“Russia now has extra troops on the border with Ukraine than at any time since 2014, 5 Ukrainian troopers have been killed this week alone,” White Home press secretary Jen Psaki mentioned throughout a briefing, calling the matter “deeply regarding.”

“America is more and more involved by current escalating Russian aggression in japanese Ukraine, together with Russian troop actions on Ukraine’s border,” she mentioned, including that the Biden administration was consulting with NATO allies in regards to the uptick in tensions and cease-fire violations.

Psaki’s feedback comply with a contentious cellphone name between German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Russian President Vladimir Putin, during which she demanded that Moscow cut back its drive posture within the space close to japanese Ukraine.

“The Chancellor demanded that this build-up be unwound in an effort to de-escalate the state of affairs,” the German authorities wrote in a readout of the decision between the 2 leaders.

In current weeks, Russia has elevated its navy presence alongside the Ukrainian border, sparking issues within the West of a budding navy battle between the 2 neighboring international locations. The Russian Protection Ministry has mentioned it’s conducting greater than 4,000 navy drills this month to examine its forces readiness.

“Russia’s armed forces are on Russian territory within the locations it considers needed and acceptable, and they’re going to keep there for so long as our navy management and supreme commander contemplate it acceptable,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov mentioned when requested how lengthy Russian forces would stay close to Ukraine, in accordance with Reuters.

Learn extra: The West waits for Putin’s subsequent transfer as Russia-Ukraine tensions rise

Final month, the Ukrainian authorities mentioned 4 of its troopers have been killed by Russian shelling in Donbass. Moscow has denied it has forces in japanese Ukraine. Kyiv has been battling Russian-backed separatists in a battle that has left not less than 13,000 folks useless since 2014, in accordance with U.N. figures.

The Kremlin has mentioned that it’s involved in regards to the rising tensions in japanese Ukraine and that it feared Kyiv’s forces have been trying to restart a battle.

“It isn’t fully clear what the Russians are doing there, we would like to grasp that extra, and that uncertainty is clearly not contributing to a extra secure, safer state of affairs,” Pentagon spokesman John Kirby advised reporters Wednesday.

“As I mentioned, the complete intentions are usually not 100% clear and we would like to grasp extra about what it’s the Russians are doing there and what they intend to do there, however it isn’t conducive, this buildup and a reasonably fast buildup, it isn’t conducive to higher stability,” Kirby added.

The buildup of Russian troops has led to repeated calls from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy to speed up his nation’s admittance into the NATO alliance. President Joe Biden spoke with Zelenskiy final week, expressing U.S. help for Ukraine’s sovereignty “within the face of Russia’s ongoing aggression.”

When requested about Ukraine’s potential entry into the alliance, the Pentagon, State Division and White Home have reiterated that each one eligible international locations ought to meet NATO’s commonplace for membership.

“We’re dedicated to making sure that aspirant international locations wishing to hitch NATO meet the group’s commonplace for membership,” State Division spokesman Ned Value mentioned when requested about Ukraine’s standing.

“To that finish, we proceed to induce the federal government of Ukraine to implement the deep, complete, and well timed reforms needed to construct a extra secure, democratic, affluent, and free nation,” he added.