KIEV, February 14. /TASS/. Ukrainian Defense Minister Alexey Reznikov said on Monday that there are no grounds to impose martial law in the country.
"I am sure that there are absolutely no grounds for imposing this special legal regime," he said in an interview with Ukraine’s ICTV when asked whether it is planned to impose martial law.
"It should not be done only to regulate or control the media atmosphere and space," he said. "I am absolutely sure that we will overcome this crisis. Indeed, it has mostly an information nature. But martial law is imposed in case of real aggression, invasion. I hope this will not happen and everything will be all right."
At a briefing with visiting German Chancellor Olaf Scholz on Monday, Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky said that his family is staying in Kiev. He described the relocation of diplomats of a number of countries from Kiev to the west of the country as a "big mistake."
The West and Kiev have recently been echoing allegations about Russia’s potential invasion of Ukraine. Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov castigated these claims as "empty and unfounded", serving as a ploy to escalate tensions, pointing out that Russia did not pose any threat whatsoever to anyone. However, Peskov did not rule out the possibility of provocations aimed at justifying such claims and warned that attempts to use military force to resolve the crisis in southeastern Ukraine would have serious consequences.