Russia further boosted troop levels on the Ukrainian border this weekend, adding to President Vladimir Putin’s options should he decide on a military incursion, Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said.
“He can execute some of those options imminently,” Kirby said on “Fox News Sunday.” “Imminent means it could happen really, honestly, at any time. It depends on what Vladimir Putin might want to do.”
The U.S. and its allies are seeking to step up military and diplomatic pressure on Russia after the Kremlin massed an estimated 100,000 troops near Ukraine and scheduled military exercises next month in Belarus, which also borders Ukraine. Russia denies it’s planning to further invade Ukraine.
Putin “could something on a small scale, he could do something on a fairly large scale,” Kirby said Sunday. “And he continues to add troops to that border with Ukraine. We’re watching that even over the course of this weekend.”
President Joe Biden has said he’ll send U.S. troops to eastern Europe, though “not a lot” of soldiers would be involved “in the near term.” He didn’t elaborate in brief comments to reporters on Friday. Diplomacy next moves to the United Nations Security Council, which the U.S. has asked to take up Russia’s encroachment on Ukraine on Monday
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken are to speak by phone Tuesday as diplomatic efforts to persuade Russia to pull back more than 100,000 soldiers from the Ukraine border continue. On Monday, the UN Security Council held a dramatic meeting on the crisis after rejecting a bid by Moscow and Beijing to block the session. Russia was asked for an explanation regarding its aggression toward Ukraine, but the meeting ended in a standoff, with the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations saying “we didn’t hear much” and Russia’s ambassador denying any intent to attack its neighbor again. The diplomatic flurry is running alongside a push by the U.S. and European Union tocomplete a packageofpotentially brutal sanctions. The government of U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson (who faces amajor scandal at home) said it may go further and target “any company or individual of direct interest to the Russian state” if Vladimir Putin orders the further invasion of Ukraine. Russia continued toboost troop levelsaround the Ukrainian border over the weekend. Here’s thelatest on the crisis. —Natasha Solo-Lyons
Kirby betont, dass keine US-Soldaten in die Ukraine geschickt würden.
(Foto: AP)
Seit Wochen stehen Zehntausende russische Soldaten an die Grenze zur Ukraine. In den vergangenen Tagen habe der Kreml seine Truppen noch einmal verstärkt, meldet das Pentagon. Auch die Aktivitäten der russischen Marine im Mittelmeer und im Atlantik bleiben Washington nicht verborgen.
Russland hat nach Angaben der US-Regierung seine Truppen an der Grenze zur Ukraine weiter verstärkt. "Im Laufe des Wochenendes sind weitere russische Bodentruppen in Belarus und an der Grenze zur Ukraine aufmarschiert", sagte Pentagon-Sprecher John Kirby in Washington. Außerdem beobachte man zunehmende Aktivitäten der Marine im Mittelmeer und im Atlantik. Es handle sich um "nichts Feindliches", so Kirby. "Aber sie haben mehr Schiffe, sie üben auf See, sie erhöhen eindeutig die Fähigkeiten, die sie auf See haben, wenn sie sie brauchen."
Mit Blick auf US-Präsident Joe Bidens Ankündigung, wegen der Ukraine-Krise bald zusätzliche US-Truppen in die osteuropäischen Nato-Staaten zu verlegen, sagte Kirby: "Eine Option, die uns zur Verfügung steht, ist der Einsatz von US-Streitkräften, die sich bereits in Europa aufhalten. Man muss nicht unbedingt Truppen aus den USA oder aus anderen Orten einfliegen lassen." In Europa sind regulär auch außerhalb von Krisenzeiten Zehntausende US-Soldaten stationiert, darunter rund 35.000 in Deutschland.
Auf Bidens Anordnung hin waren am Montag 8500 Soldaten in den USA in erhöhte Bereitschaft versetzt worden, um bei Bedarf eine schnelle Verlegung zu ermöglichen. Kirby betonte, dass es sich dabei um zusätzliche Truppen handele. Der Pentagon-Sprecher machte keine Angaben, wann oder wie viele US-Soldaten wohin verlegt werden sollen. Er betonte aber noch einmal, dass keine US-Soldaten in die Ukraine geschickt würden.
Angesichts eines Aufmarschs von mehr als 100.000 Soldaten in der Nähe der Ukraine wird im Westen befürchtet, dass der Kreml einen Einmarsch in die ehemalige Sowjetrepublik plant. Für möglich wird allerdings auch gehalten, dass nur Ängste geschürt werden sollen, um die Nato-Staaten zu Zugeständnissen bei Forderungen nach neuen Sicherheitsgarantien zu bewegen. Moskau dementiert Pläne zu einem angeblichen Einmarsch.
Venezuela’s opposition has suggested the U.S. ease economic sanctions on the country and some of its individuals, a potential policy shift aimed at bringing President Nicolas Maduro back to the negotiating table, according to National Assembly head Juan Guaido.
The plan could be put in motion even before talks hopefully resume in Mexico, Guaido said, as the opposition pushes for “free and fair” elections as soon as possible as well as changes to Venezuela’s judicial system.
“It’s on the table, aimed at strengthening the opposition in its role as interlocutor and the possibility of an agreement,” he told Bloomberg News in an interview from Caracas. “The dictatorship needs to give an answer.”
In a tweet late Friday, Guaido said the “progressive lifting of sanctions” is subject to the government agreeing to certain conditions.
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An official for the State Department said the U.S. does not preview actions on sanctions. “The United States, along with our partners and allies, seeks to use multilateral pressure to move Venezuela toward a democratic solution,” the official said in a written reply to questions. “The Maduro regime can create a path to easing sanctions by engaging in sincere discussions with the opposition to create the necessary conditions to enable free and fair elections to take place in Venezuela.”
U.S. Ambassador to Venezuela James Story said on a Jan. 6 webcast that they are “willing to lift, ease and change sanctions when there are negotiations that bring about changes to restore institutions and democracy in Venezuela.” He did not mention easing sanctions before negotiations take place. Story’s office did not immediately respond to a message seeking comment.
Messages to Venezuelan government leaders about the resumption of talks went unanswered.
Talks between the government and the opposition broke down last year when Colombian businessman Alex Saab, a top ally of Maduro, was extradited to the U.S. from Cape Verde to face money laundering charges. Earlier this month, the Venezuelan president signaled he could return to the negotiating table if “positive actions” to restore dialogue in Mexico were taken.
Juan Guaido, president of the National Assembly who swore himself as the leader of Venezuela, pauses during a session of the National Assembly commemorating the sixty-fourth anniversary ending a military dictatorship, in Caracas, Venezuela, on Sunday, Jan. 23, 2022. On the third anniversary of declaring himself president, Guaido called for renewed pressure on the administration of Nicolas Maduro to hold free and fair elections.
Source: Bloomberg
“We expect to start negotiations as soon as possible,” Guaido said, cautioning that failure to reach an agreement would lead to another tightening of sanctions more targeted at individuals involved in corruption and crimes against humanity.
Referendum on Maduro
Venezuela’s economy and currency have suffered a historic collapse since Maduro took office in 2013. But the 59-year-old president has seen his government reinforced as of late, with his party winning regional elections in November, hyperinflation ending, and the economy growing in 2021 for the first time in seven years.
A national signature drive seeking to force a referendum to recall Maduro failed this week due to the way it was organized by the government, Guaido said. The process was announced only five days in advance, with about 1,200 sites where citizens could sign.
Fewer than 1.5% of voters signed on to the measure, well short of the 20% needed in all 23 states plus the capital, electoral authorities said Thursday. Venezuelans won’t have another chance to remove Maduro through the ballot box until elections scheduled for 2024.
“Without that option, the challenge we have now is how to mobilize, how to organize, how to find spaces for safe participation so that people can express themselves,” Guaido said
