According to Blinken, the Olympics would not prevent an invasion

On Friday, the US Secretary of State acknowledged that new Russian troops were massed on the border with Ukraine.

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Antony Blinken is the US Secretary of State.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken assured on Friday that the Russia was amassing even more troops on the border with Ukraine and warned that a invasion during the Winter Olympics might not be ruled out. “We are in a period where an invasion might start at any time, and to be clear, that includes the Olympics,” he said, sweeping the speculations that Moscow would wait until the end of the Beijing Games, which end on February 20, to avoid overshadowing its Chinese ally.

“To put it simply, we continue to see very disturbing signs of a Russian escalation,” Antony Blinken explained following a meeting with his Quad partners, which includes Australia, India, the Japan and the United States, in Melbourne.

US citizens urged to leave Ukraine

According to the American diplomat, the United States “would much prefer to resolve differences” with Russia “through diplomacy”. “We have made every effort to discuss with Russia,” he said. “But at the same time, we have been very clear regarding strengthening deterrence and defence, and we have made it clear to Russia that if it chooses the path of further aggression, it will face major consequences.” .

Antony Blinken made the remarks shortly following US President Joe Biden asked Americans in Ukraine to leave the country, a sign that war might be approaching. “American citizens have to go, they have to go now,” he urged in an interview on NBC News. “We are dealing with one of the largest armies in the world. It’s a very different situation, things might quickly get out of control.

‘Very real possibility’

Joe Biden’s national security adviser also spoke on Friday, confirming Antony Blinken’s fears. A Russian military invasion of Ukraine, marked by a massive campaign of air raids and a “rapid attack” on Kiev, is a “very real possibility” in the coming days, the White House also warned on Friday, urging Americans to leave the country “within 24 to 48 hours”. “We continue to see signs of Russian escalation, including the arrival of new forces on the Ukrainian border,” said Jake Sullivan. This invasion can “intervene at any time”, including before the end of the Beijing Olympics scheduled for February 20, he added to the press.

In this context of tensions pushed to their climax, the allies have reached a “remarkable level of unity” once morest Russia, assured Jake Sullivan, warning Russia that if it decided to invade Ukraine, its influence would be affected. “diminished”. “Whatever happens, the West is more united than it has been for years, NATO has grown stronger,” assured the adviser.

Despite an alarmist vocabulary, the White House national security adviser clarified that the United States was “not saying” as long as Vladimir Putin had made his final decision.