy to see this plan succeed so he doesn’t even have to resort to military force to put Ukraine in an extremely vulnerable position.”
He added: “Priority number one today is to keep things under control, to be realistic in the assessment of immediate threat while not diminishing the threat of potential military invasion.”
Earlier Wednesday, Sergiy Korsunsky, Ukraine’s Ambassador to Japan, said he does not expect all-out war with Russia.
“I am optimistic. I believe that full scale war is very, very, very difficult to expect but we may see more localized conflict, unfortunately,” Korsunsky said during a speech in Tokyo about Ukraine-Japan relations.
“But if it comes to military terms, let me tell you, we are very much ready. Our army is very well prepared. And you have a population which is very well motivated,” Korsunsky said.
“It is an absolute nonsense to think, as some Russian analysts say, that once we see the approaching of Russian forces, there will be uprising, there will be change in the government. No way,” he added.
A source close to the Ukrainian leadership told CNN on Tuesday that the latest military intelligence suggests Russian forces are not yet prepared to stage an imminent invasion into the country.
