(WASHINGTON) — A federal judge has rejected an effort by former President Donald Trump to dismiss a series of lawsuits brought against him by Democratic lawmakers and U.S. Capitol Police officers seeking to hold him liable for the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
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(WASHINGTON) — “This is not a bluff,” Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said Friday about the potential for a Russian invasion of Ukraine in an exclusive interview with ABC “This Week” co-anchor Martha Raddatz.
“He has a number of options available to him and he could attack in short order,” Austin told Raddatz in an interview conducted in Powidz, Poland, where Austin had come to visit American and Polish troops.
Raddatz’s full interview with Austin airs Sunday on a special edition of “This Week” from Lviv, Ukraine.
“This is not a bluff?” Raddatz asked Austin about the potential for a Russian invasion.
“I don’t believe it’s a bluff,” Austin replied.
“I think it’s … I think he’s assembled the right kind — the kinds of things that you would need to conduct a successful invasion,” he added.
Tensions over the potential for a Russian invasion in Ukraine have increased as American officials have repeatedly said that a Russian invasion could occur “any day.”
Russia’s defense ministry claimed this week that it had begun withdrawing tank units and other forces from the area at the conclusion of exercises that had been cited as the reason for the massive troop buildup around Ukraine.
But U.S. officials have rejected those claims, saying instead that Russia has continued to flow more troops into the border area while it was claiming a troop withdrawal was taking place.
“He’s got things like medical tents and nurses — you … would never have seen that if you were going to be withdrawing your troops?” Raddatz asked Austin.
“Exactly. If they were redeploying to garrison, we wouldn’t be seeing the kinds of things in terms of, not only combat power, but also logistical support, medical support, combat aviation that we’ve seen in the region,” Austin responded.
On Friday, the American representative to the Organization for Security Cooperation in Europe reported to that organization that the U.S. assesses that Russia has “probably” amassed between a force numbering between 169,000 and 190,000 near Ukraine’s borders, a total that includes Russian separatist forces in eastern Ukraine.
The number of Russian separatists forces has not previously been included in estimates of Russian troop levels provided by American officials.
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(WASHINGTON) — The National Archives and Record Administration (NARA) confirmed on Friday that some of the Trump White House documents recently recovered from Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort were marked classified, and that the agency had referred the matter to the Justice Department.
In a letter sent Friday to Rep. Carolyn Maloney, chair of the House Committee on Oversight and Reform, National Archives officials said that among the 15 boxes of records retrieved last month from former President Donald Trump’s Florida resort were “items marked as classified national security information within the boxes.”
As a result, the National Archives staff “has been in communication with the Department of Justice,” David Ferriero, the national archivist, wrote in the letter.
Among those items that were not preserved, NARA said, were records related to social media accounts.
“NARA has identified certain social media records that were not captured and preserved by the Trump Administration,” Ferriero wrote.
Trump White House staff also “conducted official business using non-official electronic messaging accounts that were not copied or forwarded into their official electronic messaging accounts,” according to the letter.
The National Archives said that they it has already “obtained or is in the process of obtaining some of those records.”
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(WASHINGTON) — In his quest to keep Republicans united and become House speaker, Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy has supported and given money to many of the Republicans who voted to impeach former President Donald Trump last year — with one exception.
In an interview with The Federalist, McCarthy officially endorsed Rep. Liz Cheney’s primary opponent, Harriet Hageman, in her upcoming August primary after hard-right House GOP members pushed him to expel her from the GOP conference.
“After spending time with Harriet, it is readily apparent she will always listen and prioritize the needs of her local communities and is focused on tackling our nation’s biggest problems,” McCarthy, R-Calif., told The Federalist. “I look forward to serving with Harriet for years to come.”
Hageman welcomed McCarthy’s endorsement, releasing a statement saying that she’s “very grateful for Leader McCarthy’s strong support,” and pledges that when she’s Wyoming’s member of Congress, she’ll stand up for the state and do the job she was sent to do.
Hageman continued saying that Cheney, R-Wyo., “has completely lost the ability to do her job of representing Wyoming as [their] only member of the House of Representatives.”
Following McCarthy’s endorsement of Hageman, a Cheney’s spokesperson said in a statement, “Wow. She must really be desperate.”
Party leaders rarely get involved in primaries, especially when it’s an incumbent from their own party seeking reelection.
The endorsement from McCarthy comes as one of the latest attacks on Cheney as she faces a tough reelection year. It was only a few weeks ago the Republican National Committee voted to censure Cheney and Rep. Adam Kinzinger, R-Ill., for their roles on the House committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol. Before that, Cheney was censured by her own state party and voted out of her role as the number three Republican in the House.
“There’s a reason why Liz Cheney is no longer in leadership and has very low poll rating in Wyoming,” McCarthy recently told reporters.
On Friday, Rep. Elise Stefanik, who replaced Cheney on the House Republican’s leadership team, announced her endorsement of Hageman.
Stefanik said Cheney has “abandoned her constituents to become a Far-Left Pelosi puppet” and “sadly belongs in an MSNBC or CNN news chair, not in Congress representing Wyoming—a state that voted for President Trump by over forty points.”
Last September, Hageman has also received support from Trump, who is part of the larger effort to get Cheney elected out of office.
Even though Hageman has received endorsements from major players in the Republican party, she still lags behind Cheney in fundraising. Cheney raised a total of $7.2 million in 2021, breaking her own fundraising record. Moreover, as the 2022 election year ramps up, Hageman’s cash on hand is just $381,000 compared to Cheney’s $4.7 million war chest, according to filings.
The effort to get Cheney out of federal office is at the national and state levels. There’s a push from state lawmakers in Wyoming to pass SF0097 which would end same-day party affiliation change on a primary day.
This could make it more difficult for Democrats and independents who might want to vote for Cheney in the primary. If enacted, voters would need to change their party affiliation three months before the Wyoming primary, scheduled for Aug. 16.
ABC News’ Soorin Kim and Alisa Wiersema contributed to this report
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(WASHINGTON) — Following weeks of speculation about what President Joe Biden’s State of the Union Address on March 1 would look like — amid pandemic safety concerns — all members of Congress have been invited to attend the speech this year, signaling a softening of restrictions.
The House sergeant-at-arms announced in a memo on Thursday that all 535 members of the House and Senate could safely gather in the House chamber on March 1 as pandemic restrictions continue to ease across the country.
The decision to extend the invitation to all members of Congress was made in consultation with the Capitol’s Office of the Attending Physician, according to the memo.
Per the memo, anyone attending the address in person will be required to present a negative PCR test, wear a K/N95 mask, and fill out a health attestation form. Social distancing will still be required. Boosters are “strongly recommended.” Members will also not be permitted to bring guests, as is usually customary in the pre-COVID era.
The memo also noted: “failure to follow guidelines or removal of the mask in the House Chamber will result in the attendee’s removal from the event and/or fines.”
Biden made a speech to a limited audience due to Covid concerns in April 2021. At the time, the chamber was filled to approximately only 20% capacity, and Republicans largely skipped the event altogether.
Typically, there are more than 1,600 people attending presidential speeches. Last year, there were roughly only 200 people in the chamber.
It’s unclear how many, if any, Republicans will attend the address in person this year.
Republicans have loudly complained about the ongoing mask mandate that still exists for anyone entering the House chamber.
Several Republican lawmakers including Reps. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia, Lauren Boebert of Colorado and Thomas Massie of Kentucky have received hundreds of thousands of dollars in fines for refusing to wear masks on the House floor but have characterized the rebukes as badges of honor.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi earlier this month expressed her desire to see a more traditional State of the Union this year.
“There’s a great interest on the part of members to have more full — fuller participation in the State of the Union,” she said.
“With vaccinations and so much happening since last year, I think the people are ready to pivot in a way that shows to the American people we largely have been vaccinated here,” she said. “We think that many more people can participate.”
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(MINNEAPOLIS) — Former Brooklyn Center Police Officer Kim Potter was sentenced to 24 months and a fine of $1,000 on Friday, following her conviction in the death of Daunte Wright, a 20-year-old Black man who was fatally shot during a traffic stop.
Potter will serve 16 months in prison and the remaining eight months on supervised release, a sentence far below what the prosecution sought. Judge Regina Chu acknowledged the sentence was a “significant downward departure” from sentencing guidelines.
“This is one of the saddest cases I have had in my 20 years on the bench,” Chu said when delivering the sentence. “Officer Potter made a mistake that ended tragically, but she never intended to hurt anyone.”
Chu said she received “hundreds” of letters in support of Potter, all of which she said she had read.
The maximum sentence for first-degree manslaughter is 15 years and a $30,000 fine, and for second-degree manslaughter it’s 10 years and a $20,000 fine.
Speaking to reporters outside the courthouse, Arbuey Wright, Daunte Wright’s father, described how upset he is with the sentence Potter was given.
“I walk out of this courthouse feeling like people are laughing at us because this lady got a slap on the wrist and every night we are still waiting around crying, waiting for my son to come home,” he said.
Ben Crump, a lawyer for the Wright family, said the judge’s comments at sentencing “showed a clear absence of compassion for the victim in this tragedy and were devastating to the family.”
“Today’s sentencing of Kim Potter leaves the family of Daunte Wright completely stunned. While there is a small sense of justice because she will serve nominal time, the family is also deeply disappointed there was not a greater level of accountability,” Crump said in a statement.
Before the sentencing, Katie Ann Wright, Daunte Wright’s mother, delivered an emotional and tearful impact statement Friday, asking the judge to give Potter the maximum sentence.
“I will never be able to forgive you for what you have stolen from us,” she said, while addressing Potter during her statement. “You took his future.”
“My life and my world will never be the same,” she said.
In her statement, Katie Ann Wright said she would not be able to give Potter sympathy.
“How do you show remorse when you smile in your mug shot after being sentenced to manslaughter, after taking my son’s life?” she asked.
Katie Ann Wright told the judge that Potter left her family’s world with “so much darkness and heartache.”
She said that Potter never once said her son’s name, only referring to him as “the driver,” which she saw as dehumanizing her son, she said.
“I will continue saying your name until driving while Black is no longer a death sentence,” she said.
In a tearful statement, Potter tearfully apologized to the Wright family and responded to them calling her out for “never looking at them.”
“I didn’t feel like I had the right to look at any of you,” Potter said. “I am so sorry that I hurt you so badly.”
A Minnesota jury convicted Potter, 49, of first-degree and second-degree manslaughter in the April 11, 2021, incident. She had pleaded not guilty to both charges.
Arbuey Wright told the court the killing of his son was because of Potter’s recklessness.
“She was a police office longer than my son was alive,” Arbuey Wright said during his impact statement.
“She also damaged my whole family’s heart. Nothing will be the same. Everything we do as a family ends in tears because all we have is memories left of our son,” he said.
Daunte Wright’s sister, Diamond Wright, also addressed the court, saying how difficult the loss of her brother has been.
“I never thought that my brother would be killed by the same people we are supposed to feel protected by,” Diamond Wright said. “I feel like I have been living in a complete nightmare.”
She had also asked the judge for the maximum sentencing.
“You can’t tell me this was an accident, it is in plain sight,” she said. “How come I have to see my brother in a metal container just to talk to him”
In a court filing on Tuesday, Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison’s office announced they sought 86 months, or seven years and two months, prison time for Potter. Sentences in the state are served concurrently, so Potter only would have served the higher sentence.
The prosecution had also asked that in the event the court sentences Potter to probation, that she serve at least one year in prison “to reflect the seriousness of Daunte Wright’s death,” and that the probation last at least 10 years, according to court documents.
Potter fatally shot Wright after initially pulling him over for an expired registration tag on his car. She then determined he had an outstanding warrant for a gross misdemeanor weapons charge and tried to detain him, according to former Brooklyn Center Police Chief Tim Gannon, who resigned after the incident.
As officers tried to arrest him, Wright freed himself and tried to get back in his vehicle. That’s when, according to Potter’s attorneys, she accidentally grabbed her firearm instead of her stun gun and shot him.
Wright’s death reignited protests against racism and police brutality across the U.S., as the killing took place just outside of Minneapolis, where the trial of Derek Chauvin, a former officer who was convicted of murdering George Floyd, was taking place at the time.
Potter took the stand on the last day of her trial, breaking down in tears and apologizing. “I’m sorry,” she said through sobs, “I didn’t want to hurt anybody.”
The jury deliberated for about four days before reaching a verdict on Dec. 23.
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(MINNEAPOLIS) — Former Brooklyn Center Police Officer Kim Potter was sentenced to 24 months and a fine of $1,000 on Friday, following her conviction in the death of Daunte Wright, a 20-year-old Black man who was fatally shot during a traffic stop.
Potter will serve 16 months in prison and the remaining eight months on supervised release, a sentence far below what the prosecution sought. Judge Regina Chu acknowledged the sentence was a “significant downward departure” from sentencing guidelines.
“I recognize there will be those who disagree with the sentence. That I granted a significant downward departure does not in in any way diminish Daunte Wright’s life. His life mattered. And to those who disagree and feel a longer prison sentence is appropriate, as difficult as it may be, please try to empathize with Ms. Potter’s situation,” Chu said.
Chu said she received “hundreds” of letters in support of Potter, all of which she said she had read.
“This is one of the saddest cases I have had in my 20 years on the bench,” Chu said when delivering the sentence. “Officer Potter made a mistake that ended tragically, but she never intended to hurt anyone.”
A surcharge of $78 will also be taken out of Potter’s prison wages. She already has a credit of 58 days served in jail while awaiting sentencing.
The maximum sentence for first-degree manslaughter is 15 years and a $30,000 fine, and for second-degree manslaughter it’s 10 years and a $20,000 fine.
Speaking to reporters outside the courthouse, Arbuey Wright, Daunte Wright’s father, described how upset he is with the sentence Potter was given.
“I walk out of this courthouse feeling like people are laughing at us because this lady got a slap on the wrist and every night we are still waiting around crying, waiting for my son to come home,” he said.
Ben Crump, a lawyer for the Wright family, said the judge’s comments at sentencing “showed a clear absence of compassion for the victim in this tragedy and were devastating to the family.”
“Today’s sentencing of Kim Potter leaves the family of Daunte Wright completely stunned. While there is a small sense of justice because she will serve nominal time, the family is also deeply disappointed there was not a greater level of accountability,” Crump said in a statement.
Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison in a statement said he accepts the judge’s decision and urged everyone to “accept her judgement.”
“I don’t ask you to agree with her decision, which takes nothing away from the truth of the jury’s verdict. I know it is hurtful to loved ones of Daunte Wright. I ask that we remember the beauty of Daunte Wright, to keep his memory in our hearts, and to know that no number of years in prison could ever capture the wonder of this young man’s life,” Ellison wrote.
“There is no cause for celebration: no one has won. We all have lost, none more than Daunte Wright and the people who love him. None of us ever wanted Kim Potter to recklessly pull the wrong weapon and kill Daunte Wright,” he said.
Before the sentencing, Katie Ann Wright, Daunte Wright’s mother, delivered an emotional and tearful impact statement Friday, asking the judge to give Potter the maximum sentence.
“I will never be able to forgive you for what you have stolen from us,” she said, while addressing Potter during her statement. “You took his future.”
“My life and my world will never be the same,” she said.
In her statement, Katie Ann Wright said she would not be able to give Potter sympathy.
“How do you show remorse when you smile in your mug shot after being sentenced to manslaughter, after taking my son’s life?” she asked.
Katie Ann Wright told the judge that Potter left her family’s world with “so much darkness and heartache.”
She said that Potter never once said her son’s name, only referring to him as “the driver,” which she saw as dehumanizing her son, she said.
“I will continue saying your name until driving while Black is no longer a death sentence,” she said.
Afterward, Potter tearfully apologized to the Wright family and responded to them calling her out for “never looking at them.”
“I didn’t feel like I had the right to look at any of you,” Potter said. “I am so sorry that I hurt you so badly.”
A Minnesota jury convicted Potter, 49, of first-degree and second-degree manslaughter in the April 11, 2021, incident. She had pleaded not guilty to both charges.
Arbuey Wright told the court the killing of his son was because of Potter’s recklessness.
“She was a police office longer than my son was alive,” Arbuey Wright said during his impact statement.
“She also damaged my whole family’s heart. Nothing will be the same. Everything we do as a family ends in tears because all we have is memories left of our son,” he said.
Daunte Wright’s sister, Diamond Wright, also addressed the court, saying how difficult the loss of her brother has been.
“I never thought that my brother would be killed by the same people we are supposed to feel protected by,” Diamond Wright said. “I feel like I have been living in a complete nightmare.”
She had also asked the judge for the maximum sentencing.
“You can’t tell me this was an accident, it is in plain sight,” she said. “How come I have to see my brother in a metal container just to talk to him”
In a court filing on Tuesday, Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison’s office announced they sought 86 months, or seven years and two months, prison time for Potter. Sentences in the state are served concurrently, so Potter only would have served the higher sentence.
The prosecution had also asked that in the event the court sentences Potter to probation, that she serve at least one year in prison “to reflect the seriousness of Daunte Wright’s death,” and that the probation last at least 10 years, according to court documents.
Potter fatally shot Wright after initially pulling him over for an expired registration tag on his car. She then determined he had an outstanding warrant for a gross misdemeanor weapons charge and tried to detain him, according to former Brooklyn Center Police Chief Tim Gannon, who resigned after the incident.
As officers tried to arrest him, Wright freed himself and tried to get back in his vehicle. That’s when, according to Potter’s attorneys, she accidentally grabbed her firearm instead of her stun gun and shot him.
Wright’s death reignited protests against racism and police brutality across the U.S., as the killing took place just outside of Minneapolis, where the trial of Derek Chauvin, a former officer who was convicted of murdering George Floyd, was taking place at the time.
Potter took the stand on the last day of her trial, breaking down in tears and apologizing. “I’m sorry,” she said through sobs, “I didn’t want to hurt anybody.”
The jury deliberated for about four days before reaching a verdict on Dec. 23.
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(NEW YORK) — New Mexico and Virginia this week joined a growing number of states, cities and local communities that are going “mask optional” as omicron variant cases start to decline nationwide.
New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham lifted the state’s indoor mask mandates on Thursday and Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin on Wednesday declared an end to his state’s mask mandates in public schools.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, however, has yet to update its federal guidance on masks, although it is expected to loosen mask guidance as early as next week. The federal agency still recommends that “If you are 2 years or older and are not up to date with your COVID-19 vaccines, wear a mask indoors in public.”
Some experts caution that relaxing COVID-19 safety measures too early may lead to a potential resurgence of the virus in the near future.
In light of changing mask guidance, it’s up to parents to figure out what they’re comfortable with and to convey their decisions to kids. Dr. John Brownstein, an epidemiologist with Boston’s Children Hospital, Dr. Amanda Mintzer, a clinical psychologist with the Child Mind Institute, and Dr. Neha Chaudhary, a child psychiatrist and chief medical officer of BeMe Health, spoke with ABC News’ Good Morning America on the best way families can make that risk-tolerance decision and how to talk to kids and teens.
Mintzer recommended that parents do their due diligence and stay open-minded before deciding what they are comfortable with. She also suggested parents talk to children about respecting other families and their decisions too.
“(It) may be different from the mainstream and that’s OK, too. Everybody has to do what makes them feel comfortable and I would say, as much as we can, encourage our kids to follow the program that we’re setting for them rather than comparing,” she said.
Here are what the experts recommend for parents and caregivers as they navigate questions from children:
Talk together as a family
Brownstein, Mintzer and Chaudhary emphasize that, above all, parents should talk to kids, see what each family member is comfortable with and make decisions collectively.
“The decision really is a family decision and it goes to probably a number of factors, which is whether the child and family are fully vaccinated and whether there’s anybody in the family and household that may have any underlying conditions where you might want that extra level of protection to protect the family,” Brownstein said.
Chaudhary also emphasized a family’s unique circumstances and said to discuss guidance from the CDC and other sources together.
“Framing it as a set of family rules can be helpful when there’s conflicting information out there on what to do, when, or where,” she explained via email.
“I think always remember that kids take their cues from their parents,” Mintzer said. “And so it goes back to values – what is important for your family? If you are a family that really still strongly believes that your child should be masked, despite the fact that let’s say, maybe their school isn’t requiring that, I think it’s about imparting that value to your kids.”
Set an example
Another key to remember? Practice what you preach, Mintzer said.
“You can’t tell your kid to do this (or that), if you’re not doing it as well,” she said.
If a child is frustrated with having to wear a mask, Chaudhary added, “Parents should validate their children’s feelings where they can, by saying things like, ‘I know you’re tired of having to wear a mask. I also wish we didn’t have to anymore,’ while modeling how to manage frustration and still abide by the rules. Kids are always watching parents to see how they handle situations, including frustrating ones.”
Be flexible
One of the biggest lessons from the pandemic has been that guidance continues to evolve, Mintzer said.
“The most important message is encouraging flexibility, that these are changing times and that different government officials are making different decisions and we’re just trying to get the best information that we can,” she said. “It’s hard to be flexible sometimes and sometimes it doesn’t even make sense. It’s important for us to practice going with the flow.”
If you and your family decide to make changes, Mintzer said that it’s important to let kids and teens know that and to know that it’s acceptable to do so.
“I think we want to instill in them that it’s OK to do something different and we want to do what makes us feel good, and we might change our minds, and that’s fine, too,” she said.
Brownstein added, “The important thing here is, there’s no one size fits all. Every family, every child, everyone has a slightly different context by which they make these decisions. And we have to apply the family dynamics with what’s happening in the school with what’s happening in the community to arrive at a decision that makes the most sense. So, it’s not like there’s one right way to do this.”
Use age-appropriate messages
When talking to kids under 5 about mask-wearing and not mask-wearing, “It can help to make the mask-wearing some sort of a game or enjoyable experience,” Chaudhary suggested. “Consider getting a mask with your child’s favorite superhero on it, or putting kids on a point system where they are rewarded for mask-wearing. If masks are no longer required per the guidelines (for example, for kids who are over the age of 2 and vaccinated), parents can just inform kids that the rule has changed.”
For children between 5-11 years old, Chaudhary pointed out, “Kids at this age are focused on rules – understanding what rules apply to them or what happens if they abide by the rules versus break them. Having a frank conversation about what those rules are, why they exist, and what the consequences are can be a helpful starting point for kids in grade school, particularly late elementary through middle school.”
Finally, with teenagers, Chaudhary added, “Ask them what their understanding is of a certain topic. That can serve as a starting point to build off of in explaining guidelines as well as how you as a family expect to approach the guidelines and mask-wearing.”
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(WASHINGTON) — President Joe Biden was set to speak to the nation Friday afternoon on what the White House said are U.S. efforts to ease tensions over Ukraine, amid increased shelling and possible false-flag attacks Russia could use to falsely justify an invasion.
Biden will make remarks after he holds a call with translatlantic leaders to discuss continued efforts at deterrence and diplomacy and what the White House called “Russia’s buildup of military troops on the border of Ukraine.”
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau will participate in the call, along with the leaders of France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Romania, the United Kingdom, the European Union and NATO, according to Trudeau’s office.
On Friday, the leader of Russian-backed separatists in eastern Ukraine called for his supporters to begin a mass evacuation to Russia, claiming Ukraine was readying for an invasion of the region. Ukraine immediately denied the claim.
The Biden administration has repeatedly warned Moscow will likely manufacture Ukrainian provocations to justify an invasion of its smaller neighbor.
Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday warned the situation is “escalating,” appearing to place blame on Ukraine.
“All Kyiv needs to do is sit down at the negotiating table with representatives of Donbas and agree on political, military, economic and humanitarian measures to end the conflict,” Putin said Friday during a news conference alongside the leader of Belarus.
But Putin continues to demand assurances from the west that Ukraine will never join NATO, a concession U.S. officials are unwilling to make.
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(NEW YORK) — The United States continues to warn that Russia could invade Ukraine “any day” amid escalating tensions in the region, with President Joe Biden telling reporters Thursday that the threat is now “very high.”
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Thursday, making urgent remarks to the U.N. Security Council, challenged Moscow to commit to no invasion.
More than 150,000 Russian troops are estimated to be massed near Ukraine’s borders, U.S. officials said. While Russian President Vladimir Putin and the Kremlin claim that some troops have begun to withdraw, Biden said more Russian forces have moved in, contrary to Moscow’s claims.
It remains unclear whether Putin has made a decision to attack his ex-Soviet neighbor.
Russia has denied it plans to invade and issued new demands Thursday that the U.S. and NATO bar Ukraine from joining the military alliance.
Here’s how the news is developing. All times Eastern:
Feb 18, 10:52 am
Putin warns of ‘escalation’ in Donbas, urges Ukraine to negotiate with separatists
Russian President Vladimir Putin warned Friday that the situation in eastern Ukraine is escalating, amid fears Moscow is seeking a pretext to attack its ex-Soviet neighbor.
“Unfortunately, right now we are seeing, on the contrary, an escalation of the Donbas situation,” Putin said at a joint press conference in Moscow on Friday, following a meeting with Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko.
Putin reiterated Russia’s demand that the Ukrainian government engage in direct talks with the Russia-backed separatists in Donbas, a breakaway region of southeastern Ukraine.
“All Kyiv has to do is sit down at the negotiating table with Donbas representatives and agree on the political, military, economic and humanitarian measures to end the conflict,” he said. “The sooner it happens the better.”
Russia has demanded for years that Kyiv negotiate with the separatists directly, but Ukraine has always refused because it views them as Kremlin puppets and it would legitimize Moscow’s false narrative that the ongoing conflict is exclusively a civil war and does not involve Russia.
Putin also stated that the United States and other members of NATO “are not disposed to properly accept” Russia’s key demands for security guarantees that Ukraine will never join NATO and that the military alliance pull its troops back from Eastern Europe. He said Moscow will not accept talking about the other proposals the U.S. has put forward without discussing these top requests.
“We are prepared to follow a negotiating track, on the condition that all aspects are considered in a package, not separately from Russia’s principal proposals, whose implementation is an unconditional priority for us,” he told reporters.
Putin also said he “paid no attention” to the reports in Western media of Feb. 16 being the alleged date of a possible Russian invasion of Ukraine that U.S. officials had given, calling it a “hoax.”
“I honestly just didn’t pay attention to it. There are plenty of hoaxes. Constantly reacting to them is more trouble than it’s worth,” he added. “We do whatever we see fit and will do so further down the road. Of course, we watch what is going on in the world and around us. But we have clear and comprehensible guidelines that correspond with the national interests of the people of Russia and the Russian state.”
Meanwhile, Lukashenko insisted that neither Belarus or Russia want a war and blamed the current tensions on the West. He said the massive joint military exercises currently being held in Belarus with Russia are directed at reinforcing their borders due to “growing military danger,” which he claimed was caused in part by Western countries “pumping Ukraine” with weapons.
“With the military danger growing on our borders and Ukraine being pumped with weapons, Belarus and Russia are forced to look for appropriate ways to repel potential attacks,” Lukashenko told reporters.
But the Belarusian leader also warned that, for the first time in decades, Europe is on the edge of a conflict that could “draw in almost the entire continent.”
“You see that it does not depend even on our neighbors, including Ukraine, anymore. It is also obvious to you who the exacerbation of tensions near our borders depends on,” Lukashenko said. “For the first time in decades, we have ended up on the verge of a conflict, which, unfortunately, is capable of drawing in almost the entire continent, like a vortex.”
“Today, we’re witnessing, in all its glory, irresponsibility and, forgive my frankness, the stupidity of a number of Western politicians,” he added, “and the behavior denying logic and reasonable explanations of the leaders of our neighboring states and their downright morbid desire to walk right on the edge.”
Feb 18, 9:55 am
Blinken: US ‘deeply concerned’ Russia ‘has embarked on’ wrong path
The United States is “deeply concerned” that Russia “has embarked on” the wrong path, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Friday.
Speaking to reporters at the Munich Security Conference in Germany, Blinken said Russia has deployed “additional forces” near neighboring Ukraine, “including leading edge forces that would be part of any aggression.” When asked about the reports of more shelling in eastern Ukraine, Blinken said it’s “part of a scenario that is already in play” for Moscow to claim a pretext for invasion.
“Even as we are doing everything we possibly can to make sure that this diplomatic path, that this has to resolved — differences have to be resolved through dialogue, through diplomacy,” Blinken told reporters, “we are deeply concerned that that is not the path that Russia has embarked on and that everything we’re seeing, including what you’ve described in the last 24 to 48 hours, is part of a scenario that is already in play of creating false provocations, of then having to respond to those provocations and then ultimately committing new aggression against Ukraine.”
Still, Blinken said he remains “hopeful” that the threat of sanctions and the supply of military aid to regional allies from the U.S. and others “will have an impact.”
Feb 18, 9:40 am
Russia-backed separatists announce mass evacuations
Russian-backed separatists in eastern Ukraine have declared a mass evacuation of civilians, while accusing Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of preparing to launch a full-scale invasion against the breakaway regions in the coming days.
Ukraine has immediately denied the claim, but the mass evacuation order is worrying as it raises the prospect the separatists may allege a Ukrainian offensive in the coming days that Russia would use as a pretext to attack its ex-Soviet neighbor.
Denis Pushilin, leader of the self-proclaimed People’s Republic of Donetsk in a breakaway region of southeastern Ukraine known as Donbas, delivered a public address to residents on Friday saying mass, centralized evacuations were now being organized, with women, children and the elderly going first.
Pushilin said the evacuation would be “temporary” and that Russia has agreed to provide evacuation centers in the neighboring Rostov region to house evacuees. The separatists’ leader also called on all able-bodied men to take up arms.
“I again appeal to all men able to hold a rifle in their hands, to come to the defense of their land,” Pushilin said in a televised address.
The announcement came amid a sharp escalation along the front line between Russia-backed separatist forces and Ukrainian government troops, with Ukraine accusing the separatists of unleashing a major bombardment in the past two days. Heavy firing has been reported since Thursday coming from the separatist areas, while the separatists have accused Ukrainian troops of firing on them.
-ABC News’ Patrick Reevell
Feb 18, 8:40 am
US envoy: Russia has up to 190,000 forces, including separatists, menacing Ukraine
The United States believes Russia now has “probably” as many as 190,000 troops, including Russian-backed separatists forces, according to a U.S. envoy, in and around Ukraine amid fears that Russian capabilities of a full-fledged invasion continue to grow.
“We assess that Russia probably has massed between 169,000 to 190,000 personnel in and near Ukraine as compared with about 100,000 on January 30,” Michael Carpenter, U.S. ambassador to the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), said in a statement Friday. “This estimate includes military troops along the border, in Belarus, and in occupied Crimea; Russian National Guard and other internal security units deployed to these areas; and Russian-led forces in eastern Ukraine.”
Unlike this latest assessment, previous estimations by U.S. officials did not include separatist forces in eastern Ukraine.
“While Russia has sought to downplay or deceive the world about their ground and air preparations, the Russian military has publicized its large-scale naval exercises in the Black Sea, Baltic Sea and the Arctic,” Carpenter said. “Russia has publicly said the Black Sea exercise alone involves more than 30 ships, and we assess that amphibious landing ships from the Northern and Baltic Fleets were sent to the Black Sea to augment forces there.”
The OSCE is a Cold War-era European security forum that has deployed a war monitor in eastern Ukraine for years and hosted talks on the current crisis with Russia. Its foundational documents have been used selectively by Moscow to paint Ukraine and NATO as a threat to Russia’s security, even as its envoy in Vienna has largely dismissed dialogue there.
Earlier this week, Ukraine requested an emergency OSCE meeting to demand Russia explain its massive military buildup after Moscow ignored Kyiv’s inquiry. Russia skipped Wednesday’s session just as it did Friday’s, where Carpenter delivered these remarks.
Meanwhile, Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov told his country’s parliament Friday that they assess Russia has about 149,000 troops near their borders.
-ABC News Conor Finnegan and Cindy Smith
Feb 18, 7:45 am
US to sell Poland $6 billion of tanks, more military aid
The United States announced Friday its plans to sell $6 billion of new military aid to Poland, amid the threat of war between neighboring Ukraine and Russia.
The proposed sale includes 250 Abrams main battle tanks, 250 short-range jamming systems that counter improvised explosive devices, 26 combat recovery vehicles, nearly 800 machines guns and much more, according to a press release from the U.S. Department of State.
The announcement came as U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin met with his Polish counterpart in Warsaw to discuss concerns regarding the massive buildup of Russian troops near Ukraine, which U.S. and NATO officials say position Moscow for an imminent invasion. Poland is a key eastern European ally to the U.S. and a fellow member of NATO.
“Some of those forces [are] within 200 miles of the Polish border,” Austin said during a joint press conference in the Polish capital on Friday. “If Russia further invades Ukraine, Poland could see tens of thousands of displaced Ukrainians and others flowing across its border, trying to save themselves and their families from the scourge of war.”
Austin said the U.S. now has an additional 4,700 troops in Poland “who are prepared to respond to a range of contingencies.”
“They will work closely with our State Department and with Polish authorities should there be any need to help American citizens leave Ukraine,” he added.
The planned sale of more military aid to Poland “will support the foreign policy and national security of the United States by helping to improve the security of a NATO Ally that is a force for political stability and economic progress in Europe,” according to the State Department.
“The proposed sale will improve Poland’s capability to meet current and future threats by providing a credible force that is capable of deterring adversaries and participating in NATO operations,” the State Department said in a statement Friday. “Poland will have no difficulty absorbing this equipment into its armed forces.”
-ABC News’ Conor Finnegan
Feb 18, 6:21 am
Kremlin expresses concern about escalation in Donbas
Russia is concerned about the ongoing escalation of tensions in the Donbas region of eastern Ukraine and believes the events unfolding there post a major potential threat, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Friday.
“What is happening in Donbas is very disquieting news, which provokes concern,” Peskov told reporters during a daily call. “It is potentially very dangerous.”
When asked how Putin has been sleeping amid the rising tensions, Peskov said: “Equally well.” He then added after a brief pause: “But with one eye open.”
-ABC News’ Anastasia Bagaeva
Feb 18, 5:56 am
Putin to oversee massive nuclear drills on Saturday
Russian President Vladimir Putin will personally oversee massive drills of his country’s strategic nuclear forces on Saturday, including test launches of ballistic and cruise missiles, the Russian Ministry of Defense announced Friday.
The defense ministry said in a statement that the drills were “planned” as part of large-scale military exercises currently taking place across Russia. Saturday’s drills are meant to check “the preparedness of military commands and crews of missile systems, warships and strategic bombers to accomplish their missions and at verifying the reliability of weapons of strategic nuclear and conventional forces,” according to the defense ministry.
“The exercise will involve forces and hardware belonging to the Aerospace Forces, the Southern Military District, the Strategic Missile Forces, the Northern Fleet, and the Black Sea Fleet,” the defense ministry said.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Putin will be at the defense ministry’s Situational Center during the drills Saturday and that Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko might join him.
“Even test launches of this type are impossible without the head of state,” Peskov told reporters during a daily call Friday. “You all know about his famed ‘black briefcase,’ ‘the red button’ and so on.”
Peskov said the drills shouldn’t cause concern among other countries because they were notified of the upcoming exercises in advance.
When asked whether such drills could exacerbate tensions, Peskov replied: “Exercises and training launches of ballistic missiles are quite a regular training process. It is preceded by a whole series of notifications forwarded to different countries via various channels. All this is precisely regulated and no one has any questions or concerns.”
The drills will also coincide with the finale of the major joint military exercises in neighboring Belarus.
U.S. military officials have previously warned that Russia could conduct these drills now, saying the timing might be in order to signal to the West not to interfere in the event of a Russian invasion of Ukraine.
It’s also another opportunity for posturing as Putin has done many times before, placing himself at the end of demonstrations of military might. In recent years he has repeatedly hailed a range of new Russian nuclear super weapons, including a nuclear-powered cruise missile and hypersonic weapons.
-ABC News’ Anastasia Bagaeva and Patrick Reevell
Feb 18, 4:25 am
Lukashenko to meet Putin in Moscow
Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko will meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow on Friday, as their countries continue to hold massive joint military exercises that Western countries fear could be used to cover up preparations for a possible invasion of neighboring Ukraine.
While Russia and Belarus have said that Russian troops will leave after the drills conclude Sunday, the United States remains concerned they may stay.
Earlier this week, Lukashenko indicated that he and Putin would decide at their meeting Friday how long Russian troops would stay in Belarus. Video released by Belarusian state media showed the authoritarian leader arriving at Moscow’s airport Friday morning.
Russia has moved an unprecedented number of troops into Belarus as part of its wider military build-up near Ukraine. There is an estimated 30,000 Russian troops in Belarus, which is only a few hours drive north of the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv.
Concerns have been heightened because Russia has moved most of the troops from its Eastern Military District in Russia’s Far East, some 6,000 miles away. Among them are many units required for an offensive, including long range artillery, fighter bombers, attack helicopters and airborne troops.
-ABC News’ Patrick Reevell
Feb 17, 9:28 pm
Biden to host meeting of allied leaders Friday: Canada PM’s office
President Joe Biden will host a closed-door meeting on Ukraine Friday with several U.S. allies, according to Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s office.
The leaders of France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Romania, the UK, the EU and NATO will participate in the meeting, Trudeau’s office said while sharing the prime minister’s Friday iterinary.
A White House official confirmed to ABC News that Biden will have a phone call Friday afternoon with transatlantic leaders “about Russia’s buildup of military troops on the border of Ukraine and our continued efforts to pursue deterrence and diplomacy.”
Also on Friday, Vice President Kamala Harris is scheduled to meet with NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg and hold a meeting with the leaders of the Baltic states of Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia, as she travels to Germany for the annual Munich Security Conference, the White House said.
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