There are fears that Russia could be planning to invade Ukraine. Russian troops appear to be massing on the Ukrainian border with Ukrainian officials estimating the number at nearly 100 000.
American officials have reportedly briefed their European Union counterparts that Moscow could be looking to replay its 2014 invasion which saw it seize Ukrainian territory, including the Crimea.
US secretary of state, Anthony Blinken, was quoted as saying this week: ‘…our concern is that Russia may make the serious mistake of attempting to rehash what it undertook back in 2014.’
Moscow also claimed that on Thursday a Russian jet had intercepted a British spy plane which had been attempting to fly over the Crimea and forced it to change its flight path.
At the same time NATO allies have also been increasing their activity in nearby regions, such as the Black Sea.