MUNICH, February 20. /TASS/. The war in Ukraine may entail "devastating consequences," US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said.
"There is no doubt that a war would have terrible and devastating consequences, first and foremost for those immediately involved, innocent Ukrainians. It would have consequences, of course, for Russia, including the very severe consequences that would be imposed by many countries," the US top diplomat said.
He went on to say that a military conflict would become a "profound challenge" for the international community, adding that the current escalation should be "of concern for all countries around the world."
The West and Kiev have 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.
The situation along the contact line in eastern Ukraine took a turn for the worse in the morning of February 17. The DPR and LPR reported some of the most intensive shelling by Kiev forces in recent months. The shelling damaged some civilian facilities. On Friday, the leaders of the Lugansk and Donetsk People’s Republics (LPR and DPR), Leonid Pasechnik and Denis Pushilin, announced the evacuation of the republics’ inhabitants to Russia, citing the increasing threat of hostilities. All-out mobilization was announced in the republics on Saturday.