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The US has information that indicates Russia has prepositioned a group of operatives to conduct a false-flag operation in eastern Ukraine, a US official told CNN on Friday, in an attempt to create a pretext for an invasion.

Russia has massed thousands of soldiers along Ukraine’s border and it’s got people talking about a possible war. What’s President Putin’s strategy? And where does NATO fit in?

A high-stakes meeting between Russia and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization over Ukraine has ended without a breakthrough.
Politicians and military men from both sides said significant differences remained during what they described as frank and open discussions.
More talks are underway, but failing to reach an understanding means the risk of armed conflict in Europe is very real.
Both NATO and the U.S. rejected the Kremlin's demands on security - among them a guarantee that the military alliance will not accept Ukraine and other former soviet nations as members.
So does diplomacy still have a chance?

The Biden administration praised the Kremlin for detaining members of a notorious ransomware gang at the request of the U.S. in a sweeping operation across Russia.
Law enforcement raided the homes of 14 members of the gang REvil and seized currencies worth nearly $7 million, cryptowallets and 20 luxury cars, according to a statement Friday by Russia’s Federal Security Service, known as FSB. Authorities in the U.S. have been informed that the group was shut down, it said.

U.S. President Joe Biden predicted on Wednesday that Russian President Vladimir Putin will make a move on Ukraine and said Russia would pay dearly for a full-scale invasion, with its businesses possibly losing access to the U.S. dollar.
 
#JoeBiden #Russia #Ukraine #Putin #News #Reuters

As Secretary of State Anthony Blinken attempts shuttle diplomacy with Russia and Ukraine, will it be enough? Evelyn Farkas and Anatol Lieven join Mehdi to discuss.

The Russian military has deployed and sustained major forces on or near Ukraine’s border, raising significant concerns in Washington and other NATO capitals that the Kremlin may be planning a new assault on its western neighbor.  Meanwhile, Moscow has demanded security guarantees for Russia and indicated that it otherwise will take unspecified “military-technical” measures.  Michael Kofman, Research Program Director in the Russia Studies Program at CNA, will discuss the Russian build-up, the military options it gives the Kremlin, and how a Russia-Ukraine conflict might play out.

The normally sleepy island of Gotland in Sweden has found itself caught up in the growing diplomatic crisis between Russia and the West, with fears the strategically important island in the Baltic Sea could be a target should a conflict break out. In recent days, Sweden has sent hundreds of troops and tanks to the island, sparking a mixed reaction from locals.
#Gotland #Russia #Sweden

ABC News' Senior Foreign Correspondent Ian Pannell reports from Ukraine on the growing tensions with Russia and the military buildup in the region.

The move comes as the security situation there deteriorates and the U.S. rushes military aid to Ukraine.

Russia is still demanding the U.S. guarantees Ukraine will not join NATO.

NATO said on Monday it was putting forces on standby and reinforcing eastern Europe with more ships and fighter jets, in what Russia denounced as an escalation of tensions over Ukraine. FRANCE 24's Gulliver Cragg reports from Kyiv, Ukraine.

The #Kremlin on Tuesday said #Washington's actions and statements around #Ukraine were escalating tensions and that Russia was watching with great concern after the United States put 8,500 troops on alert to be ready to deploy to Europe if needed. FRANCE 24's Nick Holdsworth reports from Moscow.

The US and Europe are trying to present a united front in the face of Russia's buildup of troops near the Ukrainian border. The United States has put 8,500 troops on heightened alert – ready to respond if NATO decides to deploy forces.
The Pentagon says no final decisions were made on deployment, but NATO has announced that it is sending more ships and fighter jets to boost defenses in eastern Europe. In recent weeks, Russia has massed around 100,000 troops near Ukraine's border. Moscow denies it is planning an invasion.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has urged western nations to remain united – and calm – amid heightened tensions with Russia.
After meeting with his national security advisors on Monday, President Zelenskiy addressed the Ukrainian public in a televised speech. He said that his office was working for a peaceful de-escalation of the situation with Russia. He stressed the situation was under control and called for the nation not to panic.
That sentiment was echoed in a separate statement by Ukraine's head of security council Oleksiy Danilov.

CNN's Clarissa Ward sits down for an exclusive interview with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba as tensions mount between Ukraine and Russia. #CNN #News

Russian President Vladimir Putin weighed in on the crisis in Ukraine for the first time in weeks, accusing the U.S. and NATO of ignoring its security demands. Holly Williams reports.

Former Director of European Affairs for the National Security Council Alexander Vindman and former ambassador to Russia Michael McFaul discuss with Nicolle Wallace the first comments from Vladimir Putin on Ukraine since December and what the US should do moving forward.

Russian President Putin broke weeks of silence on Ukraine and for the first time responded to written proposals from the U.S. and NATO, saying “Russia’s concerns were basically ignored.” Putin also laid out his security demands, which didn’t change after weeks of negotiations with the U.S.