US President Joe Biden. yunhap newsThe situation in Ukraine, which seemed to be overcoming a turning point with the withdrawal of some troops from Russia, is falling into chaos once more.
On the 17th (local time), the US government raised the possibility of a Russian invasion of Ukraine once more.
The United Nations (UN) was set as the stage.
Secretary of State Anthony Blincoln, under the direction of US President Joe Biden, attended the UN Security Council hastily.
The Security Council meeting was convened by Russia, the presiding country, in February.
It was regarding to highlight Ukraine’s war crimes in relation to the previous day’s clash between the Ukrainian army and pro-Russian militia in the eastern Donbas Autonomous Region.
However, Secretary Blincoln, who attended unexpectedly, came under the spotlight.
In a speech to the Security Council that drew global attention today, Secretary Blincoln said he believes Russia has decided to invade Ukraine within days.
“If Russia does not invade Ukraine, we will be relieved that Russia has changed its plans and our predictions are wrong,” he said, but also disclosed a scenario of a possible Russian invasion.
Russia has now gathered more than 150,000 troops near Ukraine and is preparing for an all-out invasion, including ground forces, aircraft, and ships, targeting the capital Kiev in the future.
He introduced that U.S. intelligence officials expect Russia to start a war in a series of simultaneous wars, starting with a manufactured pretext.
As ‘pretexts for invasion’ of Russia, they listed violence triggered by Russia itself and outrageous accusations once morest Ukraine.
yunhap newsSpecifically, they mentioned manipulation of bombing in Russia, discovery of genocide tombs, set-up attacks using drones, or actual attacks using chemical weapons.
It also suggested the possibility of ethnic cleansing or genocide.
Blincoln predicted that the Russian government might hold an emergency meeting to discuss emergency measures in the future.
It is also speculated that a statement will be issued calling for action to be taken to protect Russian citizens and Russians living in Ukraine, as they did in Georgia in 2008.
Russian media activities were also foreshadowed.
The Russian media will try to fuel violence (which will be used as an excuse for an invasion).
It was predicted that the start of the invasion would be the destruction of major Ukrainian institutions, including missiles and bombs, communication disruptions and cyberattacks.
He added that he would advance toward pre-planned targets, including the capital Kiev.
In response, the Russian side refuted Blincoln’s claim, arguing that Ukraine was not responsible for the incident.
Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Bershinin countered Blincoln’s comments that Russia might manipulate the pretext for aggression, calling it “unfounded allegations” and “regretfully”.
Deputy Minister Bershinin criticized Blincoln’s invasion scenario as a “dangerous claim”, reiterating that Russian troops were withdrawing from the border following training.
“We are ready to have a very serious conversation, not a threat,” he reiterated.
Russian President Vladimir Putin’s speech to the Russian parliament on the 18th is also expected to send a message of counterattack.