NEW YORK CITY. April 14 (Interfax) - A military operation of the Ukrainian authorities in southeastern regions will escalate the conflict, Russian Permanent Representative to the United Nations Vitaly Churkin said.
"Our general idea is to take energetic steps towards averting reckless moves of the Ukrainian authorities. These moves may have tragic consequences for Ukraine," Churkin told reporters in New York City while the UN Security Council was discussing Ukraine.
"If they do that, it would be a step towards escalation of the conflict," he answered a question about consequences of an operation of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in southeastern Ukraine.
"People who took the power [in Kyiv] after the February 21 revolt are capable of preventing further escalation of the conflict," Churkin said.
Earlier on Monday, Churkin dismissed as concoctions the allegations that Russia had amassed significant military forces on the border of Ukraine.
"It is time to stop spreading concoctions that we have amassed military armadas on the border with this country and that they are just about to reach the English Channel within several hours, that we have sent swarms of agents who are coordinating the actions of Ukrainian protesters," he said at a UN Security Council meeting.