US General: Russia could invade Ukraine in the next few weeks
There is a “low to moderate” risk that Russia will invade Ukraine in the next few weeks, the top US general in Europe has said.
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| US General: Russia could invade Ukraine in the next few weeks. Photo: Reuters |
Air Force General Tod Wolters declined to explain what intelligence information led him to make that assessment, Reuters reported. Wolters’ comments did not indicate that the US military thought Russia would invade Ukraine, but did not rule out or downplay the risk.
However, the general later said that his assessment of the risk of a Russian invasion of Ukraine in the coming weeks or months was based at least in part on Russia's force posture.
The Pentagon declined to provide a detailed assessment of the size and composition of the Russian force. However, the White House said there were more Russian troops in the area near Ukraine’s eastern border than at any time since 2014.
General Wolters' statement is an assessmentmilitaryThe first of its kind amid concerns about Russia's military buildup on the border with Ukraine.
Asked by a congressman to explain whether the risk had changed, General Wolters said: “The answer is: It depends on a lot of factors.”
