The armed forces of Ukraine are ready to ward off an attack by Russia in case of a conflict escalation, the country’s army leadership stated at the all-Ukraine Forum “Ukraine-30. The Country’s Security” that was kicked off in Kyiv, May 11 to 13. The forum discussed challenges to the national security of Ukraine.

Addressing the forum, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that Russian military escalation had stopped on Ukraine’s border but earlier there was a threat of a full-scale intervention. “Still, no one can guarantee anything. However, we can see today that a probability of the full-scale military escalation has lessened over the last month. What will happen next? Well, let’s hope that there definitely won’t be the all-out war”, said the President.

For his part, Defense Minister Andriy Taran stressed that Russia is slow and unwilling to withdraw its troops from the border of Ukraine. “According to regular intelligence service reports which I get, Russia does not hurry to keep its promises regarding the pull-out of troops from our border. In fact, Russia does it too slowly despite its assurances to finish the withdrawal by the end of May”, the minister said.

In fact, only four thousand servicemen have been withdrawn, Andriy Taran informed the forum. “As a matter of fact, Russian military equipment still remains on our northern border with the Russian Federation. Only troops are being pulled out. And we know that it is much more important to withdraw military hardware before redeploying troops. If weapons and other equipment remain, to return troops makes no difficulty”, added Taran.

It is quite obvious that the support of international community has forced the country-aggressor to stop saber-rattling. However, the presence of its military force near Ukrainian borders creates a highly dangerous situation.

At the forum, Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said, “During the last month, we could see how the instrument of deterrence works in practice. I’d like to thank our partners that they have heard us and made their weighty contribution toward making Russia stop saber-rattling so loudly”.

Kuleba believes that it’s the only positive change so far because “the Russian Federation is still present on our border and in the occupied territories”. The minister does not rule out a possibility that the country-aggressor may resume hostilities any time.

In the words of Security Service Chairman Ivan Bakanov, at least 100 thousand men of the assault force of the armed forces of the Russian Federation are concentrated along the border with Ukraine and in the illegally-annexed Crimea. So, the threat of the invasion still remains, Bakanov stressed.

Besides, Bakanov noted, the present-day Russian Federation is virtually an entire secret intelligent service in the territory of which seven thousand special agents work against Ukraine. All of them are engaged in intelligence and subversive activities.

According to Bakanov, the subversive work of Russians is not limited to the military and material support of the armed conflict in eastern Ukraine. It is also the systemic counteraction aimed at preventing the strengthening of Ukrainian national security. To this end, agent networks are created, international aid is disrupted, civilian protests are instigated and disinformation is spread.

In this regard, the Medvedchuk case is indicative. Medvedchuk is a deputy of the Verkhovna Rada, the leader of the pro-Russian movement “Ukrainian Choice” and an ally of the Russian President. Soon, he and his accomplices will face trial proceedings, as Ukrainian laws demand. On May 11, the Prosecutor’s Office of Ukraine submitted him a note of suspicion of state treason and attempts to pillage natural resources. The note of suspicion covers three episodes: the illegal transfer of a gas deposit in Crimea to the Russian Federation; the transfer to the Russian special services of Ukrainian state secrets; subversive activities against Ukraine, particularly the recruiting of Ukrainians to spread Russian propaganda.

On May 13, the Pechersk District Court made a decision of sending Medvedchuk under the 24-hour home arrest. The suspect is forbidden to leave the place of residence until July 9 inclusive. He must hand his passport to law enforcement agencies and be on call, wearing an electronic bracelet.

In commenting on the ruling of the Pechersk District Court, Mykhailo Podolyak, an adviser to the chief of the presidential office, said, “The current authorities have enough political will to make sure that the law supremacy principle really works in Ukraine and that all citizens are equal before the law”.

The newspaper Voice of Ukraine