Pentagon: Putin has not made a final decision to invade Ukraine
A US Defense Department spokesman told a news conference in Washington on Monday evening that the United States did not believe Russian President Vladimir Putin had made the final decision to invade Ukraine, but that he could do so without warning or warning. Increases along the common border of the two countries.
A Pentagon spokesman added that the Russian president was adding to his options by increasing its ground, sea and air forces.
Kirby explained that Putin is increasing his list of options with the kind of capabilities he has acquired through the military on land, sea and air.
The Pentagon official added: “Putin has developed a combined weapons capability on land. He has infantry and armored forces. He has also added air and missile defense and attack systems.
A Pentagon spokesman continued: “Putin has also strengthened his naval presence. He has added at least six ships capable of carrying land to the Black Sea that have one goal, and that is to bring troops to shore.
Acknowledging that Putin has significant naval power in the Black Sea, Kirby noted that Putin has also added stability so that Russian forces can remain on the ground for longer.
A Pentagon spokesman said: “We have certainly seen an increase in transport and support capabilities in recent weeks, so it is very clear that if he decides he can keep these forces on the battlefield for a longer period of time.
According to two sources familiar with the recent assessments, there are currently about 130,000 Russian troops or more on the Ukrainian border, according to CNN.
US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin will travel to Belgium, Poland and Lithuania to meet with NATO defense ministers in Belgium as tensions between his country and Russia escalate over Ukraine.
The US State Department has ordered the closure of the Ukrainian embassy in the Ukrainian capital, Kiev, and its relocation to the western city of Lviv.
US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken said in a statement on Monday that Washington was moving its embassy from Kiev to Lviv in western Ukraine due to an increase in Russian troops on the border with Ukraine.
According to CNN, the US Secretary of State stated that I have ordered these measures for one reason only, which is the security of our employees, and I strongly urge American citizens who are still in Ukraine to leave Ukraine immediately.
Moscow has repeatedly stated that it has no intention of launching a military strike on Ukraine and is seeking security guarantees that will prevent the development of a US-led military alliance (NATO).
US-Western relations with Russia have been strained since 2014 following the annexation of the Crimean peninsula; The West has repeatedly sanctioned Russia on the pretext of Russian interference in Ukraine’s internal affairs, but Moscow denies the West’s claim.