On Tuesday, Russia deployed more than 1,27,000 servicemen at the border with Ukraine raising the fears of invasion and expanded aggression towards Ukraine. According to the reports, the intelligence assessment by Ukraine yesterday revealed that Russia is using its ally Belarus and that the full strength of the Russian Federation’s Armed Forces land group at Ukraine direction is over 1,06,000, while the rest are navy and air forces.
The assessment has defined the situation in the region as ‘difficult’ and said that Russia was trying to split and weaken the European Union and NATO. “Russia’s actions are also aimed at limiting the capabilities of the United States to ensure security on the European continent”, the document read.
Russia also has started reducing the number of people in ints embassy in Ukraine, giving a possible hint of invasion. Reportedly, families of Russian diplomats left Ukraine on buses in past few days, and the diplomats are told to be prepared to leave when instructed.
The US also in its assessment report on Tuesday said that Russia can launch an attack on Ukraine at any point in time now. This is after three crucial diplomatic meetings between Russia and the US to resolute to reduce the intensity of the potentially violent situation. The US had last week said that it was unclear whether Moscow intended to use the talks as a pretext to claim that diplomacy cannot work. White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki has said that Russia’s build up of tens of thousands of troops near its border with Ukraine had created an “extremely dangerous situation”.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken is likely to meet his Russian counterpart on Friday in Geneva. He tweeted about it as he travelled to Kyiv and Berlin yesterday to meet partners and allies, before meeting with Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in Geneva. “This is a diplomatic effort to de-escalate tensions surrounding the unprovoked Russian military build-up on Ukraine’s borders”, he said. He will also hold discussions with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Kyiv. After that, he will meet with his British, French and German counterparts in Berlin.
I’m traveling to Kyiv and Berlin, where I will meet with our partners and allies, before meeting with my Russian counterpart in Geneva. This is a diplomatic effort to de-escalate tensions surrounding the unprovoked Russian military build-up on Ukraine’s borders. pic.twitter.com/dAP2nkrXfK
— Secretary Antony Blinken (@SecBlinken) January 18, 2022
The Ukrainian military report further has revealed that the Russian troops have made their permanent camps in the Central and Eastern part of the country and that it supports around 35,000 rebels in eastern Ukraine.
Meanwhile, denying the claims made by Ukraine, Russia has agreed to have set up additional radio and satellite traffic units near the Ukrainian border and tripled the reconnaissance flights. Reports also mention Ukraine’s fear of being attacked with medium-range missile weapons named Iskander as 36 of them have made their base already by the border.
Pertinently, Ukraine’s assessment is said to have come as it attempts to get the whole world united against Putin seeking to join the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). In 2014, NATO unanimously decided to suspend all practical co-operation with the Russian Federation, in response to the Ukraine crisis, but the NATO-Russia Council still remains intact.
