As tensions flared again in the worst East-West standoff in decades, US President Joe Biden warned Thursday that Russia could still invade Ukraine within days, and Russia expelled the No. 2 diplomat at the US Embassy in Moscow.
NATO allies accused Russia of deceiving the world by claiming to be returning troops to their bases while instead bringing in thousands of new ones.
The pledge to withdraw was one of several Russian gestures this week that temporarily lowered temperatures. Russia is believed to have 150,000 military forces stationed along Ukraine’s borders, raising fears of a new European war.
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Tensions also rose Thursday along the border between Ukrainian forces and Russia-backed separatists in the country’s east, with both sides accusing each other of heavy shelling in a long-running conflict that has killed 14,000 people.
Russia has ordered the deputy chief of mission at the US Embassy in Moscow, Bart Gorman, to leave the country, according to the State Department. The move was described as “unprovoked” and “escalatory.” Russia did not explain why he was kicked out.
Doubts grew in the West about what Russia is doing with its troops in Ukraine — an estimated 60% of Russia’s total ground forces — and about President Vladimir Putin’s overall intentions.
President Biden’s remarks on the Russian threat were among his harshest to date, indicating the administration’s perilous assessment of the situation.
Speaking at the White House, Biden stated that Washington saw no signs of a Russian withdrawal and that the threat of invasion remains “very high” because Russia has moved more troops toward the Ukrainian border rather than withdrawing them.
“Every indication we have is that they are willing to go into Ukraine and attack Ukraine,” he told reporters.
He stated that the United States has “reason to believe” that Russia is “engaged in a false flag operation to have an excuse to go in,” but he did not elaborate. Biden also stated that he has “no plans” to meet with Putin anytime soon.
Russia made a diplomatic offer to the United States on Thursday, responding to offers to engage in talks on limiting missile deployments in Europe, limiting military drills, and other confidence-building measures.
The Foreign Ministry’s response bemoaned the West’s refusal to meet Russia’s main security and demand and reaffirmed that Moscow could take unspecified “military-technical measures” if the US and its allies continue to ignore its concerns.
At the same time, it stated that Russia was willing to discuss missile deployment limits, restrictions on strategic bomber patrol flights, and other confidence-building measures.
Russia denies any plans for an invasion but says it is free to deploy troops wherever they are needed to counter NATO threats. It wants the West to keep Ukraine and other former Soviet republics out of NATO, to stop deploying weapons near Russian borders, and to withdraw forces from Eastern Europe – demands that the allies have flatly rejected.
“We’ve seen some of those troops inch closer to that border. We see them fly in more combat and support aircraft. We see them sharpen their readiness in the Black Sea. We even see them stocking up their blood supplies. You don’t do these sort of things for no reason, and you certainly don’t do them if you’re getting ready to pack up and go home,” he said.
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The West has seen “an increase of troops over the last 48 hours, up to 7,000,” according to British Defense Secretary Ben Wallace. That corresponded to what a US administration official said the day before. A top EU official said something similar.
Maxar Technologies, a commercial satellite imagery company that has been monitoring Russia’s buildup, reported that military activity near Ukraine has remained elevated. In Belarus, it mentioned a new pontoon bridge and a new field hospital.
Russia’s claim to be withdrawing troops was labeled “disinformation” by British Armed Forces Minister James Heappey. That charge was leveled by Russia against the West.
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