The USA has picked up intelligence revealing the Russian army was given the greenlight to invade Ukraine amid Russia’s robust presence surrounding the border of the neighboring nation.
NBC News experiences President Joe Biden was made conscious of the latest intel earlier than giving his public warning of a doable Russian assault final week.
“As of this second, I’m satisfied he’s made the choice. We’ve cause to consider that,” Biden mentioned on the White Home Friday (February 18) by way of NBC News, including, “We’ve a major intelligence functionality.”
The president’s feedback got here earlier than Russian army models took a number of further steps to organize for an invasion, which included including to its already robust presence on the border, with greater than 190,000 troops current, the Hill reported on Friday.
Biden had beforehand addressed the chance of a Russian invasion of Ukraine, however offered a extra definitive reply final week.
On Wednesday, NATO Secretary-Common Jens Stoltenberg mentioned the alliance hasn’t seen “any withdrawal of Russian forces” on the Ukrainian border, however is hopeful that diplomacy ought to proceed.
“Allies welcome all of the diplomatic efforts and there are indicators from Moscow that the diplomacy ought to proceed. However to this point, we don’t see any signal of de-escalation on the bottom. No withdrawals of troops or tools. This will in fact change,” Stoltenberg mentioned whereas addressing reporters after a summit of NATO protection ministers in Brussels by way of CNN.
Stoltenberg’s feedback got here after Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky suggestedMonday (February 14) that Russian troops deliberate to invade on Wednesday.
“We’re informed that February 16 would be the day of the assault. We’ll make it the Day of Unity,” Zelensky mentioned in an announcement, which spokesman Sergii Nykyforov later claimed was the president — a former comic — referring “to a date that was unfold by the media,” based on an announcement obtained by NBC News.
On Monday, the U.S. introduced its plans to shut its embassy in Kyiv amid tensions in Ukraine and would “briefly” relocate diplomatic employees to Lviv, which is positioned about 330 miles west and nearer to the border of Poland, the place the U.S. has already deployed 1000’s of troops.
On Saturday (February 12), Secretary of Protection Lloyd Austin ordered the 160 members of the Florida Nationwide Guard assigned to the 53rd Infantry Brigade Fight Group beforehand deployed to Ukraine in November 2021 to go away the nation and reposition elsewhere in Europe, CNBC reported.
The Kremlin insists the presence is a part of army workouts, although the numerous development over the weekend led to Zelenskyy questioning the more and more robust statements from U.S. officers in the course of the previous few days relating to a doable Russian army invasion.
