Pres. Biden warned Russia could begin attacking Ukraine within “the next several days” after 7000 new troops added, while Moscow has ousted a top U.S. diplomat. The U.S. believes Ukraine is shelling a potential false flag operation.
Biden warns Russia could attack Ukraine in “next several days”
On Thursday, President Joe Biden told reporters he believes Russian President Vladimir Putin will order an invasion of Ukraine within days.
“My sense is this will happen in the next several days,” Biden said, leaving the White House for a trip to Ohio, ABC reported.
When asked what the threat level was for a Russian invasion of Ukraine, Biden told a CNN reporter: “It’s very high.”
“It’s very high because they have not moved any of their troops out,” Biden continued. “They have moved more troops in, number one.”
“Number two, we have reason to believe they are engaged in a false flag operation to have an excuse to go in,” Biden added. “Every indication we have is they are prepared to go into Ukraine, attack Ukraine.”
U.S. says Russia added 7000 troops despite claims of pullback, total of troops now likely over 150K
Earlier this week, Russian President Vladimir Putin said that troops were being pulled back from Ukraine.
However, U.S. officials detected an increase of Russian forces along Ukraine borders by approximately 7000 troops in recent days, and a senior U.S. administration official said claims of a withdrawal by Putin were “false,” CNN reported.
“Every indication we have now is they mean only to publicly offer to talk, and make claims about de-escalation, while privately mobilizing for war,” the official said.
According to new estimates, the number of Russian forces amassed around Ukraine is even higher than the 150,000 estimated by President Joe Biden earlier this week.
The U.S. believes rebel shelling in Ukraine is a potential false flag operation
Fox reported that intensive shelling between Ukrainian forces and Russia-backed separatists in the east part of the country spiked on Thursday. President Joe Biden said the United States has reason to believe that Russia is “engaged in a false flag operation.”
U.S. officials believe that Russia is planning to “stage a fake attack by Ukrainian military or intelligence forces against Russian sovereign territory or against Russian-speaking people to therefore justify their action as part of this fake attack,” Pentagon spokesperson John Kirby explained on Feb. 3, saying this false flag operation is something “right out of their playbook.”
“We believe that Russia would produce a very graphic propaganda video, which would include corpses and actors that would be depicting mourners, and images of destroyed locations, as well as military equipment, at the hands of Ukraine, or the West,” Kirby continued, adding U.S. intelligence has information that the equipment in the video “would be made to look like it was Western supplied” equipment to Ukraine.
Russia expels No. 2 U.S. diplomat from Moscow
Russia expelled Deputy Chief of Mission Bart Gorman, the No. 2 diplomat at the U.S. Embassy in Moscow, as tensions rise over the potential invasion of Ukraine, The Hill reported.
A spokesperson for the State Department described the expulsion as “unprovoked” and said Russia did not offer a reason for ousting the senior diplomat.
