After weeks of mounting tension over the conflict in Ukraine, Putin has now given the green light, the Americans say. Russia has built up a large military force on the border with Ukraine in recent weeks. According to America, it now concerns about 150,000 Russian units.
“We have reason to believe that Russian forces are planning to invade Ukraine in the coming week,” the US president said. He states that a Russian capture of Kiev is one of the scenarios.
The president added that there would still be some room to avert the crisis through diplomacy.
New phase
The conflict has entered a new phase in recent days, Biden said. Russia, along with pro-Russian rebels in eastern Ukraine, would provoke escalations. Under that heading, Russia would like to justify an attack. For example, a daycare center was shot at yesterday. According to the rebels, the Ukrainian army was behind this, but Biden does not believe the reading.
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Meanwhile, pro-Russian separatists in eastern Ukraine have begun evacuating civilians to Russia.
Evacuations
The first buses from the Donetsk People’s Republic have already arrived in southwestern Russia. A US government spokesman also called those evacuations a “cynical step” in the propaganda battle between Russia and the West.
Joe Biden also reiterated tonight that Russia will face severe sanctions if the Russian military invades.
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