On Wednesday, President Biden reportedly informed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy that U.S. intelligence indicates Russia will launch a “full-scale invasion” of the country within the next 48 hours, according to Newsweek.
“The President of Ukraine has been warned Russia will highly likely begin an invasion within 48 hours based on U.S. intelligence,” a U.S. official with direct knowledge told Newsweek.
“Additionally, reporting from aircraft observers indicates Russia violated Ukrainian airspace earlier today, flying possible reconnaissance aircraft for a short period over Ukraine,” the official added.
Newsweek reported, “A source close to Zelenskyy’s government also confirmed to Newsweek that such a warning was received.”
The same day, Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry warned Ukrainians living in Russia to leave the country immediately and also issued a warning against traveling to Russia.
The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry stated “the intensification of Russian aggression against Ukraine … may lead to significant restrictions on the provision of consular assistance in the Russian Federation. We emphasize that ignoring these recommendations will significantly complicate ensuring proper protection of Ukrainian citizens in the Russian Federation,” according to CNBC.
The news comes the day after Biden announced that Russia had begun “an invasion” of Ukraine by sending military forces into separatist regions of Ukraine.
“Yesterday, Vladimir Putin recognized two regions of Ukraine as independent states and he bizarrely asserted that these regions are no longer part of Ukraine and their sovereign territory,” Biden began. “To put it simply, Russia just announced that it is carving out a big chunk of Ukraine. “
“Last night, Putin authorized Russian forces to deploy into the region — these regions. Today, he asserted that these regions are — actually extend deeper than the two areas he recognized, claiming large areas currently under the jurisdiction of the Ukraine government,” Biden continued. “He’s setting up a rationale to take more territory by force, in my view. And if we listen to his speech last night — and many of you did, I know — he’s — he’s setting up a rationale to go much further.”
“This is the beginning of a Russian invasion of Ukraine, as he indicated and asked permission to be able to do from his Duma,” he added.
