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Biden says Russian invasion in February is a ‘distinct possibility’

In this photo provided by Lithuanian Ministry of National Defense, a Danish Royal Air Force F-16 fighter jet stand on the tarmac after landing at the Siauliai airbase, some 230 km (144 miles) east of the capital Vilnius, Lithuania, Thursday, Jan. 27, 2022. As tensions build with Russia, NATO is focused on defending its 30 member countries. The world's biggest military organization doesn't do sanctions; it does security. That means deterring any attempt to destabilize members on its eastern flank like Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland. NATO stands ready to beef up its defenses there should Russia invade Ukraine. (Lithuanian Ministry of National Defense via AP)
In this photo provided by Lithuanian Ministry of National Defense, a Danish Royal Air Force F-16 fighter jet stand on the tarmac after landing at the Siauliai airbase, some 230 km (144 miles) east of the capital Vilnius, Lithuania, Thursday, Jan. 27, 2022. As tensions build with Russia, NATO is focused on defending its 30 member countries. The world's biggest military organization doesn't do sanctions; it does security. That means deterring any attempt to destabilize members on its eastern flank like Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland. NATO stands ready to beef up its defenses there should Russia invade Ukraine. (Lithuanian Ministry of National Defense via AP)

By VLADIMIR ISACHENKOV and NOMAAN MERCHANT / The Associated Press 8 min read

MOSCOW (AP) – The White House says President Joe Biden warned Ukraine’s president Thursday that there is a “distinct possibility” Russia could take military action against Ukraine in February. The Kremlin likewise sounded a grim note, saying it saw “little ground for optimism” in resolving the crisis after the U.S. this week again rejected Russia’s main demands.

Russian officials said dialogue was still possible to end the crisis, but Biden again offered a stark warning amid growing concerns that Russian President Vladimir Putin will give the go-ahead for a further invasion of Ukrainian territory in the not-so-distant future.

The White House said Biden’s comments to Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelenskyy in a phone call amplified concerns that administration officials have been making for some time.

“President Biden said that there is a distinct possibility that the Russians could invade Ukraine in February,” White House National Security Council spokesperson Emily Horne said. “He has said this publicly and we have been warning about this for months. “

Tensions have soared in recent weeks, as the United States and its NATO allies expressed concern that a buildup of about 100,000 Russian troops near Ukraine signaled that Moscow planned to invade its ex-Soviet neighbor. Russia denies having any such designs – and has laid out a series of demands it says will improve security in Europe.