US warns Russia could invade Ukraine ‘at any time’

WASHINGTON – Russia could invade Ukraine “at any time,” the US said on Monday amid soaring tensions between the Kremlin and the West.

“We feel it’s important to be open and candid about the threat from Russia. It’s not just words of course. You’re seeing specifics that we’ve been laying out here,” White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki told reporters.

“Our effort is to ensure we’re informing the American public and the global community of the seriousness of this threat, even as we work with the Ukrainians, with the Europeans to ensure we are not only preparing them and providing them supplies that they need but standing up and making clear to the Russians what the consequences will be,” she added.

The US and its European allies have been warning of a potential Russian invasion of Ukraine for over a month as western estimates put the number of Russian troops positioned along the Ukraine border at over 100,000. In neighboring Belarus, the US’s UN envoy warned earlier on Monday that Russia is seeking to ramp up its presence to 30,000 troops.

In both cases, Russia denies planning for an invasion, maintaining its troops are taking part in routine exercises.

The troop buildup comes eight years after Russia illegally annexed Ukraine’s Crimean Peninsula and began its support for separatist rebels operating in eastern Ukraine.

6,600 US citizens residing in Ukraine

Some 6,600 US citizens were residing in Ukraine as of October, State Department spokesman Ned Price said Monday.

Speaking at a press conference, Price said the inputs come from the Ukrainian government, US organizations in Ukraine like the American Chamber of Commerce, exchange programs and international schools, and the number of people applying for US citizen services.

“Those inputs are instructive, but they are not necessarily dispositive when it comes to a firm, accurate, comprehensive number. But that is the estimate we were able to arrive at last October,” he said.

He added that the US embassy in Kyiv estimated that before Russia’s military buildup began, at any given point in time, there could be 16,000 US citizens, tourists, and visitors in Ukraine.

“While we estimated at the time there could be 16,000 tourists and visitors, our best assessment is that that number is much, much lower now,” he added.