U.S. intelligence officials said on Friday that Russia was planning a military offensive against Ukraine that could begin as early as 2022, U.S. media, incl. Washington Post Associated Press.
An anonymous U.S. administration official said Washington Post He said it included about 175,000 Russian military personnel.
U.S. intelligence document obtained Washington Post It showed clear evidence of the massage of Russian forces in four places and the arrival of tanks and artillery.
The document says the current number of Russian forces near Ukraine’s border is 94,000 and is expected to rise to 175,000. .
Sources confirmed on Saturday that US President Joe Biden and Russian President Vladimir Putin are scheduled to talk about the situation in an online meeting on Tuesday.
NATO has not set a timetable for Ukraine’s membership
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What is Russia’s position?
Konstantin Kosachov, the deputy head of the upper house of the Russian parliament, denied that an attack was planned. “There is no preparation for the attack,” Kossachov told Rossiya 24 television.
Russia’s foreign policy adviser, Yuri Ushakov, has said President Vladimir Putin will reiterate Russia’s “red lines” in the talks, including a demand for a legally binding guarantee that NATO will not expand in Ukraine. NATO did not specify a timetable for Ukraine’s membership in the alliance.
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said Russia had no say in Ukraine’s accession to the alliance, and the United States threatened further sanctions if Russia invaded Ukraine.
What is the probability of an invasion?
Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksiy Reznikov told parliament that preparations for some kind of escalation could take place as early as January.
“Our intelligence is analyzing all scenarios, including the worst. This indicates the possibility of a large-scale escalation on the part of Russia. The most likely time when [Russia] It will be ready for escalation at the end of January. “
Russia and Ukraine have been in conflict since Russia annexed Crimea in 2014 and supported the separatist uprising in Ukraine’s eastern industrial region of Donbass. More than 14,000 people have died in the conflict, according to the Associated Press.
Earlier this week, Latvian Defense Minister Artis Pabriks told DW that he “shared the concerns of the United States and other NATO allies” about a possible Russian invasion of Ukraine.
“We can expect any kind of challenge. We know that Russia’s political elite is not afraid to use military force when it decides it is planned today, “he said.
Edited by Alister Walsh
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