Russian President Vladimir Putin accused Ukrainian forces of a criminal incursion into Crimea, the peninsula which is home to Russian Black Sea fleet and was annexed by Russia in early 2014. That conflict escalated into an international geo-political tension that is still continuing. The west led by the United States imposed sanctions on Russia that led to a heavy blow for its economy at a time when lower oil price had already been pressuring growth, employment, and government revenue.

Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) said on Wednesday that it had foiled “terrorist acts” prepared by Ukrainian military intelligence against infrastructure in the territory, with the aim of disrupting Russia’s parliamentary elections due on 18 September. In response to the alleged operation, Mr. Putin said he was pulling out of the international peace talks on the conflict and was no longer ready to meet his Ukrainian counterpart, Petro Poroshenko, the German and the French leaders in the so-called Normandy format, which has been used for negotiations. At a press conference, Mr. Putin said, “Under these conditions, meeting in the Normandy format, especially in China, is meaningless,”

The Minsk accords, brokered by Germany and France have reduced violence in the region but these latest allegations come amid increased fighting in the region. Ukraine reportedly lost 30 soldiers in July. Russia has criticized Ukraine for not fully implement the Minsk II agreement in full.

Russia could hold a meeting on the issue at the sidelines of the G20 meeting next month.