US Ambassador to Russia John Sullivan spoke about a way to avoid “catastrophic and tragic violence in Ukraine” by Moscow. About this he stated in an interview with RBC.
Sullivan said the country’s authorities hope the violence can be prevented through diplomatic engagement. He recalled the meeting between US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken and Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on December 2, during which politicians discussed this issue. The diplomat added that, on behalf of US President Joe Biden, despite the differences, he is ready to build stable relations with Moscow.
Talk of an escalation of the conflict in Donbass began amid reports of a concentration of Russian troops near the Ukrainian border this fall. On November 30, Pentagon spokesman John Kirby accused Russia of continuing to build up troops near the border. He said that Washington is “watching with concern” the units of a “combined character” that “continue to assemble on or not on, but close to the Ukrainian border.”
On December 3, US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken warned Russia of “very serious consequences” in an attack on Ukraine. He noted that in the event of renewed aggression by Russia, the response will follow not only from the United States, but also from the European Union.
The Kremlin, in response to the “hysteria” whipped up in the Anglo-Saxon and Ukrainian media, declared that Russia was not going to attack anyone. This was announced by the press secretary of the Russian President Dmitry Peskov.
December 4 Associated Press citing a source in the US presidential administration reportedthat, according to US intelligence services, Russia is planning an invasion of Ukraine. According to the interlocutor of the American edition, Moscow intends to deploy 175,000 servicemen on the Ukrainian border – half of them are already in positions.
Edition of The Washington Post published a map of the planned offensive of Russia, which was “discovered” by American intelligence. According to the document, Moscow will attack on several fronts, involving 100 battalion tactical groups, armored vehicles and artillery. The scale of the forces, according to an anonymous source from the US presidential administration, “is twice that which we saw last spring during Russia’s operational exercises near the borders of Ukraine.” The “plan of attack”, however, uses terms and wording that are not typical of the Russian army. For example, the “tactical group” in the countries of the North Atlantic Alliance is called the reinforcement of a specific unit with additional means of fire support to carry out a combat mission. In Russia, the term “reinforced battalion” is used.
German edition Bild citing sources in NATO and security services statedthat the attack could occur in late January – early February 2022. At the first stage, it is planned to enter from the south of Ukraine in order, according to informed sources, to ensure supplies to Crimea, as well as to cut off Ukraine from the sea.
The head of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR) Denis Pushilin said that Ukraine “is preparing to unleash full-scale hostilities” in the Donbass, which can be seen “from the list of obvious and hidden signs.” He emphasized that in terms of the number of equipment, strained personnel and the hysteria that sounds in Kiev, it is one of the most serious since 2014-2015. At the same time, according to the head of the DPR, anything can happen.
The leader of the DPR called on Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to start negotiations on the “neighborhood” and stressed that it was no longer a question of one state. The politician added that the DPR is counting on its own strength in the event of an invasion of Ukraine, but can turn to Russia for help.
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