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A2 UP FRONT
Monday 7 February 2022
Continued from Front telligence findings showed seeking a diplomatic solu-
Among those military in- that the Kremlin had tion, but "at the same time,
dicators: An exercise of worked up an elaborate we know that the Russians
Russia's strategic nuclear plot to fabricate an attack continue to prepare, and
forces that usually is held by Ukrainian forces that we will be working to ad-
each fall was rescheduled Russia could use as a pre- dress the security issues."
for mid-February to March. text to take military action Sen. John Barrasso, a mem-
That coincides with what against its neighbor. ber of the Senate Foreign
U.S. officials see as the most Pentagon spokesman John Relations Committee, said
likely window for invasion. Kirby said Thursday that Ukraine was the first part of
The administration has the the scheme included Putin's plan to reassemble
stepped up warnings in production of a graphic the Soviet Union. He wor-
recent days that Russia in- propaganda video that ried about what signal that
creasingly seems intent on would show staged explo- could send to U.S. adver-
further invading Ukrainian Local residents attend an all-Ukrainian training campaign “Don’t sions and use corpses and saries.
territory. panic! Get ready!” close to Kyiv, Ukraine, Sunday, Feb. 6, 2022. actors depicting grieving "He needs to choke on try-
Last week, Biden adminis- Associated Press mourners. ing to swallow Ukraine be-
tration officials said that in- "It could happen as soon as cause if it's easy pickings for
tomorrow or it could take him, my worry is that then
some weeks yet," Sullivan China moves against Tai-
said. He added that Putin wan and Iran moves quick-
"has put himself in a posi- ly to a nuclear weapon."
tion with military deploy- Meanwhile, elite U.S troops
ments to be able to act ag- and equipment landed
gressively against Ukraine Sunday in southeastern Po-
at any time now." land near the border with
Sullivan said that the ad- Ukraine following Biden's
ministration held on to orders to deploy 1,700 sol-
hope that the Russians diers there amid fears of a
would move to de-esca- Russian invasion of Ukraine.
late the situation through Hundreds more troops from
diplomacy. the 82nd Airborne Division
"The key thing is that the are expected to arrive at
United States needs to be the Rzeszow-Jasionka Air-
and is prepared for any of port. A U.S. Air Force Boeing
those contingencies and in C-17 Globemaster plane
lockstep with our allies and brought a few dozen troops
partners," Sullivan said. "We and vehicles.
have reinforced and reas- Their commander is Maj.
sured our allies on the east- Gen. Christopher Dona-
ern flank." hue, who on Aug. 30 was
Texas Rep. Michael Mc- the last American soldier to
Caul, the top Republican leave Afghanistan.
on the House Foreign Af- "Our national contribution
fairs Committee, attended here in Poland shows our
a classified briefing last solidarity with all of our al-
week that administration lies here in Europe and, ob-
officials gave to members viously, during this period of
of Congress. He was asked uncertainty we know that
whether he came away we are stronger together,"
from the briefing thinking Donahue said at the air-
it was certain that Russia port.
would move on Ukraine. Biden ordered addition-
"I would say the conditions al U.S. troops deployed
are there. It's more likely to Poland, Romania and
than not. I think the noose is Germany to demonstrate
being prepared. It's around America's commitment to
Ukraine right now as we NATO's eastern flank amid
speak. These are danger- the tensions between Rus-
ous times," McCaul said. sia and Ukraine. NATO's
Biden's ambassador to eastern member Poland
the United Nations, Linda borders both Russia and
Thomas-Greenfield, said Ukraine. Romania borders
the administration was still Ukraine.q
