Speaking with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmitro Kuleba at the State Department, Blinken said the US is “concerned by reports of unusual Russian military activity,” and is monitoring Russia’s activity “very closely.”
“Our concern is that Russia may make a serious mistake in attempting to resume what it did in 2014, when it gathered forces along the border, entered sovereign Ukrainian territory and falsely claimed he was instigated,” Blinken said. Russia’s invasion of Crimea. “So the playbook we’ve seen in the past was to claim some provocation as an argument for doing this, what it was intended and what was planned to be done. That’s why we’re looking at it very carefully. “
The top US diplomat also reiterated America’s commitment to Ukraine’s sovereignty and independence, calling it “ironclad”.
In a post on his Facebook page on Wednesday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky thanked the US for its support and intelligence that he shared about the situation.
“Our Western partners have provided data on the active movement of Russian troops on the Ukrainian border and the increase in their concentration,” he wrote. “First of all, we are very grateful to our partners for this information. This is evidence of Ukraine’s support.”
He echoed Blinken’s remarks about Russia’s playbook, saying that “from [the] On the Russian side, we hear allegations that it is Ukraine that is delaying the peace process. … I hope that now the whole world can clearly see who really wants peace and who is concentrating about 100,000 troops on our border.”
‘Demotivate them’
Kuleba also said that the US and Ukraine shared “elements” with each other regarding Russian military activities on Wednesday. “What we heard and saw today in Washington, DC, matches our own findings and analysis, adds some new elements, which allows us to get a better and more comprehensive picture,” he said.
Blinken and Kuleba addressed reporters at the conclusion of a strategic dialogue that led to the signing of the Ukraine-US Strategic Partnership. The Ukrainian official thanked the US for deepening defense and security cooperation “to help Ukraine build its defense capability, as well as to prevent Russia from taking further aggressive action.”
“The best way to stop an aggressive Russia is to make it clear to the Kremlin that Ukraine is strong,” Kuleba said. “I have reiterated on several occasions that the Russian offensive against Ukraine will end on the day Ukraine’s place as part of the West is institutionalized and undoubtedly. Today, we have taken another important step in that direction.”
Blinken said the US would continue to “consult closely with allies and partners” about Russia’s military movements. On Friday, the US sent a formal diplomatic note to NATO allies to provide additional intelligence and request further coordination in response to irregular military activity, known as a demarche, a person familiar with the message said.
“As we make clear, any aggressive or aggressive action will be of great concern to the United States,” Blinken said on Wednesday. He said the US would continue to support a diplomatic solution to the conflict in eastern Ukraine and de-escalating tensions in the region.
alert and flexible
Kuleba indicated that finding a diplomatic route could be difficult. The Ukrainian diplomat warned, pointing to various Russian attempts to destabilize Europe – including its coercive use of energy supplies, “propaganda attempts, propaganda, cyberattacks, military buildups, Russia’s attempts to digest Belarus” That “in this complex game, we have to be alert, we have to be flexible.”
The joint press appearance is the latest effort by the Biden administration to demonstrate support for Ukraine, some of which has happened behind closed doors.
In response, Petrushev did not deny that Russia was accumulating military units in the region, four people briefed on the discussion said. This was in contrast to the Kremlin’s recent claim that satellite images showing such construction including self-propelled guns, battle tanks and infantry fighting vehicles at a training ground about 186 miles from the border were “low-quality”. and “Owling.”
‘Big question…’
The exact number of new Russian forces currently present there is unclear. An official told CNN that the number of units in the area has increased by about two-thirds in recent weeks.
But US officials believe military activity in western Russia is unregulated, multiple sources told CNN. For one thing, it is the off-season for military exercises in Russia. Some of the units on the ground are too far from their headquarters, said Michael Kaufman, a specialist in Russian military studies at the Center for Naval Analysis.
“The big question is, why are units in the Central Military District 3,000 miles away from their garrisons hanging on for the winter?” he said. “It is difficult to find an intuitive explanation for the military activity that is taking place.”
Two people familiar with the intelligence said Russian special forces, known as Spetsnaz, were also there. Special Forces extend hybrid combat capabilities, such as psychological operations.
Still, US officials and outside experts say they do not see signs that Russia is preparing to launch an offensive in the coming days or weeks. They don’t yet see what’s known as the “logistics tail,” for example—the supply lines that would be needed for any army to launch a combat operation.
Those sources say Russia is in a position to be able to launch a military operation in the coming months, perhaps as early as January. Kaufman said missing material, such as a logistics tail, can be submitted at short notice.
Sources told CNN that after their meetings in Russia, Burns spoke to Zelensky on the phone in an attempt to defuse tensions. A senior State Department official was also sent to Kiev on Thursday to support those efforts.
A flurry of high-level diplomacy underscores how seriously the Biden administration is taking the latest Russian military movements, even after building on earlier ones this spring that ultimately did not strike anew . Tensions between Ukraine and Russia have also been heightened in recent weeks by a deepening Ukrainian energy crisis, which Kiev believes has been deliberately provoked by Moscow.
“The buildup, coupled with energy blackmail, suggests a more aggressive Russian currency,” an adviser to Zelensky told CNN.
Pentagon press secretary John Kirby said Friday that the “scale” and “size of the units we are seeing” from Russia is “unusual”.
“We continue to monitor this closely, and as I have said before, any aggressive or aggressive action by Russia will be of great concern to the United States,” he said.
This story has been updated with additional reporting.
CNN’s Jennifer Hansler, Michael Conte, Christian Sierra, Barbara Starr, Katie Bo Lillis and Zachary Cohen contributed to this report
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