Tens of thousands of Russian troops remain stationed near the border Russia shares with Ukraine. The US has warned that there are enough troops for Russia to carry out an invasion.
Reuters reports the US warned Friday last week that Russia has amassed enough troops to be able to carry out an invasion of Ukraine. The warning comes as US citizens are being urged to leave Ukraine within 48 hours. White House National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said during a media briefing that Russia could launch an attack within a matter of days and would likely start an air assault, noting that a rapid advance into Ukraine’s capital of Kyiv may be possible.
However, Sullivan said that it is still unclear whether Russian President Vladimir Putin had given a formal order to carry out an invasion. Sullivan said that US President Joe Biden was expected to speak with Putin over the phone over the crisis.
This comes as Moscow stood by its response to Western diplomacy efforts, a US-based firm revealed satellite images showing new Russian military deployments at several sites close to its border with Ukraine. Following his interview on NBC, Biden spoke with his counterparts in Poland, Romania, Germany, France, Canada, and the UK, along with NATO heads and the leaders of the European Union.
Following the meeting, UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson also followed in urging British citizens who are in Ukraine to leave immediately. Johnson said during the meeting that he fears for Europe’s security and stressed the importance of a package of severe sanctions against Russia should an invasion happen.
Other nations are also helping Ukraine bolster its defenses for an impending military conflict. Ukraine has received Stinger anti-aircraft missile systems and ammunition from Lithuania over the weekend, a defense ministry official in Kyiv said. Two other planes arrived Sunday with around 180 tons of ammunition from the US.
Ukraine has so far received around 1,500 tons of ammunition in a span of 17 flights, according to Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov. Military officials have said that Ukraine has significantly strengthened its defenses with the help of allies. Turkish drones were also included among the arms that Ukraine has received.