US Warns Of Imminent Invasion In Ukraine
By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent Worthy News
WASHINGTON/BUDAPEST (Worthy News) – U.S. President Joe Biden warns that Russia might invade Ukraine next month. The White House sees “little ground for optimism” in resolving the crisis as the West rejects Russia’s security demands.
The White House says U.S. president Biden told his Ukrainian counter Volodymyr Zelensky “that there is a distinct possibility that the Russians could invade Ukraine in February.” Biden was quoted as saying that he “reaffirmed the readiness of the United States along with its allies and partners to respond decisively if Russia further invades Ukraine.”
A high-ranking U.S. security source told Worthy News earlier that Russia could invade during the upcoming Olympic Winter Games in Beijing, China.
With China being a close ally of Russia, Washington asks China to intervene.
For example, under the U.S. Under Secretary of State, Viktoria Nuland said Washington asked Beijing to pressure Moscow not to invade Ukraine.”We are calling on Beijing to use its influence with Moscow to urge diplomacy because if there is a conflict in Ukraine, it is not going to be good for China either,” Nuland said told reporters. “There will be a significant impact on the global economy. There will be a significant impact in the energy sphere,” she added.
Russia says it has “no intention” to invade Ukraine. But it wants security guarantees. These include demanding that the Western NATO military alliance not accept Ukraine as a member. Washington says it is up to Ukraine to decide whether to join NATO.
As tensions rise, the United States has called for a meeting Monday of the United Nations Security Council, of which China and Russia are also members.
COUNCIL RESOLUTION?
China and Russia are also Council members. Russia has, however, veto power over any resolution the Council may take. And with as many as 127,000 Russian troops near Ukraine’s borders, U.S. officials say there is little time left to de-escalate the crisis.
A U.S. diplomat told Vatican Radio thousands of American troops are already in Eastern Europe. He also said there are U.S. forces in Ukraine, though Washington has officially denied it will send its military there.
The United States says it wants to focus on severe sanctions against Moscow if Russia attacks Ukraine. Germany and the U.S. have already warned Moscow that they could target a critical Russian natural gas pipeline if Russia invades the country.
The U.S. State Department said if Russia enters Ukraine, the Nord Stream 2 pipeline “will not move forward”. The controversial energy project is designed
to double natural gas flow. It runs from Russia direct to Germany under the Baltic Sea.
It circumvents Ukraine, which relies on existing pipelines for income. However, countries in the region, such as Hungary, a member of the NATO military alliance and the European Union, are anxious about sanctions as there are heavily dependent on Russian energy deliveries.
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