US: More than 130,000 Russian troops now stationed near Ukraine's borders

As warnings about the "imminence" of a Russian invasion increased, the Ukrainian president called on Sunday evening, February 14, to "maintain calm" and said that he had not yet seen convincing evidence in this regard.

Volodymyr Zelensky, who is worried about his country's economy being paralyzed amid the tensions, has repeatedly tried in recent days to downplay warnings from American officials about the "imminence" of a military invasion by Moscow.

This comes as reports suggest that Ukraine is surrounded by Russian forces on three sides. In the same context, the United States announced on Sunday a "significant" increase in the number of Russian troops near the Ukrainian borders.

The Associated Press reported, citing an American official who asked not to be named, that the number of Russian troops near the Ukrainian border has increased from 100,000 in recent weeks to 130,000 now.

The American media outlet also reported on Sunday evening, citing a US official, that the United States has obtained information indicating that Russia has targeted Wednesday (February 16) for the attack. The informed source, however, did not say how definitive and reliable this information is.

Meanwhile, Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said on Sunday that he could not confirm reports that Russia was planning to invade Ukraine on Wednesday.

A spokesman for the US Department of Defense stated in an interview with Fox News that he was "not in a position" to confirm these reports.

He also added that the United States believes that "a major military action could occur any day."

Meanwhile, US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan told CNN on Sunday: "We will not give Russia the opportunity to surprise Ukraine or the world."

Telephone conversation between the presidents of the United States and Ukraine

Regarding consultations to resolve the Ukraine crisis, the White House announced a telephone conversation between Joe Biden and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Sunday.

In this conversation, which lasted 50 minutes, the US President once again reiterated the West's promises to impose strict economic sanctions on Moscow and strengthen NATO in the event of "any possible aggression" by Russia against Ukraine.

According to the White House, Mr. Biden and his Ukrainian counterpart agreed to pursue "diplomacy" and "deterrence" simultaneously in this crisis.

The Kremlin insists that the deployment of Russian forces near the Ukrainian borders is solely for the purpose of military exercises and training.

Some flights to the Ukrainian capital suspended

Some airlines also announced on Sunday that they had canceled flights to Ukraine or changed their flight routes, amid growing fears of an "imminent" Russian invasion.

Dutch airline KLM, a subsidiary of Air France, announced on Sunday that it was canceling all its flights to Ukraine “until further notice.” German airline Lufthansa also said it was considering suspending its flights to Ukraine.

A senior Ukrainian official, however, said that Kiev sees no benefit in closing its airspace in response to the increase in Russian forces in border areas.

After the downing of a Malaysian airliner in 2014 over an area in eastern Ukraine controlled by Russian-backed rebels, the Netherlands became increasingly sensitive to the potential danger in Ukrainian airspace.

All 298 people on board Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17, including 198 Dutch citizens, were killed when it was shot down en route from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur.

After four years of international investigation, the results finally announced in May 2018 showed that the plane in question was shot down by an anti-aircraft missile from the 53rd Brigade of the Russian military.

Moscow has denied the accusation, saying a Ukrainian missile or a warplane was the cause of the downing of the Malaysian airliner.

At the same time as the announcement of the suspension of some flight services to Ukraine, the Interfax news agency reported that Ukrainian insurance companies had received a notification from reinsurers stating that "airlines are not covered for war risks."

Mykhailo Podoliak, an adviser to the head of the Ukrainian presidential administration, told Reuters that the change in the schedule of private transport companies "has nothing to do with the decisions or policies of our government."

US government asks its citizens to leave Ukraine

The US government has previously urged its citizens to leave Ukraine "immediately." The US Department of Defense has reportedly withdrawn its military forces in Ukraine and employees of the US embassy in Kyiv.

On February 13, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said that the risk of a Russian military attack on Ukraine was high enough to justify the State Department's decision to withdraw the majority of US embassy staff from Kyiv.

US President Joe Biden also emphasized in an hour-long telephone conversation with his Russian counterpart yesterday that the consequence of any Russian military attack on Ukraine would be "massive human suffering."

In a conversation with Vladimir Putin, the US President noted that the United States is committed to "diplomacy" to end the Ukraine crisis, but is also prepared "for other scenarios."

Mr. Biden also warned his Russian counterpart that Russia's attack on Ukraine would trigger a "decisive and swift" response from the West and lead to a decline in Russia's standing in the international community.

Russia has denied reports from American officials that a military attack on Ukraine is imminent, saying that it had no such intention from the beginning, but that it will not back down from Moscow's security demands, including the strict condition that Ukraine not become a member of NATO.

Source: Radio Farda