A day after the US warned that Russia’s invasion of Ukraine could be a few days away, US President Vladimir Putin will call on his Russian envoy this Saturday with the aim of withdrawing from his alleged plan. Joe Biden warned NATO and EU (EU) allies at a meeting via video conference on Friday that the country’s military invasion could be “immediate” but he was ready to try to persuade Putin on the path to talks.
According to White House National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan, the presence of Russian troops on the Ukrainian border has increased in recent days, with an estimated 100,000 troops, as well as more and more military exercises, including the Black Sea: “We are continuing. See signs of Russian expansion, including the arrival of new troops on the Ukrainian border. I believe the order to launch has been given, so there is reason to believe that an attack could take place in the short term, “said the head of the National Security Department, quoted by Reuters.
Although the invasion could not be expected to begin, Jack Sullivan explained that, if confirmed, it was likely to begin with “aerial bombardment and missile strikes” that could blindly kill civilians. US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken has pointed to alarming data that the Russian invasion of Ukraine may be “imminent” and announced that he would speak with Russian diplomat Sergei Lavrov this Saturday. Russia has a real interest in resolving this crisis through diplomacy and dialogue, and we are ready to do that, “he assured.
However, the AP said Joe Biden’s administration had already called on citizens to leave the country and was preparing to announce the withdrawal of staff from the Kiev embassy. Germany, Great Britain, Belgium, the Netherlands, Norway, Latvia, Australia, New Zealand and Japan have also called for the withdrawal of their citizens from Ukraine.
France and Germany Even the pressure Putin
At the same time, many foreign leaders are taking the diplomatic route to prevent Vladimir Putin from invading Ukraine. Emanuel Macron, who has already met with his Russian envoy, will call on Putin this Saturday, while German Chancellor Olaf Scholes is in touch with the Russian president before leaving for Moscow on Tuesday.
On the Ukrainian side, military units are on high alert and are increasing military exercises to counter the real threat of Russian aggression. But the government is asking “quietly” to guarantee that it will mobilize the support of international partners to defuse tensions and “keep Russia within the diplomatic framework.” “The Ukrainian Armed Forces are ready to retaliate against any attack on the territorial integrity of Ukraine,” the Ukrainian MNE assured. Kiev’s mayor, Vitaly Klitschko, told CNN that the city was preparing for a military coup.
The Kremlin, meanwhile, continues to deny the immediate attack on Ukraine, talking about “hysteria” from Washington and the “large-scale false propaganda” of the West and the media. He also announced the withdrawal of staff from the Russian embassy in Kiev. “The White House is showing more hysteria than ever before. Anglo-Saxons want war at all costs,” said Maria Sajarova, a spokeswoman for the Russian Foreign Ministry.
If there are fears of an invasion of Ukraine before the end of the Winter Olympics – which ends in China on February 20 – US intelligence services now believe that Moscow is planning a military offensive. Until then, the United States and NATO will continue all efforts to pressure Russia to withdraw its troops from the Ukrainian border and not continue to invade the country.
(In update)
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