“We are at home”: Zakharova on troop concentration near Ukraine’s border

Maria Zakharova, the official representative of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russia, commented on the information regarding the concentration of Russian troops near the Ukrainian border, stating, “Where they should be, they are; we are at home.”

“You don’t need to be informed about how many soldiers we have, where our Armed Forces are situated, and where they are heading. They are where they need to be; they are at home,” she said during an appearance on First Channel, responding to a question from a Western journalist.

The relationship between Russia and Western countries has deteriorated due to the ongoing situation in Ukraine and Crimea (which became part of Russia following a referendum in 2014). The West has imposed sanctions on Russia, accusing it of meddling, while Moscow has taken retaliatory measures, aiming to substitute imports and has stated that it is ineffective to communicate in the language of sanctions.

Russia has also asserted that it is not a party in the conflict in Ukraine and is not a subject of the Minsk agreements regarding the resolution of the situation.

Meanwhile, Kyiv and Western nations have recently expressed concern over the alleged increase in Russia’s “aggressive actions” near Ukraine's borders. Moscow has repeatedly denied such accusations, stating that it poses no threat to anyone and has no intention of attacking anyone, and that declarations about “Russian aggression” are being used as a pretext for deploying more NATO military equipment near Russian borders.

Earlier, the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs noted that Western statements regarding “Russian aggression” and the possibility of helping Kyiv in defense are both ridiculous and dangerous.