Russian officials have expressed fears that an invasion of Ukraine could prove to be more difficult and costly than Russian President Vladimir Putin and other leaders realize, according to intelligence intercepted by the U.S., a CNN report states.
CNN cited four people familiar with the intelligence in reporting on the fears within the Russian government.
“In the assessments we see it is clear some people on the [Russian] defense side are not really understanding what the game plan is,” one official said, according to CNN, speaking of the possible invasion.
The official also noted that the defense personnel think “it’s a very difficult game plan to stand up.”
On Saturday, reports indicated that Putin had amassed 70 percent of the military and weapons that would be required for a large-scale invasion of Ukraine.
President Biden has been holding a series of meetings and calls with foreign leaders to try to build pressure against Russia.
Biden on Monday met with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and discussed efforts to prevent a Russian attack in Ukraine.
“Germany is one of America’s closest allies,” Biden said. “We’re working in lockstep to further deter Russian aggression in Europe and to address the challenges posed by China and to promote stability in the Western Balkans.”
