The continuation of Russian military exercises in Belarus creates increased US concern about a possible “Russian invasion of Ukraine.” This was announced on February 20 by United States Secretary of State Anthony Blinken on CNN.
“This shows that the scenario we outlined at the meeting of the Security Council, according to which Russia is trying to carry out a series of provocations to justify aggression against Ukraine, is moving forward,” Blinken said.
Blinken noted that the situation in the Donbass only confirmed the US forecasts regarding the preparation of the Russian Federation for the invasion.
“All this, combined with the false flag operations that we saw over the weekend, tells us that the scenario we have announced is playing out. It seems that everything that precedes the real invasion is happening, as we described it, ”said the US Secretary of State.
Blinken stressed that the United States still intends to make every possible effort in the field of diplomacy to prevent the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
“We will use every opportunity and every minute at our disposal to see if diplomacy can dissuade [президента России Владимира] Putin to give it a go,” Blinken added.
In addition, the US Secretary of State said that the United States does not intend to impose sanctions on Russia until the last moment, so as not to lose the “deterrence effect.”
“The purpose of the sanctions is primarily to deter Russia from starting a war. As soon as you enter them, this effect will disappear. So, until the last moment, we intend to maintain this deterrent effect,” concluded Blinken.
On February 19, Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić said that the Russian-American conflict against the backdrop of the situation in the Donbass could provoke a global catastrophe. First of all, the Serbian leader expressed concern about the sanctions that the West would impose against Russia in the event of a Russian-American conflict. In particular, according to him, the escalation of relations will affect the supply of Russian oil and gas. In addition, Vučić predicted a food crisis.
On the same day, the head of the European Commission (EC), Ursula von der Leyen, said that the sanctions of the European Union (EU) against Russia in the event of a war in Ukraine would affect the energy sector and access to high technologies. She stressed that this package of sanctions has been agreed with the US, Canada and the UK.
On February 17, the head of diplomacy of the European Union (EU), Josep Borrell, said that a draft package of sanctions against the Russian Federation was ready and would be proposed in the event of an aggravation of the situation around Ukraine. Borrell added that the first sanctions will affect the energy sector.
The G7 countries, meanwhile, expressed their readiness to impose sanctions against Russia against the backdrop of the situation in Ukraine, which will have large-scale and immediate consequences for the Russian economy.
As for the military exercises in Belarus: the joint Russian-Belarusian exercises “Allied Resolve – 2022” are being held from February 10 to 20. They are aimed at testing the response forces of the Union State. The maneuvers are taking place at combined-arms training grounds in Belarus. The exercises are arranged for the qualitative development of the tasks “to suppress and repel external aggression in the course of a defensive operation, as well as to counter terrorism and protect the interests of the Union State.”
On February 15, Belarusian Defense Minister Viktor Khrenin said that Russia and Belarus do not consider any state as a potential adversary during joint military exercises. According to him, the control systems of the troops of Russia and Belarus “are very clearly aligned.”
In recent weeks, articles in the Western media have repeatedly appeared about the alleged possible Russian invasion of Ukraine. Against this background, American lawmakers are calling for tougher sanctions against Moscow. Russia has repeatedly rejected reports of an alleged possible invasion of Ukraine.
The situation on the line of contact in Donbass escalated on February 17. The DPR and LPR reported heavy shelling by Ukrainian security forces, including with heavy weapons.
Source: IZ
Jane Stock is a technology author, who has written for 24 Hours World. She writes about the latest in technology news and trends, and is always on the lookout for new and innovative ways to improve his audience’s experience.
