Russian troops in Ukraine ‘an act of aggression’

The EU is preparing the “next level of sanctions” against Russia as Ukraine rails against the presence of Russian troops on its soil.

But European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso said he did not want “a new cold war” that would be detrimental to all of Europe.

Direct military aggression against eastern Ukraine is continuing Kiev’s defence and security council

Ukraine President Petro Poroshenko said in a tweet that the presence of Russian troops in his country was an “act of aggression”, saying Russia now has thousands of troops and hundreds of tanks in his country.

Invasion of Russian troops in Ukraine is an act of aggression and requires an adequate reaction from the EU pic.twitter.com/T2wNAk36QJ

— Ð?еÑ?Ñ?о Ð?оÑ?оÑ?енко (@poroshenko) August 30, 2014

Lithuanian President Dalia Grybauskaite said Russia is at war with Ukraine and so effectively at war with Europe, calleing on Europe to supply Kiev with military equipment.

“It is the fact that Russia is in a war state against Ukraine,” she told reporters. “That means it is in a state of war against a country which would like to be closely integrated with the EU. Practically Russia is in a state of war against Europe.”

The defiant words from Lithuania and Mr Poroshenko follow the release of satellite images from Nato, which it says shows over 1,000 Russian combat soldiers operating inside Ukraine armed with sophisticated weaponry.

Agression against Ukraine won’t continue. We are too close to reaching peace. pic.twitter.com/QlPQ6mjLDQ

— Ð?еÑ?Ñ?о Ð?оÑ?оÑ?енко (@poroshenko) August 30, 2014

Ukraine’s military said on Saturday that Russian tanks had been used to “destroy virtually every house” in one small town east of the border city of Luhansk, and that its military had been pulled out under pressure from Russia-backed rebels.

“Direct military aggression against eastern Ukraine is continuing,” Kiev’s defence and security council said in a separate Twitter post.

European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso warned Russia on Saturday that the EU was ready to defend its principles in the confrontation over Ukraine, and called for a political solution before the crisis reached a “point of no-return”.

“Russia should not underestimate the European Union’s will and resolve to stand by its principles and values,” Barroso told a joint news conference in Brussels with Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko.

‘Strong measures’

Mr Barroso said the EU was prepared to toughen sanctions against Russia over the Ukraine crisis but that it wanted a political deal to end the confrontation.

“We are ready to take very strong and clear measures but we are keeping our doors open to a political solution,” he added.

He added the EU did not want confrontation, saying “it makes no sense to have … a new Cold War” and that it would be “detrimental to all of Europe”.

Russia’s defence ministry denied Nato’s claims that Russian troops were operating inside Ukraine, saying the reports “bear no relation to reality”.

But Nato said the photographs showed a “blatant attempt” by Russia to “change the momentum of the fighting” in Ukraine in favour of separatist rebels.

“Over the past two weeks we have noted a significant escalation in both the level and sophistication of Russia’s military interference in Ukraine,” said Brigadier General Tak of Nato’s Comprehensive Crisis and Operations Management Centre on Thursday.

“The satellite images released today provide additional evidence that Russian combat soldiers, equipped with sophisticated heavy weaponry, are operating inside Ukraine’s sovereign territory.

“We have also detected large quantities of advanced weapons, including air defence systems, artillery, tanks, and armoured personnel carriers being transferred to separatist forces in eastern Ukraine.

He added: “Russia is reinforcing and resupplying separatist forces in a blatant attempt to change the momentum of the fighting, which is currently favouring the Ukrainian military.”