MOSCOW (AP) — Ukraine’s president played down intensified warnings of a possible Russian invasion within days, saying he had yet to see convincing evidence, even as the U.S. warned Sunday of more Russian troops pressing closer to Ukraine’s borders and some airlines canceled or diverted flights there.
#BREAKING Blinken tells Lavrov diplomatic path remains 'open', but requires Moscow 'to deescalate': State Dept. pic.twitter.com/Og8UfDJ2oR
— AFP News Agency (@AFP) February 12, 2022
The White House said President Joe Biden would talk later in the day with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
The Ukrainian leader’s repeated statements urging calm among his people — while Russian forces surround Ukraine on three sides in what Russia insists are military exercises — grew this weekend to Zelenskyy questioning strident warnings from U.S. officials in recent days that Russia could be planning to invade as soon as midweek.
The U.S. picked up intelligence that Russia is looking at Wednesday as a target date, according to a U.S. official familiar with the findings. The official, who was not authorized to speak publicly and did so only on condition of anonymity, would not say how definitive the intelligence was.
“We’re not going to give Russia the opportunity to conduct a surprise here, to spring something on Ukraine or the world,” Jake Sullivan, the U.S. national security adviser, told CNN on Sunday, about the U.S. warnings.
“We are going to make sure that we are laying out for the world what we see as transparently and plainly as we possibly can,” he said.
The U.S. largely has not made public the evidence it says is underlying its most specific warnings on possible Russian planning or timing.
The Russians have deployed missile, air, naval and special operations forces, as well as supplies to sustain an invasion. This week, Russia moved six amphibious assault ships into the Black Sea, augmenting its capability to land on the coast.
Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said Sunday that Russia had well over 100,000 troops along Ukraine’s borders, “and actually, over the last few days, even more.”
Continue: Breitbart.com
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