No halt to Russian military buildup on Ukraine’s border after Biden-Putin talks
Russia continued its military buildup on the Ukrainian border following the latest talks between U.S. President Joe Biden and Russian leader Vladimir Putin, Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksiy Reznikov has said.
Reznikov told Politico that Russia currently has about 100,000 troops mustered next to Ukraine’s borders, deployed in an arc from Russian-occupied Crimea to Ukraine's northwestern border with Belarus. Russian forces, with heavy artillery, tanks and aviation at their disposal, are capable of carrying out a large-scale, multi-front offensive, Reznikov said.
He said he was certain that an invasion would spell disaster for both countries.
In early December Reznikov said Russia had over 94,000 troops deployed next to Ukraine's border. They are in a state of permanent combat readiness, and could be used as leverage for a further escalation of the situation, he said.
Reznikov also said there could potentially be an invasion of Ukraine by Russia.
The situation on Ukraine's eastern border is a matter of deep concern, according to both U.S. and EU officials. According to U.S. President Biden, the White House is looking at a range of options to deter Russia from attacking Ukraine. The U.S. president has termed these measures as “the most comprehensive and meaningful set of initiatives to make it very, very difficult for Mr. Putin to go ahead and do what people believe he may do.”
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