Lagatar24 Desk
Washington, Feb 17: Despite Russia’s announcement on Wednesday that it has withdrawn its forces from Ukraine’s border following an increase in tensions between the two countries, the White House has cautioned that Moscow might launch a pretext to attack Kyiv at any time.
White House press secretary Jen Psaki warned at a press conference that the window for a Russian invasion of Ukraine remained open, warning that a contrived pretext for an attack might include accusations of mass graves in the Donbas region.
“We are in the window where we believe an attack could begin at any time,” said Psaki, as she asserted that the US was not taking Russian claims of de-escalation at face value.
“There’s what Russia says and what Russia does,” Psaki said. Russian troops “remain amassed in a threatening way on the border.”
When reporters questioned what a “significant de-escalation” would entail, Psaki said it would be clear when it happened, but didn’t elaborate. She stated that the US was seeking a “verifiable reduction of soldiers on the Ukrainian border,” but did not specify criteria.
Psaki stated “everyone should keep eyes alert” for phoney films or reports emerging on Russian media as she cautioned of the Russian invasion.
In contrast to Moscow’s claims of a pullout, Estonia warned of a growing Russian military presence around Ukraine’s borders, adding that fighting groups were moving ahead of an anticipated offensive to capture “important terrain.”
Russia’s assertions of removing soldiers from Ukraine’s borders have been met with scepticism by Western nations, who are urging their nationals to flee Kyiv ahead of a possible Russian strike. Moscow, on the other hand, has rejected any invasion plans.
