As the tension between Russia and Ukraine escalated, American intelligence leaked an interesting claim to the media. In the news based on US officials, it was claimed that American intelligence had information that Putin's order to launch the Ukraine attack went to the military commanders.
It was claimed in the news that this information came to Washington last week and that US President Joe Biden and Foreign Minister Antony Blinken made a statement that, based on intelligence information, Putin decided that he would invade Ukraine. It is also discussed that this information may have been circulated by Russia for the sole purpose of misleading.
Biden said on Friday that he was convinced Putin had decided to invade Ukraine and that the Russian army could invade Kiev. Blinken, on the other hand, interpreted Russia's activities in the region as the beginning of a real occupation process.
WESTERN INTELLIGENCE: "PUTIN'S Z ARMY IS READY FOR WAR"
Photographs showing that armored vehicles of the Russian army marked with the letter Z are moving towards the Ukrainian border were reflected in the press. The Western press called the letter Z Putin's Zombie army.
While the whole world is focused on the news from the Ukrainian border, the intelligence reports of the West, especially the USA, have made new claims stating that Putin's army is ready for war.
Photographs showing Russian tanks and armored vehicles marked with the letter Z advancing towards the Ukrainian border appeared in the press. As the Russia-Ukraine crisis escalates day by day, US and British intelligence reports suggested that Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered an invasion of Ukraine with 200,000 soldiers and 500 warplanes. It was stated that a distinctive white letter Z was drawn on the vehicles to avoid friendly fire, and this was interpreted as a 'sign of war' in the international press.
PUTIN-MACRON-BIDEN TRIANGLE
Kremlin Spokesperson Dmitriy Peskov reported that Russian President Vladimir Putin and French President Emmanuel Macron met twice in one day. In his statement to reporters, Peskov stated that after the phone call between Putin and Macron, a second phone call was made at around 01.00 local time, on the initiative of Macron.
“The heads of state continued to discuss the situation around Ukraine,” spokesman Peskov said.
While the tensions between Russia and Ukraine are escalating, there is a remarkable activity in Washington. US President Joe Biden, on the other hand, canceled his travel plan to Wilmington, a city in his hometown of Delaware, after a phone call with Macron.
US THREATENS WITH SANCTIONS BUT PUTIN CHALLENGES
The United States has prepared a package of sanctions, including blocking money transfers from Russian banks in case Moscow invades Kiev. Putin said that no new sanctions will make Russia back down because Moscow has learned to resist sanctions over the years.
While Russia's claims to invade Ukraine continued, critical moves came from the USA. The White House will target Russia's banking sector if there is an invasion. Allegedly, the sanctions that would be imposed in the event of Russia's invasion of Ukraine aim to harm Russia's economy by cutting off the "correspondent bank" relations that allow international payments to be made between major Russian banks and US banks.
PUTIN: “WE LEARNED TO RESIST SANCTIONS”
Russian President Vladimir Putin, on the other hand, said that no new sanctions will make Russia take a step back because Moscow has learned to resist sanctions over the years. Speaking at a joint press conference with his Belarusian counterpart, Alexander Lukashenko, the Russian leader stated that Moscow cannot avoid Western sanctions because they are not aimed at changing the Kremlin's behavior, the main purpose is to slow down Russia's development.