Photo: AP. The day before, during a conversation with reporters, President Joe Biden promised that Russian President Vladimir Putin would be “very, very difficult” to take military action against Ukraine. At the same time, according to a source from the US administration, US intelligence has determined that Russia is planning a possible military offensive in early 2022.
According to the AP, according to new secret service data, the Russians plan to deploy about 175,000 troops to the operation in Ukraine. An unnamed representative of the Biden administration noted that almost half of the group had already been deployed in various locations near the border with Ukraine. The plans envisage the relocation of 100 battalion tactical groups along with armored vehicles, artillery and equipment. He added that Russia's main demand to the United States was to ensure that Ukraine never joined NATO. In response to a question about US intelligence findings, Biden himself said: “We have known about Russian actions for a long time and I expect to have a long discussion with Putin.”
US experts at the same time, they state that Ukraine's army is now armed and better prepared than in previous years. Meeting it, as well as the sanctions imposed by the West, will cause serious damage to the Russian economy if Moscow launches hostilities against Kiev.