No de-escalation. Russia reinforcing its invasion force on Ukraine’s borders instead, Pentagon says
by Jamie McIntyre, Senior Writer |
| January 25, 2022 07:18 AM
‘NO SIGNS OF DE-ESCALATING’: The Pentagon keeps looking for signs that Russia might be responding to U.S. entreaties to pull forces back from the border with Ukraine as a prelude to a diplomatic settlement.
But the more it looks, the more Russian troops it sees, and the more likely an invasion seems.
“They continue to add battalion tactical groups to their western border, to the border with Ukraine. And in Belarus as well, the numbers there are increasing,” said spokesman John Kirby at Monday’s Pentagon briefing. “So they have not only shown no signs of de-escalating, but they are, in fact, adding more force capability.”
“There's still room for diplomacy. We obviously want to see that succeed,” said Kirby in a later appearance on CNN. “But in the meantime, we have also seen Vladimir Putin add to his force capability … So, he has shown no signs, as I said earlier today, of de-escalating. Quite the contrary.”
“He is increasing his options by having more and more forces.”
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/policy/defense-national-security/no-de-escalation-instead-russia-reinforcing-its-invasion-force-on-ukraines-borders-pentagon-says
