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The United States has expressed concern that Russia may be preparing to intervene in Ukraine soon, fabricating a pretext for war if diplomacy fails to meet its targets, the White House said Friday.
Talks between the United States, its European allies and Russia over the deployment of tens of thousands of Russian troops along Ukraine’s border ended without result this week, with no concrete plans to meet again. The cyber attack on Ukraine has further fueled tensions.
A White House National Security Council spokesman said it was not yet clear who was responsible for the cyber attack, but that President Joe Biden had been informed. “We are in contact with the Ukrainians and have offered our support as Ukraine investigates the consequences and its nature and takes action against the incidents,” the spokesman said.
President Joe Biden has warned of dire economic consequences for Russia if Russian President Vladimir Putin undertakes an intervention in Ukraine. Russia denies having any plans to attack Ukraine and has urged NATO to halt its eastward expansion and provide security guarantees proposed by Russia. The United States and NATO have rejected the requests.
White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki told reporters that the United States was concerned that the Russian government might be “preparing for an intervention in Ukraine that could result in widespread human rights abuses and war crimes if diplomacy fails to meet its objectives. “
“As part of its plans, Russia is setting the stage for a pretext for an invasion, including sabotage and intelligence operations, to be used to accuse Ukraine of plotting an imminent attack on Russian forces in Ukraine. eastern. ” said Mrs. Psaki. The Russian military “plans to begin these activities a few weeks before a military intervention, which could begin in mid-January to mid-February,” she said.
The spokeswoman said that if Russian President Vladimir Putin takes such steps, the United States will respond harshly. “If they decide to engage in negotiations and diplomatic talks, we will be very open and hope that (Moscow) will do so. “But in the end, it’s their choice,” she said.
Possible provocative operation
A US official said the United States has information indicating that Russia has already positioned a group of operatives to conduct a provocative operation in eastern Ukraine. “The operatives are trained in urban warfare and the use of explosives to carry out acts of sabotage against pro-Russian forces,” said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity.
The official also said that the data show that “actors of Russian influence attempts have already begun to fabricate provocations on state and social media to justify a Russian intervention and cause disruption in Ukraine.” Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said that given the examples of history, it is difficult for such activities to take place without the knowledge of senior Russian leaders.
Asked if the US military would continue to support Ukrainian forces in the event of a Russian invasion, Mr Kirby said: “We have provided and will continue to provide security assistance to Ukraine to protect it.” / VOA
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