{O/C} Negotiations aimed at preventing a Russian incursion into Ukraine appear to be coming apart at the seams.
U.S. President Joe Biden today insinuated during a call with the Ukrainian President that Russia is apt to take military action against Ukraine in February.
Meantime, the U.S. and its allies are doubling down on revealing intelligence findings as they try to make sure Russia's preparations for invading Ukraine will come to nothing.
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By hook or by crook, both sides can manage to avert the crisis. This is what Russian officials are saying amid mounting evidence that suggests Russian President, Vladimir Putin, will give the green light for a further invasion of Ukrainian territory before long.
It goes without saying, the sine qua non of peace is reaching an agreement on the issue.
Nevertheless, during a call with Ukrainian President, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, U.S. President Joe Biden said Russia's earlier comments that Moscow wasn't planning to invade Ukraine rang hollow.
As such, he amplified concerns that Russia is inclined to invade Ukraine, one way or another.
Zelenskyy also tweeted that he and Biden did touch upon the possibility of additional financial support for Ukraine.
The massive Russian military buildup near the Ukrainian border and bellicose statements from Moscow made for the prelude to soaring tensions in recent weeks. The United States and its steadfast NATO allies have both expressed similar concerns that the buildup signals that Russia is waiting in the wings to invade its ex-Soviet neighbour.
Sure enough, the U.S. and the Western alliance resolutely rejected any concessions as regards the gist of Moscow's statement: Ukraine should be barred from joining NATO and must remain politically neutral.
The United States said the ball is in Putin's court now, and if Russia dares invade Ukraine, it will be met with swift and debilitating sanctions, trying to disabuse Putin of the idea of an incursion.
Meantime, the United States announced that the U.N. Security Council is slated to preside over an open meeting next Monday on what is described as Russia's belligerent behaviour. The deployment of more than 100,000 troops along Ukraine's border has long been considered a destabilising act and a clear threat to international peace and security.
With the current state of play unsatisfactory, the U.S. and its allies are also teaming up for naming and shaming Russia as they confront Russian preparations for an incursion into Ukraine, seeking to undercut Putin's plans by making them public in order to besmirch his reputation.
The White House has recently publicised what it called a developing Russian "false-flag" operation to create a pretext for an invasion. In a similar move, Britain singled out a number of Ukrainians whom it alleges have secret ties to Russian intelligence officers, conspiring to depose the current Ukrainian president.
And now, the game is up as the U.S. accused Russia of portraying Ukrainian leaders as aggressors and positioning operatives in eastern Ukraine to carry out acts of sabotage against Russia's proxy forces and then unleash open season on Kiev.
If Russia is also cognisant of what Western countries are doing, it will certainly prove a damp squib.
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