Kremlin accuses West of artificially whipping up Ukraine tensions

FILE PHOTO:  Armed servicemen wait near Russian army vehicles outside a Ukrainian border guard post in the Crimean town of Balaclava
FILE PHOTO: Armed servicemen wait near Russian army vehicles outside a Ukrainian border guard post in the Crimean town of Balaclava March 1, 2014. REUTERS/Baz Ratner

MOSCOW (Reuters) – The Kremlin on Sunday accused the West of artificially whipping up tensions around Ukraine with repeated statements suggesting Russia was poised to launch an attack on its neighbor and told Washington and its allies to stop a military build-up nearby.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Saturday his country has real concerns, widely shared with partners in Europe, over Russian activities at the Ukrainian border, after Ukraine said it feared Russia might be preparing an attack.