Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman says West 'thoroughly' prepared 'provocation' in Ukraine

By Elena Teslova

MOSCOW (AA) - The West was "thoroughly" preparing "provocation" in Ukraine, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said Saturday.

"The non-partners were preparing thoroughly, worked out the provocation in detail, fanning the flames of the conflict," Zakharova said in response to comments by the European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, who said at the Munich Security Conference that the West was preparing sanctions against Russia several months before Moscow started its "special military operation" in Ukraine.

Zakharova said the EU had plans to impose sanctions "at the suggestion of the US" at the end of 2021 "for facilitating the deployment of troops on the territory of Ukraine."

Earlier Zakharova and Russian authorities repeated that Ukraine is a tool in the West's hands and Russia was intentionally pushed into the conflict with its neighbor so that the US and its NATO allies could have the pretext to impose economic sanctions on Moscow and use other pressure methods.