A Russian invasion of Ukraine remains a distinct possibility, said US President Joe Biden as his Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin left for a trip to the region amidst an escalating crisis in Europe.
Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyurged citizens to celebrate a “Day of Unity” on Wednesday, as Washington warned once again that Russia remains poised to launch a devastating assault.
An intense diplomatic campaign is underway to head off the crisis triggered when Russia deployed more than 100,000 troops on Ukraine’s borders, backed with fleet reinforcements and powerful artillery and missile systems.
A Russian cyberattack?
On Tuesday, Ukraine said the websites of the country’s defence ministry and armed forces as well as two banks had been hit by a cyberattack that could have Russian origins.
Verifiable withdrawal
But US President Joe Biden — who has ordered Washington’s embassy in Kyiv closed and urged Americans to leave Ukraine — demanded that Russia prove its good intentions with a verifiable withdrawal.
“Analysts indicate that they remain very much in a threatening position,” Biden said, in an address on the crisis. “The United States is prepared no matter what happens. We are ready with diplomacy,” he said.
“And we are ready to respond decisively to Russian attack on Ukraine, which is still very much a possibility,” he said, warning of “powerful sanctions”.
Blinken discusses Ukraine crisis with visiting Albanian Prime Minister
The US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Wednesday held wide-ranging discussions with Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama of mutual interests, including concerns over the Ukraine situation, State Department spokesperson Ned Price said.
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