Biden: Russian invasion threat “very high”

Amid escalation in eastern Ukraine, President Joe Biden said Thursday there is “every indication that Russia is prepared to invade Ukraine.” He said the US “has reason to believe that Moscow is engaged in a false flag operation to have an excuse to go in.” Speaking at the White House, the president saw no signs of a Russian troop pullback and added he had no plans to call his Russian counterpart.

US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin said Thursday that “Russia continues building up their military presence along Ukraine’s borders including in Crimea, in Belarus and in the Black Sea,” and that “in many ways this brings Russian troops right up to NATO’s doorstep. NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said the Russians “have enough troops and resources ready to begin “a full-fledged invasion.”