On May 14 (Moscow time), TASS news agency quoted Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov as saying that Russia believes that the actions of the Ukrainian government could lead to further political upheavals in Europe.
Speaking in an interview with Russia's Channel 1, Mr. Peskov said that if not restrained, Kiev could continue to use the support from external partners to serve its own interests.
If not restrained, the Kiev government will continue to take advantage of the parties involved to serve its own interests," Peskov said.
According to the Kremlin spokesman, European countries, especially the Baltic group, should prepare for the possibility of further political upheavals. He linked this assessment to the resignation of Latvian Prime Minister Evika Silina and Latvian Defense Minister Andris Spruds.
However, Mr. Peskov did not specify what specific actions Ukraine is said to be directly related to the resignations in Latvia. Latvia and Ukraine have not yet responded to this statement.
Mr. Peskov's statement was made in the context of Russia continuing to criticize Western military, financial and political support for Ukraine. Moscow has repeatedly argued that this support prolongs the conflict and increases risks to European security.
In the opposite direction, many European countries affirm that supporting Kiev is necessary to help Ukraine defend itself and maintain regional security stability. The Baltic countries, including Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia, are a group with a tough stance on Russia and often call on the West to maintain pressure on Moscow.
Mr. Peskov's new statement shows that tensions between Russia and the West continue to revolve around Ukraine's role in European security policy. Kiev has not yet commented on this statement.
