EU and US suspicious of Russian aid convoy

NATO has warned that Russia may use humanitarian aid to eastern Ukraine as a guise for an invasion.

A convoy of 280 trucks carrying 2,000 tonnes of humanitarian supplies are on their way to eastern Ukraine from Moscow this morning (12 August), according to Russian media.

The Russian government said in a statement that Russian president Vladimir Putin had informed José Manuel Barroso, the president of the European Commission, about the aid convoy in a phone call yesterday. The Russian government has said the military will not be involved with the convoy.

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A statement issued by the European Commission yesterday following the phone call said that Barroso “warned against any unilateral military actions in Ukraine, under any pretext, including humanitarian”.

“President Barroso expressed concern at the gathering of Russian troops near the Ukrainian border, as well as the continuing flow of arms, equipment and militants from Russian territory, which run counter to efforts towards de-escalating the crisis,” the statement said. Ukraine has said that at least 45,000 Russian troops have gathered near the Ukrainian border.

Following a phone call between US president Barack Obama and German Chancellor Angela Merkel over the weekend, the White House issued a statement saying that both leaders had agreed “any Russian intervention in Ukraine, even under purported ‘humanitarian’ auspices, without the formal, express consent and authorisation of the government of Ukraine is unacceptable, violates international law, and will provoke additional consequences”.

Anders Fogh Rasmussen, the secretary-general of NATO, told Reuters news agency yesterday: “We see a military build-up that could be used to conduct such illegal military operations in Ukraine.”

Russia is pushing for a cease-fire to get humanitarian aid to residents of rebel-held cities that have been surrounded by the Ukrainian military, including Donetsk.

The convoy is not expected to reach Ukraine until tomorrow.