The United States is concerned that Russia is preparing for an invasion of Ukraine, which may result in widespread human rights violations and war crimes, if diplomacy fails to meet their objectives, a US official said on Friday.
“As part of its plans, Russia is laying the groundwork to have the option of fabricating a pretext for invasion, including through sabotage activities and information operations, by accusing Ukraine of preparing an imminent attack against Russian forces in eastern Ukraine,” the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity.
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Meanwhile, Ukraine has proposed three-way talks with US President Joe Biden and Russian President Vladimir Putin amid fears of invasion, an aide to Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelensky said Friday.
“President Zelensky proposed to President Biden and we think it can be worked (out) to organize a trilateral meeting, maybe by videoconference, between President Biden, President Zelensky and President Putin,” said the head of the Ukrainian president’s office, Andriy Yermak.
“We are still waiting for the reaction on this, I think, from the Russian side. But our American partners take our proposal with some interest,” he told the Atlantic Council think tank in Washington.
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