Updated 2/17/22
KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — U.S. President Joe Biden warned Thursday that Russia could still invade Ukraine within days, and the No. 2 diplomat at the U.S. Embassy in Moscow was expelled as tensions flared anew in the worst East-West standoff in decades.
NATO allies accused Russia of misleading the world with “disinformation” by saying it was returning some troops to their bases – one of the gestures Russia made this week that briefly cooled temperatures and raised hopes for peace. Russia is believed to have some 150,000 forces around Ukraine’s borders.
Speaking at the White House, Biden said Washington saw no signs of a Russian withdrawal of forces, and said the U.S. has “reason to believe” that Russia is “engaged in a false flag operation to have an excuse to go in.”
He told reporters: “Every indication we have is they’re prepared to go into Ukraine, attack Ukraine.”
KYIV, Ukraine (AP) – Russia has added as many as 7,000 troops near the Ukraine border in recent days, contrary to claims by President Vladimir Putin that troops would be pulled back from the region. That’s according to a senior Biden administration official who was not authorized to speak publicly about sensitive operations and spoke on condition of anonymity. Russia has massed about 150,000 troops east, north and south of Ukraine, according to Western estimates. Moscow denies it has any plans to invade, and this week announced a pullback of some forces and weapons. While details are scarce, the Russian statements have lowered the political temperature following weeks of escalating tensions.
