Russia has said it is pulling back troops from the country's border with Ukraine, but a senior U.S. official told The Associated Press on Wednesday evening that in fact, 7,000 more troops have been added.
It is estimated that more than 150,000 troops are stationed to the east, north, and south of Ukraine, and the U.S. official said some of the 7,000 new troops arrived as recently as Wednesday. Last month, the U.S. warned that Russia could be planning a false-flag operation as a pretext for invading Ukraine, and the U.S. official told AP there has been an uptick in the number of false claims being made by Russia, including that the West is bringing in guerrillas to kill Ukrainians and Ukrainian forces are killing Russians and putting their bodies in unmarked graves.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
With the amount of troops still at the border, Russian President Vladimir Putin "can pull the trigger," Secretary of State Antony Blinken told ABC News. "He can pull it today. He can pull it tomorrow. He can pull it next week. The forces are there if he wants to renew aggression against Ukraine."
Wednesday was declared a national day of unity by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, following reports that this could be the date Russia launched an invasion. Zelensky believes it is "too early to rejoice" about Russia pulling back troops, and in a televised address, said his country is "united by a desire to happily live in peace. We can defend our home only if we stay united."
-
How will China’s $1 trillion trade surplus change the world economy?Today’s Big Question Europe may impose its own tariffs
-
‘Autarky and nostalgia aren’t cure-alls’Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
-
Japan’s Princess Aiko is a national star. Her fans want even more.IN THE SPOTLIGHT Fresh off her first solo state visit to Laos, Princess Aiko has become the face of a Japanese royal family facing 21st-century obsolescence
-
Europe sets 2027 deadline to wean itself from Russian gasIN THE SPOTLIGHT As negotiators attempt to end Russia’s yearslong Ukraine invasion, lawmakers across the EU agree to uncouple gas consumption from Moscow’s petrochemical infrastructure
-
Benin thwarts coup attemptSpeed Read President Patrice Talon condemned an attempted coup that was foiled by the West African country’s army
-
Is Europe finally taking the war to Russia?Today's Big Question As Moscow’s drone buzzes and cyberattacks increase, European leaders are taking a more openly aggressive stance
-
Pushing for peace: is Trump appeasing Moscow?In Depth European leaders succeeded in bringing themselves in from the cold and softening Moscow’s terms, but Kyiv still faces an unenviable choice
-
Femicide: Italy’s newest crimeThe Explainer Landmark law to criminalise murder of a woman as an ‘act of hatred’ or ‘subjugation’ but critics say Italy is still deeply patriarchal
-
Brazil’s Bolsonaro behind bars after appeals run outSpeed Read He will serve 27 years in prison
-
The $100mn scandal undermining Volodymyr ZelenskyyIn the Spotlight As Russia continues to vent its military aggression on Ukraine, ‘corruption scandals are weakening the domestic front’
-
Trump pushes new Ukraine peace planSpeed Read It involves a 28-point plan to end the war
