"There is a real possibility that the Russians will invade Ukraine in February," said Joe Biden in a phone call to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
National Security Council spokeswoman Emily Horne, who reported on the call, recalled that Biden also said so "publicly" and that the administration also "warned about this in January".
During the interview Biden in Zelensky "reaffirmed the readiness of the United States with its allies and partners to respond resolutely in the event of an invasion", promising "a commitment to the sovereignty and territorial integrity" of Kiev.
"Despite the departure of family members of the staff, the US embassy remains open and fully operational in Kiev", clarified the US president.
The United States announced a meeting of the UN Security Council on Monday to discuss the crisis: "This is not the time to wait and see what happens. Now the full attention of the UN Security Council is needed, we look forward to it. a direct and focused discussion, "said US Ambassador to the UN Linda Thomas-Greenfield.
THE PENTAGON - Meanwhile, Pentagon spokesman John Kirby says that we continue to see, even in the last 24 hours, "a greater deployment of fighting forces deployed by the Russians, once again, in the western part of their country and in Belarus, near the border with Ukraine ".
Some US units, the Pentagon said, have been put on alert to eventually be deployed to Eastern Europe in case Russia invades Ukraine, for a total of 8,500 men.
(Unioneonline / L)
