Washington: Though Russia announced on Wednesday to have ended its military exercise and disengaged troops that were deployed on Ukraine’s border, the reality seems to be different as US officials claim the Kremlin stationed another 7,000 militia bordering the ex-soviet union. Estimated 150,000-plus Russian troops are surrounding the country on three sides maintaining the threat of attack.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken, interacting with media reporters, said that the military units critical for an invasion force were continuing to move “toward the border, not away from the border.” In Brussels, Defence ministers from the NATO countries discussed ways to reinforce military positions on their eastern perimeter, while the group’s secretary-general, Jens Stoltenberg, said he also saw nothing to support Russia’s claim of a drawdown. “What we see is that Russian troops are moving into position,” Stoltenberg said.
A Russian invasion of Ukraine can happen anytime now, the White House said Wednesday as President Joe Biden announced plans to dispatch Vice President Kamala Harris and Secretary of State Tony Blinken to attend the Munich conference to meet world leaders and unite them against Moscow. White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki anticipated that an attack could take place at any time. “We are in the window where we believe an attack could come at any time, and that would be preceded by a fabricated pretext that the Russians use as an excuse to launch an invasion,” Psaki told reporters.
Meanwhile, NATO has also decided to bolster its troops on the eastern border as Russian forces build up.