For roughly a month, news headlines reporting an “imminent” Russian invasion of Ukraine have been a mainstay on every mainstream media news network, as well as continued warnings from President Joe Biden’s White House.
According to the Washington Examiner, while a number of people remain skeptical that such an invasion will actually ever take place, new reports claim that Russian President Vladimir Putin has finally issued the order to his top commanders to launch a full-scale invasion, at least according to the latest U.S. intel reports.
David Martin, a CBS News national security correspondent, broke the news during an interview Sunday on CBS News’ Face the Nation, telling host Margaret Brennan that Biden’s latest warning of an invasion, of which he said was “certain,” is based on those reports.
It was on Friday that the president told the press that he has “reason to believe the Russian forces are planning to attack Ukraine in the coming week — the coming days.”
The latest details
Martin’s interview was the latest in a rollercoaster ride of uncertainty in past weeks of whether or not Putin actually plans on invading, or is perhaps attempting to bluff his way into getting what he ultimately wants, which is for Ukraine to never join the ranks of NATO.
NEWS: The U.S. has intelligence that Russian troops have received orders to proceed with an invasion of Ukraine. “The commanders on the ground are making specific plans for how they would maneuver in their sector of the battlefield,” CBS David Martin reports on @FacetheNation. pic.twitter.com/uKsfdWRQjV
— Face The Nation (@FaceTheNation) February 20, 2022
“Not only are they moving up closer and closer to the border into these attack positions, but the commanders on the ground are making specific plans for how they would maneuver in their sector of the battlefield,” Martin said.
He added: “They are doing everything that American commanders would do once they got the order to proceed.”
The latest intel also shows that Russia has dedicated a significant portion of its military to staging on or close to its border with Ukraine, with 120 out of Russia’s 160 Battalion Tactical Groups perched in fighting position.
Potential meeting
Late on Sunday, reports broke that President Biden had agreed to meet with President Putin “in principle” in a last-ditch effort to de-escalate the situation, though the White House stressed that it would only happen if Russia hadn’t invaded Ukraine.
The potential peace summit was reportedly brokered by France, according to BBC.
The White House has repeatedly warned Putin that the United States will impose “swift and severe consequences” should Russia invade, though it doesn’t appear that Russia is too concerned with the threats.
