WASHINGTON – President Joe Biden said on Friday that the United States believed that Russian President Vladimir Putin had decided to attack Ukraine “in the coming days.”
“We have reason to believe that Russian troops are planning and intending to invade Ukraine next week, in the coming days,” Biden told the White House. ” innocent. ”
A dramatic revelation comes as a staggering number of Russian troops advance on the north and east sides of Ukraine.
The rise of the military mimics Russia’s playbook before its illegal takeover of Crimea in 2014, a peninsula in the Black Sea, which sparked international unrest sparked sanctions against Moscow.
Biden officials have previously refused to predict Putin’s playbook as Russia has sent almost half of its troops to the Ukrainian border. When questioned, Biden said it was still time for Putin to choose the negotiation method.
In his second speech this week, Biden reiterated the US commitment to protecting NATO allies if the crisis on the Ukraine-Russia border escalates into a full-blown civil war.
“The United States and our allies are ready to defend every inch of NATO territory from any threat to our co-operative security,” Biden said, citing Article 5 coalition law.
The basis of the 30-member coalition is the integrated defense policy, known as the I- Article 5 , which states that the attack on one NATO country is an attack on all allies.
The Kremlin has denied that more than 150,000 Russian soldiers armed with advanced weapons on the Ukrainian border are preparing to attack.
Biden said that while he would not commit to sending American troops to Ukraine, he would agree that troops should be sent to NATO member states. Earlier on Friday, Biden ordered several U.S. troops and military equipment to travel to Hungary, a NATO ally on the Ukrainian border.
Earlier on Thursday, Secretary of State Antony Blinken warned that Russia’s renewed invasion of Ukraine would not only jeopardize Europe’s security but also the international peacekeeping mission.
“At stake, obviously, are the health and well-being of the Ukrainian people, but at stake are the basic principles of the entire international system,” the US ambassador said during a panel discussion at the Munich Security Summit.
“Those principles are currently being challenged by Russia in Ukraine, such as the fact that you cannot force foreign borders by force, principles such as not being able to dictate another country’s choice, its decisions, its policies including who to share, principles such as not being able to use influence. adds Blinken.
This is the best news. Please check back for updates.