White House warns Europe to prepare for a Russian INVASION of Ukraine with ...

White House warns Europe to prepare for a Russian INVASION of Ukraine with ...
White House warns Europe to prepare for a Russian INVASION of Ukraine with ...

A military invasion of Ukraine by Russian forces could be imminent, the White House warned its allies in Europe on Thursday.

The United States is concerned that Russia may take aggressive action amid tensions over the Belarusian-Polish border and an increasingly tenuous situation with Europe's natural gas supply.

Fears of a possible military operation were partially sparked by a buildup of Russian firepower at its border with Ukraine, Bloomberg first reported. 

US officials have briefed their European counterparts but their assessment is also based on insights they haven't yet shared with EU allies, people close to the story told the outlet.

A coordinated collective response wouldn't be possible until all that information is shared amongst them.

Russia denied the accusations but expressed anger over American warships in the Black Sea that it says sailed too close to its territory. 

A source reportedly linked to the Kremlin said Russia isn't looking to start a war with Ukraine but indicated it was prepared to if necessary. 

A Kremlin official noted that an overt Russian attack would invoke public outrage in Ukraine and among the global community. But they have a plan to respond to the smaller country's 'provocations,' they said. 

Over the last few weeks Russia has moved tanks and artillery to its border with Ukraine, an analysis by Bloomberg earlier this week showed. 

The Biden administration is reportedly warning European allies of the possibility of an imminent attack by Russia on Ukraine

He sent his CIA director to Moscow earlier this month for a talk with Russian President Vladimir Putin

The Biden administration is reportedly warning European allies of the possibility of an imminent attack by Russia on Ukraine, though Russia denied the accusations

The Yamal-Europe is one of three major Russian pipelines into Europe and represents around 20 per cent of Russia's supplying capacity. Russia supplies around 50 per cent of the EU's natural gas imports. Unlike much of Europe, the UK is not reliant on Russia for its gas supply. Although Britain imports most of its gas, less than 5 per cent comes from Russia (which Gazprom delivers through the BBL Pipeline from the Netherlands, as shown on map). Most of the gas Britain imports comes from Norway.

That prompted CIA Director Bill Burns to fly to Moscow and have a rare one-on-one with President Vladimir Putin.

There he shared the US's 'serious' concerns over the military buildup, sources told CNN

DailyMail.com reached out to the State Department for comment but was referred to comments made on Wednesday by Secretary of State Antony Blinken, when he echoed similar concerns in a press conference with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba.

'We’re concerned by reports of unusual Russian military activity near Ukraine. We’re monitoring the region very closely, as we always do, we’ll continue to consult closely as well with allies and partners on this issue,' Blinken told reporters.

'And as we’ve made clear, any escalatory or aggressive actions would be of great concern to the United States. We continue to support de-escalation in the region and diplomatic resolution to the conflict in eastern Ukraine.'

The report comes as fighting between Russian-backed groups and Ukrainian forces heats up. It began in 2014 after Russia illegally annexed the Crimean peninsula following a

read more from dailymail.....

PREV 'Never a word of remorse': Judge's scathing rebuke of crypto fraudster Sam ... trends now
NEXT In news vacuum, rumours and concern swirl over Catherine mogaznewsen