Ukraine admits NATO prepares for war over Crimea

Kiev admitted that Ukraine and NATO were conducting joint preparations for the war to win back the Crimea. 

According to Alexei Arestovich, the press secretary of the Ukrainian delegation in the contact group on resolving the crisis in the Donbass, said in an interview with Ukrainian media that NATO exercises Defender Europe 2021 would be conducted to practice the situation of an armed confrontation with Russia. The exercises will be focused on the Balkans, the Crimea and everything to the north of it, he added. 

NATO's largest military exercises since the Cold War, Defender Europe 2021, will take place in May-June. Ukraine, Georgia and Moldova will be actively involved in the war games. 

Earlier it was reported that Kiev's new military strategy in the event of a war with Russia is based on an algorithm, according to which the conflict between the countries starts with a response to an act of aggression or a threat to Ukraine's military security. According to Strana.ua, the new strategy does not explicitly state that the enemy should violate the state border. The army and special forces will be involved if "an armed conflict within the territory of Ukraine either starts as a result of a provocation or receives support from the outside."

• The relations between Ukraine and Russia deteriorated sharply after Russia reunified with the Crimea in March 2014.
• The ties between the two countries worsened even further after the outbreak of the armed conflict in Donbass in April of the same year. Part of Donetsk and Luhansk regions declared independence.
• Kiev tried to retake the rebellious regions by force, but to no avail.