First modification:
This Friday, the United States Pentagon assured that Russia is looking for a “pretext” to invade Ukraine, and that it could fabricate a false attack to intervene in the neighboring country. After a week of talks between NATO and Russia, the consensus reached is scarce and the tension in the region remains latent.
Tensions in the border areas of Russia are growing inexorably. This Friday, John Kirby, the spokesman for the US Pentagon, said that Russia is “looking for a pretext” to invade Ukraine, an accusation amid talks about the presence of the Atlantic Alliance in Russian areas of interest.
From the Pentagon they claimed to have information that Russia has positioned a group of troops to “orchestrate” an operation designed to enter Ukrainian soil, something that could generate major repercussions at the international level.
The United States had already announced its concerns in this regard. On Thursday, Secretary to National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said the chances of a Russian invasion of Ukraine were “high.” He also threatened possible retaliation: if the invasion materializes, the US will apply forceful sanctions on Russian strategic sectors.
And this January 14 the accusations continue. According to Kirby, the Russian strategy will be to argue an attack against Russian troops, or their allies in Ukraine, in order to enter the country and escalate the conflict.
“State media have already started trying to justify some pretext for an incursion in advance,” the Pentagon spokesman said at a news conference on Friday.
However, despite the clear escalation of tensions, in a slightly more conciliatory tone, the diplomat assured that “he does not believe” that President Vladimir Putin has made the decision to attack Ukraine. In his speech, he also indicated his desire for “democracy to prevail.”
However, the warning of “serious consequences” remains on the table.
Russia, about to “lose patience” in the negotiations with NATO
The week of negotiations between Russia and NATO does not seem to have brought the positions of the two sides closer together. Indeed, as the US blamed Russia for trying to occupy Ukraine, top Russian officials issued another warning: Moscow’s patience is at an end.
“We are waiting for a written response from our colleagues. We believe that they understand the need to do it immediately and to do it in writing. We will not wait forever,” Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said during a public appearance.
💬 Foreign Minister Sergey #Lavrov: We do not accept in any way the appearance of troops from the #NATO right on our borders, taking into account the course followed by Ukraine.
❗ These are the red lines. The patience of Russia [con las acciones de Occidente] has come to an end. pic.twitter.com/3HeRlx8NBT
— Russian Foreign Ministry 🇷🇺 (@mae_rusia) January 14, 2022
And it is that Russia is willing to give in and offer guarantees to the Atlantic Alliance, as long as it moves away from its borders and areas of influence. In this regard, the US has promised to respond to Russia’s proposals within a week or so.
This proposes reaching a security treaty in which NATO renounces all military activity in Eastern Europe, Central Asia and the Caucasus and that the US withdraws its nuclear weapons from the entire continent, among other approaches. Movements that would reduce the military and arms power of the US in Europe.
According to the US, Russia has about 100,000 operatives on the border with Ukraine. For its part, the American country is an ally of Ukraine, to whom it gives military assistance with about 200 troops, a figure that could increase. Or so predicts Moscow, which assured that it expects an increase in NATO’s presence “in the next two or three months” in its vicinity, under the pretext of increased tensions around Ukraine.
During his speech, Lavrov also assured that the European Union (EU) could have a place in the talks – along with NATO – if it so wishes. However, he stressed the importance of the US being at the forefront of these since, according to Russia, it is the one that defines security policy in Europe and in other parts of the world.
With EFE and Reuters
.