Despite Vows Of A Pullout, The US Believes Russia Has Put 7,000 Soldiers To Its Border With Ukraine.

On Tuesday, Putin claimed Russia was sending some troops back to base after completing drills in Crimea, the Ukrainian territory annexed by Russia in 2014. But US and European leaders uniformly cast doubt on the claim.

Feb 17, 2022 - 10:18 Updated: Feb 17, 2022 - 10:23

Despite Vows Of A Pullout, The US Believes Russia Has Put 7,000 Soldiers To Its Border With Ukraine.

The US said Wednesday evening that Russian forces stationed near Ukraine's borders have expanded by some 7,000 troops in recent days, despite Moscow's assertions that it was pulling down.

The escalation, according to a senior US administration official, renders Russia's pullout claim "fake," and warns that President Vladimir Putin's outward openness to dialogue is a ruse.

"Every indication we have today is that they simply want to openly offer to speak and make de-escalation claims while secretly organizing for war," the official added.
According to the current estimates, the number of Russian soldiers is higher than the 150,000 amount mentioned by President Joe Biden in a televised address earlier this week. Russian assertions of departure have already been met with suspicion by Western officials.

During a speech in the East Room on Tuesday, Biden said that a Russian army pullout would be "wonderful," but said he had yet to see any evidence that such a drawdown was occurring.
"Our analysis says that they are still in a very dangerous situation," Biden stated. "The reality is that Russia now has over 150,000 troops around Ukraine and Belarus, as well as along Ukraine's border."

The senior diplomat cautioned that Russia may attack under a false pretext, such as claiming NATO activities or an incursion into Russian territory, or claiming atrocities were taking place in the eastern Donbas area, which has been under Russian-backed rebel rule since 2014.

"We should expect more false reports from Russian state media over the coming days," the official said. "We don't know what form the false pretext will take. But we hope the world is ready."

The announcements, delivered on an early evening briefing call, painted a stark picture as the US and Europe wait on tenterhooks for Putin to signal his intentions. American officials have said the window is open for a potential invasion but that the enigmatic Russian leader will still need to make the final decision.

A day earlier, Biden had seized on signals from Moscow that it is willing to resume negotiations, saying there was "plenty of room for diplomacy." But the official speaking a day later largely discounted those prospects while still saying talks would continue.

"We will continue to pursue diplomacy over the coming days while being prepared to respond swiftly and decisively," the official said. "Russia keeps saying it wants to pursue a diplomatic solution; their actions indicate otherwise. We hope they will change course before starting a war that will bring catastrophic death and destruction."

On Tuesday, Putin claimed Russia was sending some troops back to base after completing drills in Crimea, the Ukrainian territory annexed by Russia in 2014.

But US and European leaders uniformly cast doubt on the claim.

NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said the alliance had not yet seen "any sign of de-escalation on the ground," but added that "signs from Moscow that diplomacy should continue" were grounds for cautious optimism.

The Ukrainian foreign minister, Dmytro Kuleba, told a news conference in Kyiv that he was abiding by a rule when it comes to Russian claims: "Do not hear and then believe. But do see and then believe."

And US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a morning interview Wednesday there is "a difference between what Russia says and what it does."

"What we're seeing is no meaningful pullback," Blinken told ABC News.