President Biden Agrees To Conditional Meeting With Putin As War Seems “Likely” In Europe
WARSAW, Poland. — There are more signs today pointing to a possible war in Europe.
New satellite images appear to show Russian troops moving closer to Ukraine’s border. U.S. officials also report orders have been sent to Russian commanders to attack.
Pentagon Chief Lloyd Austin says if that happens, Ukraine may see a lot of combat power move quickly into the capital. He said that includes tanks, warning it would cause the crisis to become a tragedy. He said it’s “likely” that the world will see Russian tanks roll into Kyiv, by order of Russian President Vladimir Putin.
“He could attack in short order,” Austin said. “He’s assembled the right kinds of things you need to conduct a successful invasion.”
The Pentagon chief also said that the resulting civilian causalities and displacement would cause the crisis to become a “tragedy.”
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says a diplomatic path with Russia doesn’t seem possible.
“The architecture of our world is brittle. It is obsolete,” Zelenskyy said. “The rules agreed upon by the world years ago are no longer working.”
President Biden is agreeing to conditionally meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin. The condition is that Russia does not proceed with invading Ukraine. In a statement, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki reiterated the administration’s commitment to pursuing diplomacy in preventing a war. It comes as Secretary of State Antony Blinken is set to meet with his Russian counterpart Thursday, also granted Russia has not invaded its neighbor.
NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said Russia’s use of force and threats of force are “contesting fundamental values” that allow Europe to keep the peace.
When pressed about reports Russian forces had received orders to proceed with the invasion, Stoltenberg would only say Russia was ramping up its military presence.
