Again, the US President Joe Biden has raised the alarm that he is convinced that Russian President Vladimir Putin has decided to launch an invasion on Ukraine very soon.
Biden said the assessment was based on US intelligence, which suggested the capital Kyiv would be targeted.
Russia has however denied it is planning to launch any invasion.
Western nations have since accused Russia of trying to stage a make-up crisis in breakaway eastern regions of Ukraine to give it a reason to launch an offensive.
The US estimates there are 169,000-190,000 Russian personnel massed in and near Ukraine, a figure that includes Russian-backed fighters in the self-proclaimed republics of Donetsk and Luhansk in eastern Ukraine
In a televised address from the White House, President Biden said the US had “reason to believe” that Russian forces were “planning to and intend to attack Ukraine in the coming week, in the coming days”.
“As of this moment I am convinced that he has made the decision,” he added, referring to President Putin. Previously, the president and his top officials have said they did not know whether this was the case.
Still, Biden said, Russia could “still choose diplomacy” and that it was “not too late to de-escalate and return to the negotiating table”.
Earlier on Friday, in another sign of rising tensions, leaders of the two separatist areas announced an evacuation of residents, saying Ukraine had intensified shelling and was planning an attack.
Ukraine said it is not planning any attack.
Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba dismissed the report, calling it “Russian disinformation reports”.
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