US Secretary of State Blinken called Russia's possible invasion of Ukraine during the Olympics
Photo: Kevin Lamarque / Reuters
Russia could launch an invasion of Ukraine at any moment, including during the Beijing Olympics, US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken said during a press conference in Melbourne. A transcript of the briefing has been posted on the State Department website.
“As we have said, we are in a position where an invasion could start at any moment. And to be clear, this also applies to the Olympic Games,” Blinken said, commenting on US President Joe Biden’s calls for American citizens to immediately leave Ukraine.
According to the Secretary of State, the United States is seeing troubling signs of escalation from Russia, including amassing new forces on the border with Ukraine.
Earlier, the American president said that US citizens should immediately leave Ukraine. He explained this by saying that the situation in the country could worsen.
The US State Department also advised Americans to leave Ukraine immediately, using commercial or other private modes of transport. It was also noted that the US authorities will not be able to evacuate fellow citizens in the event of hostilities that could begin at “any moment.”
For several months, the West has been accusing Russia of preparing an invasion of Ukraine and pulling troops to the border. The Kremlin has repeatedly called such statements empty and baseless.
