Russia criticizes US media coverage of preparing to attack Ukraine

Ukraine, according to the Kremlin, is busy expanding its military forces, helped by arms supplies from Western countries.

Moscow is annoyed by alarming reports that Russia has gathered a force of nearly 100 thousand along the border with Ukraine. According to the head of Ukraine’s military intelligence, Kyrylo Budanov, Russia plans to launch an attack on Ukraine in late January or early February. The main goal would be to take control of the coastal strip along the Black Sea, including the port cities of Mariupol and Odessa.

The US government is apparently also concerned about Russian intentions. The US reportedly provided NATO allies with new information about Russia’s troop build-up and possible invasion scenarios last week, according to Bloomberg news agency. The Russian troops could enter Ukraine from Russia itself, according to the US, but also through Belarus and Crimea, the Ukrainian peninsula that Russia annexed in 2014.

Relationships tense

Relations between Russia and Ukraine have been extremely tense since the capture of Crimea and Russia’s support for pro-Russian separatists who have occupied areas in eastern Ukraine. Many residents of those regions have now received a Russian passport. That could use Moscow as an argument to invade Ukraine so it can protect its ‘own citizens’.

The developments present US President Biden with a difficult problem. He is under pressure, especially from the Republican party, to supply Ukraine with heavy weapons so that it can withstand a possible Russian attack. But Biden fears that this will add fuel to the fire.

Putin

US defense experts are also divided on whether Putin really has plans to attack Ukraine. According to some experts, Russian military preparations resemble the prelude to the war that broke out in 2008 between Russia and Georgia. Ominously, Russia’s foreign intelligence service SVR also noted on Monday that the current situation around Ukraine bears similarities to the run-up to the war with Georgia. According to Russia, it was provoked by Georgia.

Other pundits doubt the Kremlin will dare to go that far: an attack on Ukraine will ruin its already shaky relations with the West. It is certain that Moscow can in any case forget about the opening of the very expensive Nord Stream 2 pipeline. Russia, which is heavily dependent on the export of oil and gas, needs this pipeline to be able to sell extra gas on the European market.

Apparently to show that Ukraine is prepared, the Ukrainian Defense Ministry showed images on Monday of an exercise by the airborne troops near the capital Kiev. Last week there was also an exercise by Ukrainian commando units not far from the ceasefire line with the areas occupied by the separatists.

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