The United States issued a new warning on Friday, saying that a Russian invasion of Ukraine might start during the Olympics.
"We can't identify the day or the hour at this moment. But what we can say is that there is a genuine risk that a Russian military attack will take place even before the end of the Olympics," US national security adviser Jake Sullivan told reporters at the White House. The Winter Olympics, which is now taking place in Beijing, is set to finish on February 20.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken delivered the same message earlier Friday in Melbourne, Australia: "As we've stated previously, we're in a window where an invasion could start at any time, even during the Olympics."
Russia Could Begin Ukraine Invasion During Olympics, Biden Adviser Claims
According to Sullivan, the US still does not know whether Russian President Vladimir Putin has made the decision to invade. However, he stated that the situation has deteriorated to the point where Americans in Ukraine should leave immediately or within the next 24 to 48 hours, ABC News reported.
President Joe Biden is anticipated to "engage via telephone with President Putin," according to Sullivan, who talked to ABC News Senior White House Correspondent Mary Bruce. The two leaders last spoke on Dec. 30.
The two men will discuss Saturday morning, according to a White House official. Sullivan said Biden does not want to sacrifice the lives of American troops in order to save the remaining Americans. Biden spoke with transatlantic leaders earlier Friday to plan next steps as negotiations over Russia's military buildup near Ukraine showed no signs of defusing the issue.
According to the White House, Biden discussed "diplomacy and deterrent cooperation" with the leaders of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Romania, the United Kingdom, NATO, the European Commission, and the European Council. Over the past few days, the president has kept mainly mute on Ukraine; the POTUS hosted public events focused on the US economy instead.
Per WBHM, Sullivan said he couldn't say whether a Russian military invasion of Ukraine would be limited or extensive. Sullivan would not speculate on the timing of a Russian military strike.
When asked about previous US intelligence assessments that turned out to be incorrect, such as in the run-up to the Iraq War, when Bush administration officials said Iraq had weapons of mass destruction, Sullivan stated this time is different.
Meanwhile, a Defense Department official said that an additional 3,000 US troops will be sent to Poland in the coming days. This is in addition to the 3,000 US troops the government is sending to Poland and Romania, as well as the 8,500 troops currently on high alert and ready to move to Europe if necessary. US Marines in Poland are expected to assist Americans who have fled Ukraine in preparation of an invasion, but they will not engage in battle in the country.
Russia Masses Its Navy Along Ukraine's Coast
After meeting with leaders of the so-called Quad countries - the United States, Australia, Japan, and India, Blinken warned of an impending Russian attack on Ukraine. Blinken's warning came only one day after President Joe Biden encouraged Americans to leave the nation quickly and cautioned in an interview about the possibility of a serious battle with Russia if US and Russian soldiers clashed.
Even in the event of a Russian invasion, the US president stated that he would not commit soldiers to Ukraine. On Thursday, Russia began ten days of extensive military maneuvers in Belarus and stationed six of its ships at a vital Black Sea port, prompting a harsh criticism from Ukrainian authorities, who described Moscow's moves as exacerbating regional tensions.
Per Big News Network, thousands of Russian troops and advanced military systems, including S-400 surface-to-air missiles, Pantsir air defense systems, and Su-35 fighter planes, took part in the training in Belarus, which was held roughly 210 kilometers north of Kyiv, Ukraine's capital.
The six ships, according to the Russian Defense Ministry, landed at Sevastopol, Crimea, which Moscow took from Ukraine in 2014. They had traveled 13,000 kilometers from the Baltic Sea to commence naval operations, according to authorities. The Russian landing ships are meant to transport troops, vehicles, and supplies to the ground.
Russian forces will leave Belarus once the maneuvers conclude on February 20, according to officials in Moscow and Minsk. However, Western authorities are concerned that these, together with 100,000 Russian troops stationed along Ukraine's eastern border, may be used in a Russian invasion of Ukraine, a former Soviet republic.
On February 10, 2022, Ukrainian troops walk during military training outside Kharkiv, Ukraine, near the country's border with Russia. Ukrainian officials, who began their own training on Thursday, slammed the upcoming naval exercises, describing them as disruptive action aimed at destabilizing the security situation. Russia is accused of breaking international law by blocking large expanses of open sea for missile and artillery fire training, according to Kyiv.
Despite Russian authorities' denials that they want to attack Ukraine, diplomatic negotiations with Western officials have resulted in a deadlock. Russia has requested that the US and its allies reject Ukraine's application for NATO membership. The West has dismissed this as a non-starter but has stated that it is open to discuss with Moscow regarding missile deployment and army drills in Russia's eastern European neighbors.
Related Article: NATO Urges Deescalation as Russia Deploys Troops in Belarus, Says It's Biggest in 30 Years Since Cold War
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