U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Brandon J. Vinson
(WASHINGTON) — Amid tensions over a possible invasion of Ukraine, Russian aircraft intercepted U.S. Navy patrol planes in an “unprofessional” manner three separate times over the weekend, in one incident coming within five feet of an American plane, U.S. officials said Wednesday.
The Boeing-made U.S. P-8A aircraft are designed for anti-submarine and anti-surface warfare as well as intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance missions, according to the Navy.
“The U.S. flight crews were flying in international airspace over the Mediterranean Sea at the time of these intercepts,” DOD spokesman Capt. Mike Kafka said in a statement Wednesday.
CNN was first to report a close encounter between U.S. and Russian aircraft.
The incidents all happened in the same general area of the eastern Mediterranean over several days, a U.S. official told ABC News. The official said it is unclear whether there was any connection with large-scale Russian naval exercises being held there.
The U.S. has used diplomatic channels to raise its concerns to Russian officials, Kafka said.
“While no one was hurt, interactions such as these could result in miscalculations and mistakes that lead to more dangerous outcomes,” he added.
“The U.S. will continue to operate safely, professionally and consistent with international law in international waters and airspace,” Kafka said. “We expect Russia to do the same.”
(NEW YORK) — The United States continues to warn that Russia could invade Ukraine “any day” amid escalating tensions in the region, with Secretary of State Antony Blinken telling ABC News Wednesday the U.S. has seen “no meaningful pullback” of Russian forces and that Russian President Vladimir Putin could “pull the trigger” at any point.
More than 150,000 Russian troops are estimated to be massed near Ukraine’s borders, U.S. President Joe Biden said Tuesday, as U.S. officials have urged all Americans to immediately leave Ukraine.
While Putin and the Kremlin claim that Russia has started to withdraw some troops from near Ukraine’s borders, ABC News has learned Putin had told his military forces to be ready to invade by Wednesday. It remains unclear whether he has made a decision to attack his neighbor. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, meanwhile, celebrated a national “day of unity” Wednesday.
Russia has denied it plans to invade and has demanded the U.S. and NATO bar Ukraine from joining the military alliance.
Latest headlines:
-Russia has added as many as 7,000 troops in last few days, White House official says
-UK’s top military intel officer says Russian buildup continues
-Russian troops in ‘firing positions’: State Dept.
-Biden holds call with German Chancellor Scholz
-Ukriane’s Zelenskyy addresses nation on ‘unity day’
-Moscow claims concern Kyiv preparing for attack against Donbas
Here’s how the news is developing. All times Eastern.
Feb 16, 8:51 pm
Harris to meet with Ukrainian president in Munich this week
Vice President Kamala Harris this week will make one of her most significant foreign policy trips since taking office, heading to Germany to lead the U.S. delegation at the Munich Security Conference — where she will meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
“We are in a very decisive moment,” a senior administration official told reporters as Harris prepared to lead the U.S. delegation, calling it a “resounding signal that engagement with our allies and partners is an absolutely critical part of our overall diplomacy in our approach to this situation.”
During the Wednesday night call, senior administration officials said the tensions with Russia will be a major focus of the vice president’s time abroad, with her schedule featuring a “series of high-stakes, high-level diplomatic talks.”
Harris’ most notable meeting will be with the Ukrainian president on Saturday.
“That’ll be a real opportunity to underscore our commitment to Ukraine sovereignty and territorial integrity and to further coordinate the diplomatic efforts that have been underway to provide economic, and defensive security in Ukraine,” an official said.
Harris is also expected to meet with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, and the leaders of Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia.
She will deliver keynote remarks at the conference, where she is expected to address the situation on Ukraine’s borders — touching on diplomatic, military and economic coordination of allies.
“The vice president will underscore how that unity is a source of strength that will allow us to respond quickly and severely to any further Russian aggression,” an official said.
ABC News’ Molly Nagle
Feb 16, 7:24 pm
Russia has added as many as 7,000 troops in last few days, White House official says
Russia has increased its presence along the Ukrainian border by as many as 7,000 troops in the last few days, with some arriving Wednesday, a senior White House official told ABC News.
The assessment comes a day after the Russian government said it has started to withdraw some troops from near Ukraine’s borders.
The official didn’t comment on the total number of Russian forces currently along the border.
President Joe Biden said Tuesday that Russia has “more than 150,000 troops encircling Ukraine and Belarus and along Ukraine’s border.” It’s unclear if that number includes any of the new troops cited by the official.
Private satellite imaging company Maxar on Wednesday released over two dozen new images from the last 48 hours that continue to show Russia’s heightened military activity in Belarus, Crimea and western Russia.
They include images that show a new 20-strong attack helicopter unit deployed in Belarus, a field hospital in Belarus and a pontoon bridge that has appeared across a river in Belarus, four miles from Ukraine’s border.
At least three of the images indicate some troops have departed or are preparing to depart, according to Maxar, though it’s unclear where the troops are going.
ABC News’ Mary Bruce and Patrick Reevell
Feb 16, 6:11 pm
Biden holds call with German Chancellor Scholz
President Joe Biden had a secure call Wednesday afternoon with German Chancellor Scholz, according to the White House, ahead of Secretary of State Antony Blinken traveling to Germany on Thursday for the Munich Security Conference.
The two leaders “reaffirmed their commitment to Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity” and “underscored the importance of continued transatlantic coordination on diplomacy and deterrence measures,” the White House said.
Scholz visited the Kremlin and met with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday, after meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Kyiv on Monday. The German chancellor has said that war is “unimaginable” and shouldn’t be an option since Ukraine has not formally requested to join NATO, as Russia demands it be barred from doing so.
“That is why it is somewhat peculiar to observe that the Russian government is making something that is practically not on the agenda the subject of major political problems,” Scholz said earlier this week.
“That is, after all, the challenge we are actually facing. That something that is not at all an issue now is being made an issue,” he said.
Feb 16, 5:10 pm
UK’s top military intel officer says Russian buildup continues
British Army Lt. Gen. James Hockenhull, chief of defense intelligence, said Wednesday that the U.K. has also not seen evidence that Russia is withdrawing substantial forces from near Ukraine, matching comments from NATO and U.S. officials.
“We have not seen evidence that Russia has withdrawn forces from Ukraine’s borders. Contrary to their claims, Russia continues to build up military capabilities near Ukraine,” Hockenhull said in a rare public statement.
“This includes sightings of additional armored vehicles, helicopters and a field hospital moving towards Ukraine’s borders. Russia has the military mass in place to conduct an invasion of Ukraine,” he said.
Russian units that are supposedly pulling back appear to actually be returning to their home bases that are already located next to Ukraine. Security analysts say that Russia appears to simply be shuffling its forces for the time being, while more continue to arrive.
France’s Foreign Minister Jean Yves Le Drian in the French Senate Wednesday also said, for now, they are unable to say whether Russian troops are withdrawing or rotating but that Russia has all the elements in place for an attack.
ABC News’ Matt Seyler, Patrick Reevell and Anna Rabe
(LVIV, Ukraine) — NATO’s secretary general warned that Russia appears to still be increasing the number of its troops near Ukraine, despite Moscow announcing it has begun withdrawing some military units from the border.
Ukraine on Wednesday held a nationwide “Unity Day,” hanging flags and holding ceremonies to sing the nation’s anthem on the day that U.S. officials had said a Russian invasion could take place. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy instituted the public holiday in an apparent signal of defiance that also indicated Ukrainian skepticism that an attack would take place.
Russian officials, meanwhile, mocked claims that the attack would materialize Wednesday, saying it illustrated Western “hysteria” around Russia’s buildup of troops close to Ukraine. Russia’s military a day earlier said some of its troops have started to withdraw after completing “exercises” and on Wednesday said that process was continuing, releasing new video showing a trainload of armored vehicles rolling across a bridge from Crimea to Russia.
But NATO’s secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said that despite the few videos released by Russia, the alliance so far sees no evidence of actual withdrawal and that more troops have continued to arrive.
“So far we have not seen any de-escalation on the ground. On the contrary, it appears that Russia continues the military buildup,” Stoltenberg told reporters before a two-day meeting of NATO’s 30 defense ministers in Brussels.
“We are, of course, monitoring very closely what Russia does in and around Ukraine. What we see is that they have increased the number of troops and more troops are on their way and so, so far, no de-escalation,” he said.
But Stoltenberg said the alliance still hoped Russia would choose a diplomatic way out of the crisis, noting recent statements from President Vladimir Putin expressing a readiness to engage with the West.
“Of course, we hear all the messages about diplomacy and we are ready to engage in diplomatic efforts with Russia,” Stoltenberg said.
Russia’s military said units from its western and southern military districts, that have amassed thousands of troops near Ukraine, have begun returning to their bases. The defense ministry on Wednesday said the western military district units had completed loading their tanks onto transports and were now beginning a “1000 kilometer” journey back to their home base.
Russia is continuing to hold huge exercises in neighboring Belarus and in the Black Sea, which are due to run until the end of this week.
Western and Ukrainian officials, as well as independent military analysts have expressed skepticism that the announced moves reflect a true pull-back, noting that previously announced withdrawals have amounted to little more than shuffling forces around.
U.S. officials also said they have not seen a real withdrawal.
“On the contrary, we continue to see forces, especially forces in the vanguard of any renewed aggression against Ukraine, continuing to be at the border, to mass at the border,” Secretary of State Anthony Blinken told ABC’s George Stephanopoulos on “Good Morning America” Wednesday.
Russia has amassed an estimated 150,000 troops on three sides of Ukraine, a presence that includes long-range artillery, advanced aircraft and dozens of attack helicopters. U.S. officials have warned in recent days that some of the troops appear to be moving into “firing positions”.
Satellite photographs from a private company and videos spotted on social media by open source researchers appear to show that for now Russia has continued to move forces closer to the border with Ukraine. A large number of cellphone videos have appeared on TikTok that seem to show convoys of tanks and armored vehicles moving in the Belgorod region that borders Ukraine.
The Russian state newspaper Izvestia cited defense ministry sources that the units re-basing were the western district’s 3rd Motor Rifle Division and the southern district’s 42nd Guards and 150th Motorized-Rifle Division. But analysts said that the units’ home base are located close to Ukraine in any case. The 3rd Motor Rifle Division is based in the town of Boguchar, only about 60 miles from the border. It means the units rather than pulling back from the border are simply moving to a different location along the border.
Belarus’ foreign minister Vladimir Makey said at a press conference on Wednesday that all Russian troops would leave his country after the joint drills end February 20.
U.S. officials continue to believe it is likely Russia will launch a large-scale invasion, potentially as early as this week, although they don’t believe Putin has made a final decision yet. ABC News learned that U.S. officials had briefed allies that Wednesday could be the day of the attack because they had information Putin has ordered his military to be ready to go from that day.
The U.S. assesses that Russia now has all the necessary forces in place to launch a major attack if Putin chooses. It believes such an attack would not be limited to eastern Ukraine but would target the capital Kyiv, aiming to decapitate the government in a lightning strike planned to be over within 72 hours. The operation would be preceded by large-scale cyber-attacks and aerial bombardments against critical infrastructure, before Special Forces enter Kyiv to target Ukraine’s leadership. Russian forces in neighboring Belarus would sweep in from the north, according to the U.S. assessment.
A cyber-attack hit the website of Ukraine’s defense ministry and two of its largest state banks on Tuesday night. The cyber defense department of Ukraine’s national security service said the DDoS attack was very large, but the damage appeared limited, it said due to preparations Ukraine had taken in recent weeks. After some disruption in online payments, the two banks, Privat Bank and the State Savings Bank, said their systems were working again. The security service said the U.S. was assisting Ukraine in protecting itself against the attack.
Ukraine’s government has appeared more skeptical of the invasion risk, with senior officials saying they did not see signs Russia was preparing to attack Wednesday.
President Zelenskyy inspected military exercises in the Rivne region near Belarus, wearing army fatigues. In an address filmed selfie-style on his phone earlier Wednesday, he told Ukrainians, “Our shared desire to live unites us, to live together in peace. We are in Ukraine and no one can defend our home like we can.”
In Lviv, the largest city in western Ukraine, hundreds of cadets at a local military academy gathered around a towering flag pole on Wednesday morning for a ceremony, where they sang the national anthem, which begins “Ukraine is not dead yet.”
(NEW YORKI) — The United States continues to warn that Russia could invade Ukraine “any day” amid escalating tensions in the region.
More than 150,000 Russian troops are estimated to be massed near Ukraine’s borders, President Joe Biden said Tuesday, as U.S. officials have urged all Americans to immediately leave Ukraine.
Biden said that the U.S. has “not yet verified” claims by Russian President Vladimir Putin and the Kremlin that Russia was withdrawing some troops from near Ukraine’s borders.
ABC News has learned Putin had told his military forces to be ready to invade by Wednesday, but it remains unclear whether he has made a decision to attack his neighbor. Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has called for a national day of unity Wednesday.
Russia has denied it plans to invade and has demanded the U.S. and NATO bar Ukraine from joining the military alliance.
Here’s how the news is developing. All times Eastern:
Feb 16, 12:43 pm
Moscow claims concern Kyiv preparing for attack against Donbas
Moscow is concerned that Kyiv might use the current situation to launch an attack against the Russian-controlled areas in the Donbas region of southeastern Ukraine, according to Maria Zakharova, spokesperson for the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
“The events of recent weeks allow us to state with confidence that the goal of this campaign was to create an information curtain to pump up the Kyiv regime with arms,” Zakharova said during a press briefing in Moscow on Wednesday. “There is an understanding that this situation will be used by the Kyiv leadership for a suicidal aggression against Donbas.”
Zakharova said if there is “political will,” the Minsk peace agreements — which were signed in 2014 and 2015 in an unsuccessful effort to end the ongoing conflict between the Ukrainian army and the Russian-backed separatists forces in Donbas — can be implemented within “a few months.” But she warned that “any sudden move” in Ukraine could have “fatal consequences.”
“The hysteria fanned by the West has put severe psychological pressure on the population of Ukraine, but it is up to them to deal with it,” she told reporters. “We are concerned about another thing. It is a country in a hot phase of an internal conflict and, therefore, people’s condition, including their mental state, is important. Because any sudden move, including on the contact line, any shot, any provocation may ultimately lead to some fatal consequences.”
Zakharova noted that Moscow is “no longer interested in” statements made by NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg, whom she called a “NATO has-been.” She was referring to an announcement earlier this month that Stoltenberg will become Norway’s new central bank chief — all but confirming that he will leave his current post as head of the Western defense alliance.
“He is not a person whose statements Moscow would consider serious arguments,” Zakharova told reporters. “We will be focused on a serious conversation if our Western partners are ready for it.”
-ABC News’ Tanya Stukalova
Feb 16, 11:37 am
NATO defense ministers ‘gravely concerned’ by Russian military buildup
In his opening statement ahead of the NATO Defense Ministers meeting on Wednesday, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg welcomed signals from Russia that they’re willing to continue to engage in diplomatic talks — but said NATO officials “have not, so far, seen any sign of de-escalation on the ground.”
NATO Defense Ministers issued a statement after their meeting concluded saying they are “gravely concerned by the very large scale, unprovoked and unjustified Russian military build-up in and around Ukraine and in Belarus.”
“We urge Russia, in the strongest possible terms, to choose the path of diplomacy, and to immediately reverse its build-up and withdraw its forces from Ukraine in accordance with its international obligations and commitments. We remain committed to our dual-track approach to Russia: strong deterrence and defence, combined with openness to dialogue,” the defense ministers said in a statement.
They wrote that NATO is deploying additional land forces in the eastern part of the Alliance, as well as additional maritime and air assets, and has increased the readiness of forces.
“Our measures are and remain preventive, proportionate and non-escalatory. We are prepared to further strengthen our defensive and deterrent posture to respond to all contingencies,” the statement said. “Our commitment to Article 5 of the Washington Treaty is iron-clad. We stand united to defend each other.”
-ABC News’ Christine Theodorou
Feb 16, 9:30 am
US condemns Russian parliament vote to recognize Donbas
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken has condemned a vote by Russia’s parliament to call on Russian President Vladimir Putin to recognize two Russian-controlled breakaway regions in eastern Ukraine as independent.
The Russian parliament passed a law on Tuesday that is a formal appeal to Putin to recognize the self-declared Donetsk and Luhansk people’s republics, in an area of southeastern Ukraine known as the Donbas, where Russian-backed separatists forces have been battling the Ukrainian army since 2014. Such recognition would open a path for Russia to formally annex the two regions as it did the Crimean Peninsula almost eight years ago.
However, Putin indicated Tuesday that he will not immediately recognize the regions.
“To be clear: Kremlin approval of this appeal would amount to the Russian government’s wholesale rejection of its commitments under the Minsk agreements, which outline the process for the full political, social, and economic reintegration of those parts of Ukraine’s Donbas region controlled by Russia-led forces and political proxies since 2014,” Blinken said in a statement Wednesday. “Enactment of this resolution would further undermine Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, constitute a gross violation of international law, call in further question Russia’s stated commitment to continue to engage in diplomacy to achieve a peaceful resolution of this crisis, and necessitate a swift and firm response from the United States in full coordination with our allies and partners.”
Blinken did not specify what that response would be.
Feb 16, 8:52 am
Blinken: US has seen ‘no meaningful pullback’ of Russian forces
While the Russian Ministry of Defense said some of its troops positioned near Ukraine’s border would begin returning to their bases, Secretary of State Antony Blinken told ABC News’ Good Morning America on Wednesday that the U.S. has seen “no meaningful pullback” and described the situation as “deeply, deeply concerning.”
“On the contrary, we continue to see forces, especially forces in the vanguard of any renewed aggression against Ukraine, continuing to be at the border, to mass at the border,” Blinken said, emphasizing the choice to deescalate is squarely on Russian President Vladimir Putin.
“President Putin’s put in place the capacity to act on very short notice,” he said. “He can pull the trigger — he could pull it today. He could pull it tomorrow. He could pull it next week. The forces are there if he wants to renew aggression against Ukraine.”
Amid some tensions between U.S. and Ukrainian officials over the level of urgency here, Blinken defended Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, saying the former comedian is “taking it very seriously. He’s trying to maintain calm. He doesn’t want his people to panic. That’s the right thing to do. But I think the Ukrainians are taking it very, very seriously.”
ABC News Anchor George Stephanopoulos asked Blinken directly if the threat of attack in Ukraine is “today greater than it was yesterday.”
“From day to day, George, you can’t say it’s higher or lower. It’s there. It’s there. It’s real. We haven’t seen a pullback. We’d like to see one. If we see one, we would welcome it,” Blinken said. “We’re prepared for diplomacy. We’re prepared for aggression prepared either way.”
Feb 16, 8:31 am
Kremlin reacts to Biden’s speech on Russia
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Wednesday that Russia has “grown tired” of listening to “threats,” referring to U.S. President Joe Biden’s speech the previous night.
“We’d prefer not to listen to various sorts of threats as to what would happen to us if we did something that we have no intention of doing,” Peskov told reporters during a daily call.
If the United States did not issue warnings about a Russian invasion of Ukraine and threaten consequences, then perhaps the Russian people would like Americans more, Peskov said.
“We have pretty much grown tired of [the threats],” he added. “If we heard such messages that would be free of threats, the Russian people would probably like them much more.”
Peskov noted that Russia hopes it would be able to begin a “negotiating process” with the U.S. over the Kremlin’s demands for security guarantees that Ukraine will not join NATO, as well as confidence building measures such as limits on missile deployments and troops exercises.
Biden during his speech Tuesday night again ruled out any guarantee on Ukraine’s potential NATO membership, saying the U.S. will not sacrifice fundamental principles and that countries have a right to choose their alliances. The Biden administration, however, has offered to engage with Russia on the confidence-building measures, which Western nations have put forward in the hope of persuading the Kremlin to choose a diplomatic route out of the crisis.
Feb 16, 7:48 am
Kremlin criticizes ‘Western hysteria’ around possible invasion
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Wednesday that while he expects the “hysteria” in Western media outlets about the threat of a Russian invasion to continue, he hopes foreign journalists will ultimately admit that they were wrong.
During a daily call with reporters, Peskov was asked whether Western media reports that Russia would attack Ukraine on Wednesday could be described as the culmination of “information hysteria.”
“Frankly, the way the Western hysteria is developing indicates there is still a long way until culmination. There won’t be a remission any time soon, we should be patient,” Peskov said. “Still, it is very important that Western media outlets, in this case, the British ones, say at least at the end of every day that their predictions have been wrong.”
Feb 16, 6:55 am
Russia says some troops returning to base after loading up tanks
The Russian Ministry of Defense said Wednesday that troops from its Western Military District massed near Ukraine have completed loading their tanks and are now returning to their bases, some 1,000 kilometers (over 620 miles) away.
“Personnel of the units of the Western Military District’s tank army have finished loading their tanks and tracked armored hardware onto flatbed railcars and have embarked on a 1,000-kilometer march using various means of transportation back to their permanent bases upon completion of their routine drills,” the defense ministry said in a statement.
Russia has currently deployed forces from all of its military districts near Ukraine. The Russian military has said that the Western and Southern Military Districts are returning to their bases. Meanwhile, units from Russia’s Eastern Military District remain in Belarus, having traveled some 10,000 kilometers (over 6,200 miles) there.
Feb 16, 6:33 am
NATO: ‘Russia continues their military build-up’
NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg warned Wednesday that Russia has still shown no signs of de-escalation on the ground, despite claims of withdrawing troops from near Ukraine.
“We have heard the signs from Moscow about the readiness to continue diplomatic efforts, but so far we have not seen any de-escalation on the ground,” Stoltenberg said during a press conference outside NATO headquarters in Brussels. “On the contrary, it appears that Russia continues their military build-up.”
NATO continues to monitor the situation “very closely,” as it remains unclear whether Russia is pulling back, according to Stoltenberg.
“What we see is that they have increased the number of troops and more troops are on their way,” he told reporters. “So, so far, no de-escalation but of course, we hear also the message about diplomacy and we are ready to engage in diplomatic efforts with Russia.”
Stoltenberg explained that the Russian military has “always moved forces back and forth.”
“So, just that we see movement of forces of battle tanks doesn’t confirm a real withdrawal,” he said. “It has been a big up and down, back and forth, all the way, but the trend over the last weeks and months has been a steady increase in the Russian capabilities close to Ukraine’s borders. So Russia retains the capability of a full-fledged invasion of Ukraine without any warning time.”
As of Wednesday morning, there were still approximately 100,000 Russian troops at Ukraine’s borders, including in Belarus, according to Stoltenberg, who said he hopes the dialogue with Russia will continue and that the claims of withdrawal are true “because nobody has any interest in confrontation or war in Europe.”
“We are at a pivotal moment in the history of Ukraine, Europe and global stability,” he added. “We look forward to seeing evidence of the withdrawal of troops on Russia’s part, but we need to prepare for any eventuality, with that significant escalation of Russian troops that we have seen over the last weeks and months.”
Stoltenberg’s comments came ahead of a meeting of the military alliance’s defense ministers, including U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, to discuss the current crisis.
Feb 16, 5:36 am
Russia releases video showing more troops leaving Crimea
The Russian military released more videos on Wednesday morning purportedly showing troops pulling back from Moscow-annexed Crimea.
The footage aired on Russian state media, with one video showing a trainload of armour being carried across the Russian-built bridge that connects the Russian-controlled Crimean Peninsula to Russia’s mainland. Another video shows military trucks driving out of Crimea across the bridge, which Russian state media described as support troops leaving “exercises.”
However, officials in the West and regional analysts continue to caution that they have not yet seen significant movements of Russian troops pulling back from near Ukraine’s borders.
Meanwhile, massive military exercises continue in neighboring Belarus and are not due to finish until Sunday. Belarusian Minister of Foreign Affairs Vladimir Makei said Wednesday that “not a single” Russian soldier will remain in the country once those drills end.
Feb 16, 5:05 am
Zelenskyy wishes Ukrainians ‘a happy day of unity’
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy wished citizens “a happy day of unity” on Wednesday.
Zelenskyy had said on Monday evening that instead of Feb. 16 being “the day of the attack,” he would make it “the day of unity” and declared an impromptu national holiday.
ABC News has learned that Russian President Vladimir Putin had told his military forces to be ready to invade Ukraine by Wednesday, but it remains unclear whether he has made a decision to attack the neighboring country.
“We are all united by our wish to live, to live in peace, to live a happy life with our families, parents and children. We have the full right to all of this, because we’re at home here, in Ukraine,” Zelenskyy said in an address on social media Wednesday morning. “Nobody will love our home as much as we do, and nobody can defend our home as we can. I wish you a happy unity day, my blue-yellow ones, a happy day of unity of Ukraine, in the east and west, in the south and north. It works only together, and when it works, we’re strong.”
(NEW YORK) — The United States continues to warn that Russia could invade Ukraine “any day” amid escalating tensions in the region.
More than 150,000 Russian troops are estimated to be massed near Ukraine’s borders, U.S. President Joe Biden said Tuesday, as U.S. officials have urged all Americans to immediately leave Ukraine.
Biden said Tuesday that the U.S. has “not yet verified” claims by Russian President Vladimir Putin and the Kremlin that Russia was withdrawing some troops from near Ukraine’s borders.
ABC News has learned Putin had told his military forces to be ready to invade by Wednesday, but it remains unclear whether he has made a decision to attack his neighbor. Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has called for a national day of unity Wednesday.
Russia has denied it plans to invade and has demanded the U.S. and NATO bar Ukraine from joining the military alliance.
Here’s how the news is developing Wednesday. All times Eastern:
Feb 16, 9:30 am
US condemns Russian parliament vote to recognize Donbas
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken has condemned a vote by Russia’s parliament to call on Russian President Vladimir Putin to recognize two Russian-controlled breakaway regions in eastern Ukraine as independent.
The Russian parliament passed a law on Tuesday that is a formal appeal to Putin to recognize the self-declared Donetsk and Luhansk people’s republics, in an area of southeastern Ukraine known as the Donbas, where Russian-backed separatists forces have been battling the Ukrainian army since 2014. Such recognition would open a path for Russia to formally annex the two regions as it did the Crimean Peninsula almost eight years ago.
However, Putin indicated Tuesday that he will not immediately recognize the regions.
“To be clear: Kremlin approval of this appeal would amount to the Russian government’s wholesale rejection of its commitments under the Minsk agreements, which outline the process for the full political, social, and economic reintegration of those parts of Ukraine’s Donbas region controlled by Russia-led forces and political proxies since 2014,” Blinken said in a statement Wednesday. “Enactment of this resolution would further undermine Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, constitute a gross violation of international law, call in further question Russia’s stated commitment to continue to engage in diplomacy to achieve a peaceful resolution of this crisis, and necessitate a swift and firm response from the United States in full coordination with our allies and partners.”
Blinken did not specify what that response would be.
Feb 16, 8:52 am
Blinken: US has seen ‘no meaningful pullback’ of Russian forces
While the Russian Ministry of Defense said some of its troops positioned near Ukraine’s border would begin returning to their bases, Secretary of State Antony Blinken told ABC News’ Good Morning America on Wednesday that the U.S. has seen “no meaningful pullback” and described the situation as “deeply, deeply concerning.”
“On the contrary, we continue to see forces, especially forces in the vanguard of any renewed aggression against Ukraine, continuing to be at the border, to mass at the border,” Blinken said, emphasizing the choice to deescalate is squarely on Russian President Vladimir Putin.
“President Putin’s put in place the capacity to act on very short notice,” he said. “He can pull the trigger — he could pull it today. He could pull it tomorrow. He could pull it next week. The forces are there if he wants to renew aggression against Ukraine.”
Amid some tensions between U.S. and Ukrainian officials over the level of urgency here, Blinken defended Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, saying the former comedian is “taking it very seriously. He’s trying to maintain calm. He doesn’t want his people to panic. That’s the right thing to do. But I think the Ukrainians are taking it very, very seriously.”
ABC News Anchor George Stephanopoulos asked Blinken directly if the threat of attack in Ukraine is “today greater than it was yesterday.”
“From day to day, George, you can’t say it’s higher or lower. It’s there. It’s there. It’s real. We haven’t seen a pullback. We’d like to see one. If we see one, we would welcome it,” Blinken said. “We’re prepared for diplomacy. We’re prepared for aggression prepared either way.”
Feb 16, 8:31 am
Kremlin reacts to Biden’s speech on Russia
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Wednesday that Russia has “grown tired” of listening to “threats,” referring to U.S. President Joe Biden’s speech the previous night.
“We’d prefer not to listen to various sorts of threats as to what would happen to us if we did something that we have no intention of doing,” Peskov told reporters during a daily call.
If the United States did not issue warnings about a Russian invasion of Ukraine and threaten consequences, then perhaps the Russian people would like Americans more, Peskov said.
“We have pretty much grown tired of [the threats],” he added. “If we heard such messages that would be free of threats, the Russian people would probably like them much more.”
Peskov noted that Russia hopes it would be able to begin a “negotiating process” with the U.S. over the Kremlin’s demands for security guarantees that Ukraine will not join NATO, as well as confidence building measures such as limits on missile deployments and troops exercises.
Biden during his speech Tuesday night again ruled out any guarantee on Ukraine’s potential NATO membership, saying the U.S. will not sacrifice fundamental principles and that countries have a right to choose their alliances. The Biden administration, however, has offered to engage with Russia on the confidence-building measures, which Western nations have put forward in the hope of persuading the Kremlin to choose a diplomatic route out of the crisis.
Feb 16, 7:48 am
Kremlin criticizes ‘Western hysteria’ around possible invasion
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Wednesday that while he expects the “hysteria” in Western media outlets about the threat of a Russian invasion to continue, he hopes foreign journalists will ultimately admit that they were wrong.
During a daily call with reporters, Peskov was asked whether Western media reports that Russia would attack Ukraine on Wednesday could be described as the culmination of “information hysteria.”
“Frankly, the way the Western hysteria is developing indicates there is still a long way until culmination. There won’t be a remission any time soon, we should be patient,” Peskov said. “Still, it is very important that Western media outlets, in this case, the British ones, say at least at the end of every day that their predictions have been wrong.”
Feb 16, 6:55 am
Russia says some troops returning to base after loading up tanks
The Russian Ministry of Defense said Wednesday that troops from its Western Military District massed near Ukraine have completed loading their tanks and are now returning to their bases, some 1,000 kilometers (over 620 miles) away.
“Personnel of the units of the Western Military District’s tank army have finished loading their tanks and tracked armored hardware onto flatbed railcars and have embarked on a 1,000-kilometer march using various means of transportation back to their permanent bases upon completion of their routine drills,” the defense ministry said in a statement.
Russia has currently deployed forces from all of its military districts near Ukraine. The Russian military has said that the Western and Southern Military Districts are returning to their bases. Meanwhile, units from Russia’s Eastern Military District remain in Belarus, having traveled some 10,000 kilometers (over 6,200 miles) there.
Feb 16, 6:33 am
NATO: ‘Russia continues their military build-up’
NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg warned Wednesday that Russia has still shown no signs of de-escalation on the ground, despite claims of withdrawing troops from near Ukraine.
“We have heard the signs from Moscow about the readiness to continue diplomatic efforts, but so far we have not seen any de-escalation on the ground,” Stoltenberg said during a press conference outside NATO headquarters in Brussels. “On the contrary, it appears that Russia continues their military build-up.”
NATO continues to monitor the situation “very closely,” as it remains unclear whether Russia is pulling back, according to Stoltenberg.
“What we see is that they have increased the number of troops and more troops are on their way,” he told reporters. “So, so far, no de-escalation but of course, we hear also the message about diplomacy and we are ready to engage in diplomatic efforts with Russia.”
Stoltenberg explained that the Russian military has “always moved forces back and forth.”
“So, just that we see movement of forces of battle tanks doesn’t confirm a real withdrawal,” he said. “It has been a big up and down, back and forth, all the way, but the trend over the last weeks and months has been a steady increase in the Russian capabilities close to Ukraine’s borders. So Russia retains the capability of a full-fledged invasion of Ukraine without any warning time.”
As of Wednesday morning, there were still approximately 100,000 Russian troops at Ukraine’s borders, including in Belarus, according to Stoltenberg, who said he hopes the dialogue with Russia will continue and that the claims of withdrawal are true “because nobody has any interest in confrontation or war in Europe.”
“We are at a pivotal moment in the history of Ukraine, Europe and global stability,” he added. “We look forward to seeing evidence of the withdrawal of troops on Russia’s part, but we need to prepare for any eventuality, with that significant escalation of Russian troops that we have seen over the last weeks and months.”
Stoltenberg’s comments came ahead of a meeting of the military alliance’s defense ministers, including U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, to discuss the current crisis.
Feb 16, 5:36 am
Russia releases video showing more troops leaving Crimea
The Russian military released more videos on Wednesday morning purportedly showing troops pulling back from Moscow-annexed Crimea.
The footage aired on Russian state media, with one video showing a trainload of armour being carried across the Russian-built bridge that connects the Russian-controlled Crimean Peninsula to Russia’s mainland. Another video shows military trucks driving out of Crimea across the bridge, which Russian state media described as support troops leaving “exercises.”
However, officials in the West and regional analysts continue to caution that they have not yet seen significant movements of Russian troops pulling back from near Ukraine’s borders.
Meanwhile, massive military exercises continue in neighboring Belarus and are not due to finish until Sunday. Belarusian Minister of Foreign Affairs Vladimir Makei said Wednesday that “not a single” Russian soldier will remain in the country once those drills end.
Feb 16, 5:05 am
Zelenskyy wishes Ukrainians ‘a happy day of unity’
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy wished citizens “a happy day of unity” on Wednesday.
Zelenskyy had said on Monday evening that instead of Feb. 16 being “the day of the attack,” he would make it “the day of unity” and declared an impromptu national holiday.
ABC News has learned that Russian President Vladimir Putin had told his military forces to be ready to invade Ukraine by Wednesday, but it remains unclear whether he has made a decision to attack the neighboring country.
“We are all united by our wish to live, to live in peace, to live a happy life with our families, parents and children. We have the full right to all of this, because we’re at home here, in Ukraine,” Zelenskyy said in an address on social media Wednesday morning. “Nobody will love our home as much as we do, and nobody can defend our home as we can. I wish you a happy unity day, my blue-yellow ones, a happy day of unity of Ukraine, in the east and west, in the south and north. It works only together, and when it works, we’re strong.”
(HONG KONG) — Chinese President Xi Jinping has told Hong Kong officials to “take all necessary steps” to contain the city’s worst coronavirus outbreak to date.
Hong Kong — which went for months without any daily cases last year — reported a record 4,285 daily cases on Wednesday, driven by the highly transmissible omicron variant.
Speaking with pro-Beijing media, Xi said Hong Kong authorities “should earnestly assume the main responsibility and regard the rapid stabilization and control of the epidemic as the current overriding task.”
Hong Kong’s leader Carrie Lam said she appreciated Xi’s concern and will work to unite the city to defeat the virus. Lam is doubling down on the city’s no-tolerance approach to the virus, despite escalating infections in the densely populated city.
Several public hospitals are overwhelmed and running out of beds.
Outside one hospital in the Sham Shui Po district, dozens of patients, many of them elderly, could be seen lying on hospital beds outside in a makeshift triage area, waiting for space to free up in the chilly weather. Rain is forecast in the coming days.
Hong Kong Hospital Authority official Sara Ho said, “We also feel very sorry for letting the elderly wait outside in such unfavorable conditions.”
Under the city’s “dynamic zero-infection” strategy, people who test positive cannot currently isolate themselves at home, even if they have mild or no symptoms. As a result, thousands are waiting to be admitted to hospitals or quarantine facilities.
The Hong Kong government is looking at ways to handle the bottleneck, including the possibility of turning hotels, housing estates and student housing into isolation facilities. There are also talks of building a makeshift mass hospital to cope with the surge, much like the one quickly constructed in Wuhan at the very start of the pandemic.
A special fleet of several hundred taxis will soon begin transporting COVID-19 patients with mild symptoms to and from their homes to designated clinics for treatment.
Beijing said it will assist Hong Kong with resources to fight the outbreak, including sending rapid antigen tests, medical expertise and workers.
Officials say there is currently no plan for a city-wide lockdown, like those that have been implemented in mainland Chinese cities like Xi’an.
Hong Kong reported nine COVID deaths on Wednesday, including a 3-year-old girl, the city’s youngest pandemic fatality so far.
Currently, only about 64% of Hong Kong’s population has received two doses of a COVID-19 vaccine. Rates among the elderly population are less than 30%.
(NEW YORK) — The United States continues to warn that Russia could invade Ukraine “any day” amid escalating tensions in the region.
More than 150,000 Russian troops are estimated to be massed near Ukraine’s borders, U.S. President Joe Biden said Tuesday, as U.S. officials have urged all Americans to immediately leave Ukraine.
Biden said Tuesday that the U.S. has “not yet verified” claims by Russian President Vladimir Putin and the Kremlin that Russia was withdrawing some troops from near Ukraine’s borders.
ABC News has learned Putin had told his military forces to be ready to invade by Wednesday, but it remains unclear whether he has made a decision to attack his neighbor. Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has called for a national day of unity Wednesday.
Russia has denied it plans to invade and has demanded the U.S. and NATO bar Ukraine from joining the military alliance.
Here’s how the news is developing Wednesday. All times Eastern:
Feb 16, 8:31 am
Kremlin reacts to Biden’s speech on Russia
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Wednesday that Russia has “grown tired” of listening to “threats,” referring to U.S. President Joe Biden’s speech the previous night.
“We’d prefer not to listen to various sorts of threats as to what would happen to us if we did something that we have no intention of doing,” Peskov told reporters during a daily call.
If the United States did not issue warnings about a Russian invasion of Ukraine and threaten consequences, then perhaps the Russian people would like Americans more, Peskov said.
“We have pretty much grown tired of [the threats],” he added. “If we heard such messages that would be free of threats, the Russian people would probably like them much more.”
Peskov noted that Russia hopes it would be able to begin a “negotiating process” with the U.S. over the Kremlin’s demands for security guarantees that Ukraine will not join NATO, as well as confidence building measures such as limits on missile deployments and troops exercises.
Biden during his speech Tuesday night again ruled out any guarantee on Ukraine’s potential NATO membership, saying the U.S. will not sacrifice fundamental principles and that countries have a right to choose their alliances. The Biden administration, however, has offered to engage with Russia on the confidence-building measures, which Western nations have put forward in the hope of persuading the Kremlin to choose a diplomatic route out of the crisis.
Feb 16, 7:48 am
Kremlin criticizes ‘Western hysteria’ around possible invasion
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Wednesday that while he expects the “hysteria” in Western media outlets about the threat of a Russian invasion to continue, he hopes foreign journalists will ultimately admit that they were wrong.
During a daily call with reporters, Peskov was asked whether Western media reports that Russia would attack Ukraine on Wednesday could be described as the culmination of “information hysteria.”
“Frankly, the way the Western hysteria is developing indicates there is still a long way until culmination. There won’t be a remission any time soon, we should be patient,” Peskov said. “Still, it is very important that Western media outlets, in this case, the British ones, say at least at the end of every day that their predictions have been wrong.”
Feb 16, 6:55 am
Russia says some troops returning to base after loading up tanks
The Russian Ministry of Defense said Wednesday that troops from its Western Military District massed near Ukraine have completed loading their tanks and are now returning to their bases, some 1,000 kilometers (over 620 miles) away.
“Personnel of the units of the Western Military District’s tank army have finished loading their tanks and tracked armored hardware onto flatbed railcars and have embarked on a 1,000-kilometer march using various means of transportation back to their permanent bases upon completion of their routine drills,” the defense ministry said in a statement.
Russia has currently deployed forces from all of its military districts near Ukraine. The Russian military has said that the Western and Southern Military Districts are returning to their bases. Meanwhile, units from Russia’s Eastern Military District remain in Belarus, having traveled some 10,000 kilometers (over 6,200 miles) there.
Feb 16, 6:33 am
NATO: ‘Russia continues their military build-up’
NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg warned Wednesday that Russia has still shown no signs of de-escalation on the ground, despite claims of withdrawing troops from near Ukraine.
“We have heard the signs from Moscow about the readiness to continue diplomatic efforts, but so far we have not seen any de-escalation on the ground,” Stoltenberg said during a press conference outside NATO headquarters in Brussels. “On the contrary, it appears that Russia continues their military build-up.”
NATO continues to monitor the situation “very closely,” as it remains unclear whether Russia is pulling back, according to Stoltenberg.
“What we see is that they have increased the number of troops and more troops are on their way,” he told reporters. “So, so far, no de-escalation but of course, we hear also the message about diplomacy and we are ready to engage in diplomatic efforts with Russia.”
Stoltenberg explained that the Russian military has “always moved forces back and forth.”
“So, just that we see movement of forces of battle tanks doesn’t confirm a real withdrawal,” he said. “It has been a big up and down, back and forth, all the way, but the trend over the last weeks and months has been a steady increase in the Russian capabilities close to Ukraine’s borders. So Russia retains the capability of a full-fledged invasion of Ukraine without any warning time.”
As of Wednesday morning, there were still approximately 100,000 Russian troops at Ukraine’s borders, including in Belarus, according to Stoltenberg, who said he hopes the dialogue with Russia will continue and that the claims of withdrawal are true “because nobody has any interest in confrontation or war in Europe.”
“We are at a pivotal moment in the history of Ukraine, Europe and global stability,” he added. “We look forward to seeing evidence of the withdrawal of troops on Russia’s part, but we need to prepare for any eventuality, with that significant escalation of Russian troops that we have seen over the last weeks and months.”
Stoltenberg’s comments came ahead of a meeting of the military alliance’s defense ministers, including U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, to discuss the current crisis.
Feb 16, 5:36 am
Russia releases video showing more troops leaving Crimea
The Russian military released more videos on Wednesday morning purportedly showing troops pulling back from Moscow-annexed Crimea.
The footage aired on Russian state media, with one video showing a trainload of armour being carried across the Russian-built bridge that connects the Russian-controlled Crimean Peninsula to Russia’s mainland. Another video shows military trucks driving out of Crimea across the bridge, which Russian state media described as support troops leaving “exercises.”
However, officials in the West and regional analysts continue to caution that they have not yet seen significant movements of Russian troops pulling back from near Ukraine’s borders.
Meanwhile, massive military exercises continue in neighboring Belarus and are not due to finish until Sunday. Belarusian Minister of Foreign Affairs Vladimir Makei said Wednesday that “not a single” Russian soldier will remain in the country once those drills end.
Feb 16, 5:05 am
Zelenskyy wishes Ukrainians ‘a happy day of unity’
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy wished citizens “a happy day of unity” on Wednesday.
Zelenskyy had said on Monday evening that instead of Feb. 16 being “the day of the attack,” he would make it “the day of unity” and declared an impromptu national holiday.
ABC News has learned that Russian President Vladimir Putin had told his military forces to be ready to invade Ukraine by Wednesday, but it remains unclear whether he has made a decision to attack the neighboring country.
“We are all united by our wish to live, to live in peace, to live a happy life with our families, parents and children. We have the full right to all of this, because we’re at home here, in Ukraine,” Zelenskyy said in an address on social media Wednesday morning. “Nobody will love our home as much as we do, and nobody can defend our home as we can. I wish you a happy unity day, my blue-yellow ones, a happy day of unity of Ukraine, in the east and west, in the south and north. It works only together, and when it works, we’re strong.”
(NEW YORK) — While Russia’s defense ministry said Tuesday that some forces would pull back from Ukraine’s borders after completing military exercises, the U.S. has so far not seen that, President Joe Biden said in an address to the nation.
But worrying U.S. officials, Russians troops are instead moving forward closer to the line, including with medical supplies, and being put into firing positions, sources told ABC News.
The U.S. believes that Russia now has all the necessary pieces in place, including 150,000 troops in the region, to launch a swift and brutal invasion of Ukraine, the sources added — the reason why Biden administration officials have now publicly been saying Russia could move “at any time.”
In particular, ABC News has learned that Russian leader Vladimir Putin had told his military forces to be ready to go by Wednesday, Feb. 16, but it is still unclear whether he has made a decision to attack his neighbor.
The Russian government has denied any plans to invade Ukraine and repeatedly accused the U.S. of “hysteria” with these increasingly urgent warnings about one.
“After Russian troops finish drills and return to barracks, the West will declare ‘diplomatic victory’ by having ‘secured’ Russian ‘de-escalation’ — a predictable scenario and cheap domestic political points,” Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Saturday, according to the country’s foreign ministry.
The U.S. believes an invasion would likely begin with electronic warfare and aerial bombardment against critical infrastructure, the sources said, followed by special operations forces entering Kyiv to decapitate the Ukrainian government and resupplying troops entering from Belarus — with plans to complete their operations in 24 to 72 hours.
During his remarks Tuesday, Biden confirmed that Russian troops “remain very much in a threatening position” — warning that an invasion remains “distinctly possible” and would inflict an “enormous” human toll.
But Biden said the U.S. would welcome Moscow pulling back its forces and engaging in diplomatic talks on U.S. and NATO proposals, on issues like arms control and transparency over military exercises.
While Lavrov said Moscow’s response to those proposals would be transmitted in the coming days, Putin said that Russia’s key demands were being ignored — that Ukraine be barred from joining NATO and that the Western military alliance pull back its forces from Eastern European member states.
The U.S. and NATO have said those are nonstarters — issues that only the alliance itself or individual countries can decide and not under Russian pressure.
“This is about more than just Russia and Ukraine. It’s about standing for what we believe in, for the future that we want for our world, for liberty — for liberty, the right of countless countries to choose their own destiny, and the right of people to determine their own futures, or the principle that a country can’t change its neighbor’s borders by force,” Biden said at the White House.
Biden and Putin spoke Saturday — their first conversation in over a month — while their top diplomats Lavrov and Secretary of State Antony Blinken have spoken twice now in recent days. While the door to continued dialogue remains open, both sides have indicated, there are concerns Russia may resort to war even as it negotiates.
Russia already seized Ukrainian territory when it annexed Crimea in 2014, and since then, it has fomented a war against Ukrainian troops by arming and financing separatists in Ukraine’s eastern provinces known as Donbas. Russian parliament passed a resolution Tuesday calling on Putin to recognize them as independent republics — something Putin indicated he would not yet do.
But sources said if Russia attacks Ukraine, it would likely not be against a small slice of territory in Donbas, but a bloody, brutal and swift campaign to topple President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s administration and install a puppet government.
Amid the heightened U.S. fears, the U.S. has also been concerned that Zelenskyy’s government hasn’t responded quickly enough and isn’t better prepared for a potential Russian invasion, sources said, including the positioning of its forces in eastern Ukraine.
U.S. officials have been urging better preparedness for two months now, the sources added, but President Zelenskyy and his inner circle have been both intent on staving off a panic and persistent in a belief that Moscow wouldn’t invade.
While some U.S. officials doubt Putin is bluffing given the costs, financial and political, of the buildup, many analysts have been skeptical of dire U.S. assessments — with some saying Putin is achieving his ultimate objective: destabilizing an increasingly democratic Ukraine aligned with the West.
“Putin has the hard experience of humiliation in Chechnya that tells him that while Russia might eventually be able to conquer Ukraine, they can’t hold it, and with any crossing of the border they will pay a very high price in blood and treasure,” said retired Col. Stephen Ganyard, a former senior State Department official and now an ABC News contributor. “If he fails in Ukraine, it could be his rule that ends as well.”
In particular, Ganyard said, a Russian invasion is still facing warm, wet weather conditions that make tank movements and aerial bombardment difficult, while the number of massed Russian troops still pales compared to Ukraine’s forces, especially if Russian troops have to occupy a country the size of Texas.
Biden made clear the U.S. still hopes for a diplomatic off-ramp and for Putin to decide against invasion, even as they continue to make preparations for one — from increased military aid for Ukraine, to coordination with European allies and others on sanctions.
Since Russia’s buildup began, allies and partners have come together quickly to prepare a year’s worth of sanctions work in the last six weeks, sources said, including export controls that could devastate Russia’s economy.
But the U.S. is concerned that Russia could maintain its troop buildup and other ways of pressuring Ukraine short of taking military action — and that that could start to splinter the Western coalition’s unity.
Biden made reference to the economic pain that could be felt at home in the U.S., including elevated energy prices because of Russia’s major role as an oil and gas exporter.
“But the American people understand that defending democracy and liberty is never without cost,” Biden said — adding his administration was taking “active steps to alleviate the pressure on our own energy markets.”
(NEW YORK) — The United States continues to warn that Russia could invade Ukraine “any day” amid escalating tensions in the region.
More than 150,000 Russian troops are estimated to be massed near Ukraine’s borders, U.S. President Joe Biden said Tuesday, as U.S. officials have urged all Americans to immediately leave Ukraine.
Biden said Tuesday that the U.S. has “not yet verified” claims by Russian President Vladimir Putin and the Kremlin that Russia was withdrawing some troops from near Ukraine’s borders.
ABC News has learned Putin had told his military forces to be ready to invade by Wednesday, but it remains unclear whether he has made a decision to attack his neighbor. Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has called for a national day of unity Wednesday.
Russia has denied it plans to invade and has demanded the U.S. and NATO bar Ukraine from joining the military alliance.
Here’s how the news is developing Wednesday. All times Eastern:
Feb 16, 5:36 am
Russia releases video showing more troops leaving Crimea
The Russian military released more videos on Wednesday morning purportedly showing troops pulling back from Moscow-annexed Crimea.
The footage aired on Russian state media, with one video showing a trainload of armour being carried across the Russian-built bridge that connects the Russian-controlled Crimean Peninsula to Russia’s mainland. Another video shows military trucks driving out of Crimea across the bridge, which Russian state media described as support troops leaving “exercises.”
However, officials in the West and regional analysts continue to caution that they have not yet seen significant movements of Russian troops pulling back from near Ukraine’s borders.
Meanwhile, massive military exercises continue in neighboring Belarus and are not due to finish until Sunday. Belarusian Minister of Foreign Affairs Vladimir Makei said Wednesday that “not a single” Russian soldier will remain in the country once those drills end.
Feb 16, 5:05 am
Zelenskyy wishes Ukrainians ‘a happy day of unity’
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy wished citizens “a happy day of unity” on Wednesday.
Zelenskyy had said on Monday evening that instead of Feb. 16 being “the day of the attack,” he would make it “the day of unity” and declared an impromptu national holiday.
ABC News has learned that Russian President Vladimir Putin had told his military forces to be ready to invade Ukraine by Wednesday, but it remains unclear whether he has made a decision to attack the neighboring country.
“We are all united by our wish to live, to live in peace, to live a happy life with our families, parents and children. We have the full right to all of this, because we’re at home here, in Ukraine,” Zelenskyy said in an address on social media Wednesday morning. “Nobody will love our home as much as we do, and nobody can defend our home as we can. I wish you a happy unity day, my blue-yellow ones, a happy day of unity of Ukraine, in the east and west, in the south and north. It works only together, and when it works, we’re strong.”
(NEW YORK) — The United States is warning that Russia could invade Ukraine “any day” amid escalating tensions in the region.
As many as 150,000 Russian troops are estimated to be massed near Ukraine’s borders and U.S. officials have urged all Americans to leave Ukraine as well as neighboring Belarus and part of Moldvoa.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced Monday that the nation was shuttering its embassy in Kyiv and “temporarily” relocating the small group of diplomats left in Ukraine to the western city of Lviv, citing the “rapid acceleration in the buildup of Russian forces.”
But Ukrainian officials have said they do not see signs of a Russian attack as soon as Wednesday — the date reportedly given to NATO allies — and called for a day of unity instead.
Russia has demanded the U.S. and NATO bar Ukraine from joining the military alliance and pull back troops from Eastern European member states, while denying it has plans to invade Ukraine.
Latest headlines:
-Biden addresses American public on importance of Ukraine
-Biden warns Putin of ‘self-inflicted wound’ if Russia invades Ukraine
-Biden says Russian troops remain in a ‘threatening position’
-US reiterates need to confirm any Russian de-escalation
-Biden won’t announce new policy in remarks: White House
Here’s how the news is developing. All times Eastern.
Feb 15, 4:41 pm
Biden addresses American public on importance of Ukraine
President Joe Biden warned the American people that any conflict over Ukraine with Russia would not be “painless” at home either, particularly when it comes to energy prices, although he said his administration is taking active steps to try to prevent any disruption.
“To be clear, if Russia decides to invade, that would also have consequences here at home. But the American people understand that defending democracy and liberty is never without cost,” Biden said. “I will not pretend this will be painless. There could be impact on our energy prices, so we’re taking active steps to alleviate the pressure on our own energy markets and offset raising prices,” he added.
The president went on to explain why he felt the situation justifies U.S. involvement, saying that “this is about more than just Russia and Ukraine.”
“It’s about standing for what we believe in, for the future that we want for our world, for liberty, for liberty, the right of countless countries to choose their own destiny. And the right of people to determine their own futures, or the principle that a country can’t change its neighbor’s borders by force,” Biden said. “If we do not stand for freedom where it is at risk today, we’ll surely pay a steeper price tomorrow.”
Biden also reiterated his administration’s call for all Americans to depart Ukraine “now — before it’s too late to leave safely,” and speaking directly to the Russian people, said they were “not the enemy.”
“I do not believe you want a bloody destructive war and Ukraine, a country and people with whom you share deep ties of family, history and culture,” he said.
ABC News’ Molly Nagle and Sarah Kolinovsky
Feb 15, 3:55 pm
Biden warns Putin of ‘self-inflicted wound’ if Russia invades Ukraine
President Joe Biden warned Russian President Vladimir Putin in remarks from the White House on Tuesday that if Russia invades Ukraine, the U.S. is prepared to respond decisively and in unison with NATO allies.
“If Russia attacks Ukraine, it would be a war of choice or a war without cause or a reason. I say these things not to provoke but to speak the truth. Because the truth matters. Accountability matters,” Biden said, drawing a distinction between the circumstances now and seen in WWII.
Biden said if Russia invades in the days or weeks ahead, the human costs for Ukraine and strategic cost for Russia would be “immense” — and acknowledged Americans “would also have consequences here at home” if the energy market is hit.
“If Russia attacks Ukraine, it will be met with overwhelming international condemnation,” Biden said. “The world will not forget that Russia chose needless death and destruction. Invading Ukraine will prove to be a self-inflicted wound. The United States and our allies and partners will respond decisively. The West is united and galvanized.”
He added, “Defending democracy and liberty is never without cost.”
Feb 15, 3:40 pm
Biden says Russian troops remain in a ‘threatening position’
President Joe Biden delivered an update from the White House on the status of Ukraine’s border and said the U.S. has “not yet verified” that Russian troops have pulled back as the Kremlin has claimed.
“We have not yet verified that the Russian military units are returning to their home bases. Indeed, our analysts remain that they remain very much in a threatening position,” Biden said from the White House East Room.
Biden emphasized that the U.S. believes the best way forward is through diplomacy and de-escalation but placed the ball in Putin’s court.
“The United States is prepared, no matter what happens. We are ready with diplomacy — to be engaged in diplomacy with Russia. And our allies and partners to improve stability and security in Europe as a whole. And we are ready to respond decisively to a Russian attack on Ukraine, which is still very much a possibility,” he said.
Feb 15, 2:16 pm
US reiterates need to confirm any Russian de-escalation
Secretary of State Antony Blinken told his Russian counterpart, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, that the U.S. “looks forward” to receiving Russia’s response to U.S. and NATO proposals “within the coming days,” according to his spokesperson Ned Price, with both sides noting again in readouts of their call Tuesday there is continued space for diplomatic talks.
Blinken “reiterated our ongoing concerns that Russia has the capacity to launch an invasion of Ukraine at any moment and emphasized the need to see verifiable, credible, meaningful de-escalation,” Price said, in a nod to Russia’s claims that it has started pulling some troops back, even though U.S. officials say they haven’t verified that yet.
On the Russian side, Lavrov “stressed” to Blinken the “need to continue the joint work” on dialogue, including on “the set of issues raised by Russia with emphasis on the principle of indivisible security,” according to the Russian Foreign Ministry.
Lavrov and Blinken also discussed “future exchanges at various levels,” the Foreign Ministry added. The two are expected to speak again once that Russian response has been transmitted — and possibly meet in person.