NEW: After a week of high-stakes diplomacy, the U.S. has accused Russia of 'fabricating a pretext' to invade its neighbor Ukraine.
Sputnik/Kremlin Pool Photo via AP
But whether Russian President Vladimir Putin will act on a long-held desire to consume Ukraine, or whether his posturing is a bluff to strengthen Moscow's hand and therefore its influence, is still an open question, according to senior U.S. officials.Russian President Vladimir Putin listens during a meeting in Moscow, Dec. 30, 2021.
U.S. intelligence has"information that indicates Russia has already prepositioned a group of operatives to conduct a false-flag operation in eastern Ukraine," the official added, saying the group was trained in urban warfare and the use of explosives. "The drumbeat of war is sounding loud, and the rhetoric has gotten rather shrill," Carpenter said Thursday after the third and last round of talks with Russia."We have to prepare for the eventuality that there could be an escalation."
"All your information will become public, be afraid and expect the worst. This is for your past, present and future," it said in part.
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