Yesterday at 18:58
Joe Biden told American citizens to get out of Ukraine immediately and insisted that US troops will not be involved in any rescue missions if Russia invades. The US President stated this during an interview with NBC News.
“American citizens should leave now. We’re dealing with one of the largest armies in the world. It’s a very different situation and things could go crazy quickly… That’s a world war. When Americans and Russians start shooting one another, we’re in a very different world,” Joe Biden warned.
World leaders, meanwhile, continued their frenzied diplomacy to defuse the current crisis over Ukraine – leaders and highest diplomats of France, UK, Germany, Poland, Austria, Spain, Slovakia, Romania, and other countries have visited Ukraine during the last few weeks to show their solidarity with Kyiv and give a clear warning signal to Putin.
Read also: Number of troops at Ukraine-Russia border gradually increasing, – Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Kuleba
NATO is considering the long-term deployment of battlegroups, such as those already in place in the Baltic States and Poland, in the Black Sea region, including Romania. “This is probably the most dangerous moment, I would say, in the course of the next few days, in what is the biggest security crisis that Europe has faced for decades, and we’ve got to get it right,” PM Johnson said.
In addition, Russia is considering nonessential embassy staff withdrawal from Ukraine.
Majorities across the EU believe Russia to invade Ukraine in 2022, a recent European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR) survey shows. Poles are among the most pessimistic nations – 73% of respondents believe the war is very likely or quite likely.
On February 10, large-scale exercises of the Russian and Belarusian armies with the use of heavy military equipment began in Belarus. Ukraine’s Western partners fear that Russia could use these exercises as a pretext to attack Ukraine.
Read also: Ukraine begins Blizzard-2022 defense drills
At the same time, Russia is conducting training in the Voronezh region and plans to conduct drills in the Rostov region, which borders Ukraine. It is also reported that the Russian-occupied territories of Donbas and Crimea will be reinforced.
In addition, Russia is blocking Black, Azov Seas, Kerch Strait waters under the pretext of naval drills. Ukraine’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has voiced a strong protest against such Russia’s steps.
