US President Joe Biden says he believes Russian President Vladimir Putin has decided to invade Ukraine and that an attack could take place in the coming days.
Biden said he was speaking on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the media. Russia denies plotting to invade Ukraine. Western nations fear that Russia is trying to create a crisis in the breakaway regions of Ukraine in order to justify launching an offensive.
The United States estimates that between 169,000 and 190,000 Russian troops are stationed inside Ukraine and near the border, including Russian-backed fighters in the self-proclaimed republics of Donetsk in eastern Ukraine and Luhansk.
In a televised address to the White House, Biden said the United States had "reason to believe" that Russian forces were "planning and intending to invade Ukraine in the coming weeks, in the coming days."
"Now I am convinced that he has made a decision," he said, referring to President Putin. Earlier, the US president and other top officials said they could not comment on the attack on Ukraine. Biden says Russia "can still choose diplomacy" and that "it is not too late to reduce tensions and return to the negotiating table."
Earlier on Friday, another sign of escalating tensions came as leaders of the two separatist regions announced the evacuation of residents, saying Ukraine had stepped up shelling and was planning an attack.
Ukraine has repeatedly said it is not planning an attack, and Foreign Minister Dmitry Koliba dismissed it as "Russian misinformation reports." There are millions of people in the region and such an evacuation would be a huge step. No large-scale evacuation was reported in the coming days, but Russian state media reported that several buses carrying locals had left for Russia.
The head of the Donetsk People's Republic, Denis Pushkin, announced the withdrawal in a video filmed on Friday. However, an analysis of the BBC's metadata revealed that it was recorded two days ago.
According to the Kremlin, President Putin has ordered that refugee camps be set up near the border and that people from separatist areas be provided with "emergency assistance". Russia has been supporting an armed uprising in the eastern Donbass region of Ukraine since 2014. About 14,000 people have been killed in the fighting, including many civilians.
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