Vladimir Putin has said that a war between Russia and Ukraine is “unlikely”, despite the rising tensions between the two countries over the crisis in eastern Ukraine.
In an interview on state television, the Russian president said that he supported the terms of the Minsk agreement to stabilise the situation in eastern Ukraine and that the “apocalyptic scenario” of a full-scale war between the two neighbouring countries “is unlikely and I hope this will never happen”.
He continued:
“No-one wants conflict on the edge of Europe, especially armed conflict.”
Russia has been accused of supporting the pro-Russia rebels in eastern Ukraine, supplying them heavy weapons and military personnel. Putin denies these claims, despite video and picture evidence of Russian military equipment being used by rebel forces within Ukrainian territory.
