Blinken Addresses UN on Concerns of Russian Attack on Ukraine

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken told the U.N. Security Council that Russia is planning to attack Ukraine within days that intelligence information said could be preceded by a fabricated excuse involving a bogus or real chemical weapons assault. 

Blinken voiced the Biden administration’s concerns Thursday after making a last-minute change to his travel plans Thursday as fears mount that Russia is planning to invade Ukraine.

“Our information clearly shows that Russian forces on the Ukrainian borders, including ground forces and aircraft, are preparing to launch an attack on Ukraine in the coming days,” Blinken said.

Blinken described an attack expected by U.S. intelligence that includes “missile and bomb” strikes against Ukraine, “cyberattacks on “key Ukrainian institutions” and tank and troop invasions on vital targets, including the capital of Kyiv.

“Let me be clear: I am here today, not to start a war, but to prevent a war. The information I’ve presented here is validated by what we’ve seen unfolding in plain sight before our eyes for months,” he said.

Blinken also told the council he had sent a letter to Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov earlier in the day proposing an in-person meeting in Europe next week.

U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Linda Thomas-Greenfield requested that Blinken change his plans after Russia added up to 7,000 troops to the more than 100,000 that are already near its border with Ukraine, despite saying it was returning some of them to bases.

“Our goal is to convey the gravity of the situation. The evidence on the ground is that Russia is moving toward an imminent invasion. This is a crucial moment,” Thomas-Greenfield tweeted. 

Tensions continued to escalate Thursday after Russia expelled the U.S. deputy ambassador to Russia, a move White House deputy press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said was “unprovoked.”

Also Thursday, NATO allies accused Russia of spreading “disinformation” about pulling back troops and Ukrainian forces and Russia-backed separatists accused each other of intensive shelling along the line that separates them in eastern Ukraine.

Russia continues to deny it is planning to invade Ukraine and maintains it can rightfully deploy troops where it feels necessary to offset threats from NATO. The Kremlin wants the West to disallow Ukraine and other former Soviet nations from joining NATO, end weapons deployments near its borders and withdraw forces from Eastern Europe. All of Russia’s demands have been rejected by the western allies.  

Before changing his plans, Blinken was set to travel to Munich for an annual Security Conference meeting which he will attend later this week. 

Information from AP, AFP and Reuters was used in this report
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