The US has warned Russia against making a 'serious mistake' in Ukraine after satellite images revealed President Putin is massing troops along the border.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken said he is 'concerned' by 'unusual Russian activity' near the border amid fears Putin could march into the country in an attempt to annex more territory, as he did with Crimea in 2014.
Blinken, speaking in Washington alongside Ukrainian counterpart Dmytro Kuleba, said that would be a 'serious mistake' - adding that America's 'commitment to Ukraine's sovereignty, to its independence, to its territorial integrity is ironclad.'
America has warned Russia against making a 'serious mistake' by trying to annex more Ukrainian territory after troops were spotted massing on the border (pictured)
Ukraine says there are now around 90,000 Russian troops near its border with tanks and artillery pieces spotted in camps near Yelnya, Bryansk and Kursk
'We don't have clarity into Moscow's intentions, but we do know its playbook,' Blinken told a joint news conference.
'Our concern is that Russia may make the serious mistake of attempting to rehash what it undertook back in 2014 when it amassed forces along the border, crossed into sovereign Ukrainian territory and did so claiming falsely that it was provoked.
'Our commitment to Ukraine's sovereignty, to its independence, to its territorial integrity is ironclad, and the international community will see through any Russian effort to resort to its previous tactics.'
Ukraine has been ensnared in a deadly war with pro-Moscow separatists in its largely Russian-speaking east since 2014 when Russia seized the Crimea peninsula.
Russia took action after mass protests led to the ousting of President Viktor Yanukovych, a close ally of Moscow who had tried to backtrack on moves to join the European Union.
Fearing that Ukraine was about to slip out of Russian control - taking with it important military assets including the port of Sevastopol in Crimea - Putin marched troops into the country and seized territory.
Crimea is now occupied by Russian troops. Moscow claims it as part of its territory after holding a referendum which showed overwhelming support for
