US: Russia adds 7,000 troops to Ukraine border despite pullback claims

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW:

• Russia has added as many as 7,000 troops at the border with Ukraine, a senior Biden administration official told reporters Wednesday night.
• The official said that there’s an indication that “they mean only to publicly offer to talk and make claims about de-escalation while privately mobilizing for war.”
• The U.S. estimated that Russia had amassed at least 150,000 troops on the Ukrainian border.

The United States alleged Russia has added approximately 7,000 troops along Ukraine’s borders, despite claims from Moscow it was pulling back.

A senior US administration official said claims by Moscow that it was withdrawing forces is “false” and warned that the Russian president’s public openness to diplomacy was a guise.

“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.

The U.S. estimated that Russia had amassed at least 150,000 troops on the Ukrainian border.

The senior official again warned Russia could use a false pretext for an attack, including making claims about NATO activity or an incursion into Russian territory.

“We should expect more false reports from Russian state media over the coming days,” the official said. “We don’t know what form the false pretext will take. But we hope the world is ready.”

US officials have said the window is open for a potential invasion but Putin will still need to make the final decision.

On Tuesday, President Joe Biden had seized on signals from Moscow that it is willing to resume negotiations, saying there was “plenty of room for diplomacy.” But on Wednesday, the official largely discounted those prospects while still saying talks would continue.

“We will continue to pursue diplomacy over the coming days while being prepared to respond swiftly and decisively,” the official said. “Russia keeps saying it wants to pursue a diplomatic solution; their actions indicate otherwise. We hope they will change course before starting a war that will bring catastrophic death and destruction.”

On Tuesday, Putin claimed Russia was sending some troops back to base after completing drills in Crimea, the Ukrainian territory annexed by Russia in 2014.

But US and European leaders were skeptical of the claim.

NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said the alliance had not yet seen “any sign of de-escalation on the ground,” but added that “signs from Moscow that diplomacy should continue” were grounds for cautious optimism.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a morning interview Wednesday there is “a difference between what Russia says and what it does. What we’re seeing is no meaningful pullback.”

Source: CNN