WASHINGTON (AP), -- On Thursday, the U.S. accused Russia of a plot to stage an attack by Ukrainian forces. Russia could then use this pretext to launch military action against its neighbor.
John Kirby, a Pentagon spokesperson, said that the plan included the production of a graphic propaganda film that would show explosions and use corpses as well as actors portraying grieving mourners.
In intelligence declassified and shared with Ukrainian officials, European allies and others in recent days, the plan for the fake attack against Russian territory or Russian-speaking persons was revealed. It is the latest claimby Britain and the U.S. that Russia plots to use a false pretext for going to war with Ukraine.
In December, the White House accused Russia of creating a false flag operation in order to justify an invasion. Britain recently identified specific Ukrainians it claimed were connected to Russian intelligence officers who plotted to overthrow Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. The U.S. also published a map showing Russian military positions. It explained how officials believe Russia will attack Ukraine with up to 175,000 troops.
Kirby stated that "we've seen such kinds of Russian activity in the past" and that it was important to recognize it and call it out when possible.
The U.S. has not provided any detailed information to support the intelligence findings.
Kirby stated that Russia would also use military equipment from Ukraine and the West in order to boost the credibility of the scheme.
According to an unnamed senior official in the administration, the new intelligence from the U.S. found that Russia could use Bayraktar drones made in Turkey as part of the fake operation.
Ukraine used NATO-member Turkey's drones against pro-Russian separatists in Donbas. This angered Moscow which has repeatedly stated its opposition to Ukraine having the technology.
As Turkish President Recep Tayyip Turkey offered to mediate between Russia and Ukraine, the U.S. revealed the intelligence. NATO warned that Moscow's military buildup is continuing with more troops and equipment being deployed to Belarus than ever before in the past 30 years.
Erdogan, who maintains close, but sometimes conflicting, ties to Russian President Vladimir Putin, stated Thursday that Turkey was ready to do its part to end the crisis between the two friendly countries that are its neighbours in the Black Sea.
After three hours of discussions with Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Erdogan stated that he had stressed the fact that we would love to host a summit meeting at either a leadership or technical level. "We don't want to fuel the flames, but we do so with the logical goal of reducing tensions."
Russia has amassed over 100,000 troops close to Ukraine's eastern and northern borders. This raises concern that Moscow might invade again as it did in 2014. The uncertainty and troop presence have caused anxiety among Ukrainians and damaged the country's economy. Russian officials deny plans for an invasion.
Erdogan emphasized Turkey's support for Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity. According to Turkey's state-run Anadolu Agency, eight other agreements were signed by Turkey and Ukraine during the meeting. One of these was a free trade agreement.
Zelenskyy accepted Erdogan's invitation and thanked him "firmly and consistently" for his support.
Turkey is in a difficult spot due to the crisis. It must balance its relationship with Ukraine and its relations with Moscow.
Ankara, with its historical ties to Ukraine as well as ethnic bonds with the Crimean Tatar community of Crimea, strongly opposed Russia’s 2014 annexation.
However, Turkey is reluctant to join any sanctions against Russia. The country's economy is in crisis and it has been relying on tourists from Russia to generate tourism revenue. Russia is also a major supplier of natural gas.
Jens Stoltenberg, Secretary-General of NATO, warned that Russian troops in Belarus could rise to 30,000 with the support of special forces, fighter jets, Iskander long-range missiles and S-400 ground-to-air defense systems.
"Over the past days, we have witnessed a significant movement by Russian military forces into Belarus. Stoltenberg stated that this was the largest Russian military deployment in Belarus since the Cold War.
Sergei Shoigu, Russian Defense Minister, was in Minsk Thursday to check on preparations for major Russia/Belarus war games that are scheduled for February 10-20. Shoigu met Alexander Lukashenko, the Belarusian President. Lukashenko spoke out about the drills and stated that the goal was to "enforce the border with Ukraine."
The Ukrainian defense minister tried to project calm again, stating that the likelihood of an invasion was "low". He welcomed the U.S. officials' change of heart, who no longer use the term "imminent," when describing the threat of a Russian invasion.
Oleksii Reznikov stated that "the threat exists and the risks exist but they have been there since 2014, ever after Russia became an aggressor." He also said that "there is no reason for panic, fear or flight."
Stoltenberg reiterated his call for Russia's "de-escalation" and reiterated warnings from the West about "any further Russian aggression having severe consequences and carrying a heavy cost."
NATO does not intend to send troops to Ukraine in the event of an invasion by Russia, but it has started to strengthen the defenses of its member countries, including Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. The military alliance of 30 nations plans to increase its defenses in the Black Sea area near Bulgaria and Romania.
Stoltenberg also supported President Joe Biden’s Wednesday decision to send 2,000 U.S. troops to Poland and Germany, and to move 1,000 from Germany to Romania. This demonstrated to allies as well as foes Washington’s commitment to NATO’s eastern flank.
Stoltenberg stated that while we are committed to finding a political resolution to the crisis, we must be prepared for any eventuality. He also appreciated recent offers of troops or equipment from several allies. Russia objected to the troop movement and called it "destructive."
Helsinki: Leaders of Finland met with President Ursula von der Leyen, European Commission President, to discuss a letter Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov had sent to several countries regarding the "indivisibility" of security in Europe.
Lavrov claims that NATO and the U.S. misunderstand the concept. This basically means that the security and stability of one European country are linked to each other's security. He has asked for clarifications from the countries that have signed key security documents to address the issue.
Sanna Marin, the Finnish Prime Minister, stated that there was no "big information" in the letter, but that it warranted a response. Von der Leyen stated that the EU's executive branch, the commission, will coordinate a reply, even though Lavrov insists that only countries should respond.
Fraser reported from Ankara, Madhani reporting from Washington. This report was contributed by Dasha Litvinova, an Associated Press writer in Moscow, Yuras Karamanau in Kyiv (Ukraine), Nomaan Merchant, Robert Burns, Jari Tanner, in Helsinki, and Barbara Surk, in Nice, France.
