The U.S. now believes that Russia’s claims that it is withdrawing troops from near Ukraine are “false,” and that Moscow has in fact increased its presence on the border “by as many as 7,000 troops” in recent days, a senior administration official told reporters Wednesday.
Why it matters: The explosive claim suggests that Vladimir Putin publicly offered to reopen negotiations “while privately mobilizing for war,” the official said.
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What they’re saying: “Yesterday, the Russian government said it was withdrawing troops from Ukraine. They received a lot of attention for that claim, both here and around the world. But we now know it was false,” the official said, speaking on the condition of anonymity.
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“In fact, we have now confirmed that in the last several days, Russia has increased its troop presence along the Ukrainian border by as many 7,000 troops with some arriving as recently as today.”
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“The Russians have also said in recent days that they are prepared to engage in diplomacy, as we and our allies have repeatedly offered. But every indication we have now is they mean only to publicly offer to talk and make claims about de-escalation while privately mobilizing for war.”
Zoom out: The U.K.’s defense intelligence chief made a similar assertion earlier Wednesday, saying in a rare on-the-record statement: “We have not seen evidence that Russia has withdrawn forces from Ukraine’s borders. Contrary to their claims, Russia continues to build up military capabilities near Ukraine.”
Editor’s note: This story is breaking news. Please check back for updates.
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