LONDON (Reuters) -Some of the territory recognised by Russian President Vladimir Putin is on the other side of the line of control which separates rebel regions of Ukraine from the rest of the country, British defence minister Ben Wallace said on Tuesday.
Putin recognised separatist regions in eastern Ukraine on Monday and ordered the deployment of troops there, deepening Western fears of a major war in Europe by raising the prospect of a full-scale invasion beyond the breakaway areas.
There is a buffer zone separating the two sides, but Wallace suggested the treaties announcing Russia’s recognition of the regions had gone beyond what is called the “line of control” and deeper into Ukraine.
Russia’s foreign ministry said on Tuesday the boundaries of the two regions were a matter to be resolved in the future.
Wallace said: “What we saw through the night was President Putin’s declaration that he is going to recognise the independent states in the Donbass region, worryingly some of that includes territory that is actually on the other side of the line of control.
Western officials said the precise detail was “not absolutely clear” but that it would not be surprising if Russia had “extended to stuff beyond the line of contact and that became another pretext for action”.
(Reporting by Kylie MacLellan and Elizabeth Piper; editing by Guy Faulconbridge)
