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A2 UP FRONT
Saturday 12 February 2022

U.S. ramps up Ukraine warning, says Russia may invade in days

Continued from Front that "we have engaged
our partners to prepare a
"We continue to see signs coordinated response."
of Russian escalation, in- Russia's troop concentra-
cluding new forces arriving tion includes forces de-
at the Ukrainian border," he ployed on the territory of
added. "As we've said be- its ally Belarus for massive
fore, we are in the window joint drills involving firing
when an invasion could live ammunition. Those ex-
begin at any time should ercises entered a decisive
Vladimir Putin decide to or- phase Thursday and will run
der it." through Feb. 20. The Ukrain-
Russian Foreign Ministry ian capital is about 75 kil-
spokeswoman Maria Za- ometers (47 miles) south of
kharova retorted immedi- the Belarus border.
ately: "The hysteria of the NATO has stepped up mili-
White House is more indica- tary deployments to bolster
tive than ever. The Anglo- its eastern flank, with the
Saxons need a war. At any U.S. sending troops to Po-
cost. Provocations, misin- land and Romania.
formation and threats are The U.S. Navy said Thursday
a favorite method of solv- that it has deployed four
ing their own problems." destroyers from the United
Biden has said U.S. troops States to European waters.
will not enter Ukraine to The Navy did not directly
contest any Russian inva- tie this deployment to the
sion, but he has bolstered Ukraine crisis but said the
the U.S. military presence ships provide "additional
in Europe as reassurance flexibility" to the U.S. Sixth
to allies on NATO's eastern Fleet commander, whose
flank. On Friday the Penta- A Ukrainian tank moves during military drills close to Kharkiv, Ukraine, Thursday, Feb. 10, 2022. area of responsibility in-
gon said Biden ordered a Associated Press cludes the Mediterranean,
further 3,000 soldiers to Po- and will operate in support
land, on top of 1,700 who cerns raised by U.S. intelli- forces from Eastern Europe that Moscow has no inten- of NATO allies.
are on their way there. To- gence about the potential — demands flatly rejected tion to attack Ukraine. But NATO Secretary-General
gether they form an infan- imminence of a Russian by the West. he also emphasized that Jens Stoltenberg visited a
try brigade of the 82nd Air- invasion. Sullivan said the Speaking at the start of his the concentration of Rus- military base in Romania,
borne Division. Western leaders were com- talks with Wallace, Russian sian troops near Ukrainian hailing the ongoing de-
Secretary of State Antony pletely united and would Defense Minister Sergei territory is clearly "beyond ployment of additional U.S.
Blinken, who is currently in respond harshly to a Rus- Shoigu noted that "the mil- normal exercising." troops. "This is a powerful
Australia, was the first sen- sian invasion with devastat- itary-political situation in Eu- He reaffirmed that a Rus- demonstration of trans-
ior U.S. official to say pub- ing economic and trade rope is growing increasingly sian invasion would have Atlantic unity," Stoltenberg
licly that an invasion could sanctions. Britain's defense tense, and it's not our fault." "tragic consequences" said.
come before the end of secretary, meanwhile, was Shoigu noted that ship- and emphasized the need Russian Foreign Ministry
the Olympics. visiting Moscow in anoth- ments of weapons to to maintain contacts be- spokeswoman Maria Za-
Repeating Blinken's earlier er effort to ease tensions Ukraine by the U.S., Britain tween military forces to kharova responded by
caution to U.S. citizens in over a possible invasion. and other allies have con- prevent incidents. noting that "NATO keeps
Ukraine, Sullivan said: "The Ben Wallace's trip came tributed to the tensions and Ukrainian Foreign Minis- building up its presence
risk is high enough and the a day after British Foreign pointed to the recent de- ter Dmytro Kuleba again near Russia's borders and
threat is now immediate Secretary Liz Truss held ployment of British soldiers played down the U.S. ad- exacerbates the situation
enough that prudence de- frosty negotiations in Mos- to Ukraine, asking why they vice to Americans to leave, around Ukraine to create a
mands that it is the time to cow to urge Russia to pull were sent and how long saying that Washington has pretext for that."
leave now." back over 100,000 troops they will stay. made similar calls before. Russia and Ukraine have
Sullivan would not discuss near Ukraine. Russian For- Speaking to reporters after He noted that the situation been locked in a bitter
the details of the intelli- eign Minister Sergey Lavrov the talks, Wallace noted remains volatile. conflict since 2014, when
gence behind the new U.S. characterized that meet- that the anti-tank missiles Continuing its military Ukraine's Kremlin-friendly
assessment and denied a ing in blunt and scathing that Britain sent to Ukraine buildup near Ukraine, Rus- leader was driven from of-
report that American of- terms, calling it a "conver- were defensive tactical sia has moved six amphibi- fice by a popular uprising.
ficials believe Putin has sation between deaf and weapons that do not pose ous assault vessels into the Moscow responded by an-
made the decision to in- dumb." a threat to any neighbor Black Sea, augmenting its nexing Crimea and then
vade. But he said the situ- Russia opened massive war unless it invades. capability to land marines backing a separatist insur-
ation is increasingly fragile games in Belarus on Thurs- He said British troops de- on the coast. Moscow has gency in eastern Ukraine,
and that the U.S. and its al- day that are due to run ployed to Ukraine to help announced sweeping drills where fighting has killed
lies must be prepared. through next weekend but train its military to use the in the Black and Azov seas over 14,000 people.
"We believe he very well says it has no plans to in- British weapons and will in the coming days and A 2015 peace deal bro-
may give the final 'go or- vade Ukraine. It wants the leave "pretty soon" after closed large areas for com- kered by France and Ger-
der'," Sullivan said. "That is West to keep Ukraine and they accomplish that mis- mercial shipping, drawing a many helped halt large-
a very distinct possibility. It other former Soviet coun- sion. strong protest from Ukraine scale battles, but regular
may well happen soon." tries out of NATO. It also Wallace described the on Thursday. skirmishes have continued,
Biden spoke to a number wants NATO to refrain from talks as "constructive and Kuleba voiced hope that and efforts to reach a po-
of European leaders on Fri- deploying weapons there frank" and noted his Russian the West would react to litical settlement have
day to underscore the con- and to roll back alliance counterpart's assurances the Russian move, saying stalled.q