Blinken hints at potential Russia-backed COUP inside Ukraine as US-Moscow relations deteriorate: Putin kicks out American diplomats while Secretary of State warns of 'efforts to destabilize' Kiev 'from within'
Secretary of State Antony Blinken issued new warnings Wednesday about Russia's possible intentions in Ukraine – citing evidence of planning for 'aggressive moves' by Moscow against its neighbor.
He also warns of 'high impact' sanctions if Russia invades.
'In recent weeks, Russia has stepped up planning for potential military action in Ukraine, including positioning tens of thousands of additional combat forces near the Ukrainian border,' said Blinken, who meets Thursday with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.
He also cited 'evidence that Russia has made plans for significant aggressive moves against Ukraine' – including 'efforts to destabilize Ukraine from within.'
That remark appeared to echo a warning by Ukrainian President Zelensky issued over the weekend.
'We've made it clear to the Kremlin that we will respond resolutely, including with a range of high impact economic measures that we have refrained from using in the past,' Blinken said. 'Should Russia reject diplomacy and reinvade Ukraine, we will be prepared to act,' he added.
Blinken spoke at a meeting of NATO foreign ministers in Latvia.
'In recent weeks, Russia has stepped up planning for potential military action in Ukraine, including positioning tens of thousands of additional combat forces near the Ukrainian border,' said U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken
'I have received information that a coup will happen in our country on 1 December,' Zelensky said in a press conference Friday. He cited intelligence and said 'representatives' of Russia were behind the effort.
The Ukrainian leader cited audio recordings he said were obtained by his country's intelligence service, and spoke of a plot to try to employ Ukraine's richest man, Rinat Akhmetov – who Zelensky stressed was not involved.
Blinken's warning comes amid escalating tensions between the U.S. and Russia on the diplomatic level, and even in space.
UN Secretary Jens Soltenberg, speaking on CNN Wednesday morning, called Ukraine a 'partner' nation of NATO, and warned of sanctions and political moves should Russia act, although he noted that Ukraine is not a NATO member whose attack would trigger a mutual defense treaty.
Gen. David Thompson, the vice chief of space operations for U.S. Space Force, warned in comments to the Washington Post of repeated threats from Russia as well as China to U.S. satellites. The threats include use of lasers, radio frequency jamming and other cyberattacks.
Russian President Vladimir Putin's government already faces a host of sanctions after Russia's 2014 invasion of Ukraine and seizure of Crimea
This frame from a video released on April 23, 2021, by Russian Defense Ministry Press Service shows, Russian troops board landing vessels after drills in Crimea. Ukrainian and Western officials are worried that a Russian military buildup near Ukraine could signal plans by Moscow to invade its ex-Soviet neighbor
This handout satellite image released by Maxar Technologies and taken on November 1, 2021 shows self propelled artillery and other equipment amid the presence of a large ground forces deployment on the northern edge of the town of Yelnya, Smolensk Oblast, Russia
Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said those U.S. Embassy personnel who would have spent more than three years in Russia would have to leave Russia by Jan. 31.
Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said those U.S. Embassy personnel who would have spent more than three years in Russia would have to leave Russia by Jan. 31. The U.S. embassy in Moscow is pictured
'The threats are really growing and expanding every single day. And it's really an evolution of activity that's been happening for a long time,' he said.
Longstanding diplomatic clashes are also heating up.
Russia warned Wednesday that a number of U.S. diplomats will have to leave Russia before the end of next month, the latest salvo in a diplomatic tug-of-war between Moscow and Washington.
Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said those U.S. Embassy personnel who would have spent more than three years in Russia would have to leave Russia by Jan. 31.
She said the Russian demand mirrors U.S. actions that would make 55 Russian diplomats have to leave. 'We see the American demand as an expulsion and will respond in kind,' Zakharova said.
The Russian ambassador to Washington, Anatoly Antonov, said last week that 27 Russian diplomats will have to leave by Jan. 30, followed by an equal number half a year later. He rejected the U.S. State Department's argument that the Russian diplomats will have to leave because their visas are expiring, saying that Washington's refusal to extend their visas effectively amounted to the diplomats' expulsion.
Antonov urged the U.S. to roll back several waves of mutual restrictions on the countries' diplomats and 'return to normal practice of diplomatic missions' work.'
On Wednesday, Russia's Deputy Foreign Minister Yuri Ryabkov described Washington's move as an effective 'destruction of diplomatic missions.'
'They just go head-on, continuing attempts to exert pressure,' he said about the U.S. 'That language of ultimatums that the Americans also use in other spheres of our relations is unacceptable for us. We will respond in kind.'
Russia and the U.S. have exchanged several rounds of diplomats expulsions and took other steps restricting the activities of their respective diplomatic missions over the past years as relations between Moscow and Washington sank to post-Cold War lows over Russia´s 2014 annexation of Ukraine´s Crimean Peninsula, its interference in U.S. elections, its hacking attacks and other irritants.
As part of trading diplomatic blows, Russia banned the U.S. Embassy from hiring local residents. The Embassy said the move forced it to reduce its consular workforce by 75% and cut most U.S. citizen services as well as non-immigrant visa processing for non-diplomatic travel.
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