US Secretary of State Antony Blinken Says Russia May Be Engaged in Full-Blown Invasion of Ukraine Before Night is Over

Washington, February 24: US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Wednesday said the Biden administration believes Russia may engage in a full invasion in Ukraine before the night is over.

Upon being asked by NBC News on Wednesday, whether he has any reason to believe this, Blinken said, "I do." Then adds, "I can't put a date or exact time on it."

Also Read | Russia-Ukraine Crisis: EU Sanctions 351 Russian Lawmakers in Response to Recognition of Donetsk, Luhansk.

Blinken added, "I do, unfortunately, Russia has positioned its forces at the final point of readiness across Ukraine's borders, to the North, to the East, to the South, everything seems to be in place for Russia to engage in a major aggression against Ukraine."

An emergency session of the UN Security Council on the prevailing situation in

Ukraine will begin at 09.30 pm (New York time) on Wednesday, as per Russia's Permanent Mission to the UN.

Also Read | Russia-Ukraine Crisis: European Union Sanctions Against Russia Come Into Force.

"The UN Security Council meeting on Ukraine is scheduled today for 21:30 New York time and will be held in the format of an open briefing," the mission said.

Ukraine requested an urgent United Nations Security Council (UNSC) Meet after Heads of the Ukraine breakaway regions, Donetsk and Luhansk, have asked the Russian President Vladimir Putin for help.

Taking to Twitter, Ukraine's Foreign Minister, Dmytro Kuleba said, "Ukraine has requested an urgent meeting of the UN Security Council due to the appeal by Russian occupation administrations in Donetsk and Luhansk to Russia with a request to provide them with military assistance which is a further escalation of the security situation."

Apart from Kuleba, High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs, Josep Borrell Fontelles, said that request for assistance from DPR, LPR breakaway regions is a "very dangerous additional step" that would put thousands of lives at risk.

Borrell in a tweet said, "The request for assistance by Moscow from the so-called DPR/LPR breakaway regions announces a very dangerous additional step against #Ukraine's sovereignty that would put thousands of lives at risk.

The EU strongly urges #Russia to refrain from any further escalatory actions."

This comes at a time when Russian President Vladimir Putin recognized the independence of the Ukraine breakaway regions following which Biden imposed sanctions on Russia and affirmed US' support to Ukraine.

Putin after his announcement also ordered the sending of the Russian Armed Forces to Ukraine's breakaway regions.

In another key development, the Ukrainian parliament, Verkhovna Rada, on Wednesday approved declaring a state of emergency in the whole country except for Donetsk and Luhansk regions amid the escalating situation at the country's borders.

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