But after Mr. Poroshenko visited NATO headquarters in Brussels on Thursday, the secretary general, Jens Stoltenberg, made no specific mention of a buildup. A Defense Department official said the United States military had not seen a significant buildup of Russian military equipment on the Ukrainian border since the naval episode on Nov. 25, aside from a small number of defensive weapons that were moved in recent days. On Dec. 1, Mr. Poroshenko said Russia had stationed 80,000 troops near the Ukrainian border. Ukrainian television has shown its troops flying on transport planes from western Ukraine to eastern regions closer to Russia. Ms. Zakharova said Mr. Poroshenko planned the offensive to bolster his chances in a presidential election in Ukraine scheduled for March.

Source: New York Times December 15, 2018 11:15 UTC