A meeting was held at the Pentagon on the topic of a possible Russian invasion of Ukraine: what they talked about

The head of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Mark Milley, said a Russian invasion of Ukraine would be "terrible" and would result in "significant" casualties. Writes about it with the BBC.

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Milley called the concentration of 100 Russian troops near the Ukrainian border the largest since the Cold War.

However, the head of the US Department of Defense, Lloyd Austin, believes that the conflict can still be avoided through diplomacy.

Russia denies invasion plans and says US support for Ukraine poses a threat.

At a press conference at the Pentagon, General Milley warned that the size of Russian military forces near the border with Ukraine indicated that an attack would have dire consequences.

“If they all went into Ukraine, it would cause a lot of casualties,” Milley said.

He stressed that fighting in densely populated urban areas "would be horrendous."

Conflict is not inevitable

The head of the US Department of Defense, Lloyd Austin, said that the US intends to help Ukraine defend itself, in particular by providing additional weapons.

On the subject: Tanks in the garden: a Ukrainian wants to transfer his land share to NATO, his compatriots picked up his idea

“Conflict is not inevitable. There is still time and space for diplomacy,” Austin said, urging Russian President Vladimir Putin to de-escalate the situation.

“There is no reason for this situation to escalate into conflict. He can tell his troops to stand down,” he said.

On January 29, US President Joe Biden announced that the United States would soon deploy troops to NATO countries in Eastern Europe to strengthen the alliance's presence in the region. He did not specify where they would be stationed or when they would arrive.

Earlier this week, the Pentagon said it had put 8,5 U.S. troops on high alert over the situation near the Ukrainian border.

The United States and NATO have officially refused Russia's demand not to accept Ukraine into the ranks of the North Atlantic Alliance and are offering Russia a "serious diplomatic path."

Putin spoke by phone with his French counterpart, Emmanuel Macron, who became the first Western leader to hear a Russian president react to US and NATO responses to Russia's demand for security guarantees.

As follows from the message of the Kremlin press service, Vladimir Putin noted that the Russian side would "carefully study" the written responses received from the United States and NATO on January 26, "after which it will decide on its further actions."

France said both leaders agreed on the need for de-escalation, while President Macron told Putin that Russia must respect the sovereignty of neighboring states.

"Don't panic"

President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky asked journalists not to create a panic due to the buildup of Russian troops near the borders.

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At a press conference in Kiev, Zelensky said that now the situation near the borders of Ukraine is quite acute, but no more acute than it was last year.

He called for cautious comments on the issue of a possible war with Russia.

“Signals came even from respected leaders of states. They are already openly saying that tomorrow we will have a war. This is panic,” Zelensky said.

According to him, the biggest threat to Ukraine is the destabilization of the situation inside the country.

As ForumDaily wrote earlier:

• The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) of Russia put forward demands in connection with a new round of escalation around Ukraine and Vladimir Putin's talks with US President Joe Biden. The released statement said that Western countries should take back the promises made to Ukraine and Georgia in 2008 about the prospect of their accession to NATO.
• US Vice President Kamala Harris said that in the event of Russian military aggression against Ukraine, Washington will apply harsh and unprecedented sanctions against Russia.
• US President Joe Biden and Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke on the phone for almost an hour on December 30. Biden again threatened Putin with tough sanctions and increased assistance to Ukraineif Russia escalates its aggression.
• US President Joe Biden on the evening of January 2 had a telephone conversation with Vladimir Zelensky, during which he promised to give a decisive response in the event of a Russian attack on Ukraine. Biden, among other things, spoke out in support of diplomatic efforts to implement the Minsk agreements and promised that Washington would not make decisions regarding partners without their knowledge.
• 10 January Negotiations between representatives of Russia and the United States on security guarantees were held in Geneva, which Moscow is seeking from NATO. The meeting was preceded by a sharp escalation in rhetoric on both sides, with President Joe Biden's administration accusing Moscow of planning a new invasion of Ukraine, and Russian leader Vladimir Putin threatening to use "military-technical measures" to defend his country.
• January 13 US Senate Democrats unveiled a bill imposing wide-ranging sanctions on top Russian government and military officials, including President Vladimir Putin, as well as key banking institutions, if Moscow launches military operations against Ukraine.
• On January 14, a US official said the US had evidence that Russia prepared a group of people in advance for a false flag operation in eastern Ukraineto create an excuse to invade. These fighters are trained in urban warfare and the use of explosives to carry out acts of sabotage.
• As of January 18 Russia evacuated almost 50 people from its consulates in Kiev and Lvov, according to a senior Ukrainian security official. According to him, diplomats from two more Russian consulates in Ukraine are also preparing to leave.
• 24 January The US Department of State granted permission for voluntary departure (“authorized departure”) of U.S. government employees and directed family members (“mandatory departure”) of U.S. government employees to leave the embassy in Kiev.
• January 26 USA denied Russia's request to block Ukraine's path to NATO.

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