The U.S. Defense Department says Russia has not yet made a final decision on its final invasion of Ukraine, while Washington continues to identify the strengthening of Russian military assets in the region.
Pentagon spokesman John Kirby told a news conference in the US capital on Monday that the United States “constantly considers Russia’s progress in Ukraine” “absolutely possible” in a “very short period of time.”
Kirby noted that in the past 48 hours, Russian forces have continued to “amass military assets” along the border with Ukraine and Belarus, as well as naval units in the Black Sea.
According to the official, Moscow is constantly preparing itself for these moves to seek additional solutions to the potential conflict in Ukraine.
According to Kirby, US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin will be in Brussels on Tuesday to travel to Poland and Lithuania for talks on the Russian-Ukrainian crisis.
“We share with our allies and partners, including Ukraine, the evaluation of the information we have received, and in these conversations we certainly reflect our deep concern for the capabilities of Russian President Vladimir Putin,” he said.
The U.S. official recalled statements made by White House National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan on February 11 that Russia had warned of a “clear possibility” of an attack on Ukraine during the Beijing Winter Olympics, which ends on February 20.
A Pentagon spokesman said China’s “secret support” for Russia over the Ukrainian issue was a “deep warning” and “a further instability in Europe’s security situation.”
Also on Monday, a US State Department spokesman stressed that there was “no definite sign” on the part of Moscow in the face of growing Western fears that Russia was preparing for a military attack on Ukraine.
“We do not see any definite and real signs of expansion.
The Russian government has said there is still a “chance” to resolve the Ukraine crisis, especially in light of US warnings that Russia’s offensive could occur “at any time”, amid fears of an armed conflict. Through diplomatic channels.
Opportunities for dialogue “are not exhausted, (but) they should not last indefinitely,” said Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, who said Moscow was “ready to hear serious counter-proposals.”