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Fears his tanks would get stuck in the mud may have forced Vladimir Putin to postpone Russia's invasion of Ukraine, US officials believe.
Around 100,000 Russian troops, tanks and armoured personnel carriers have been stationed on the border between the two countries for several weeks.
The ground there is usually frozen solid in winter, which is conducive to an advance by heavy vehicles.
Fears his tanks would get stuck in the mud may have forced Vladimir Putin to postpone Russia's invasion of Ukraine, US officials believe (pictured on Monday)
However, a period of mild weather has melted the ice and created a muddy quagmire.
The unusually clement conditions have caused the Kremlin to reconsider its military options, according to weather experts advising US President Joe Biden.
A team of White House meteorologists are convinced the changes in ground conditions have brought Russia's plans to advance to a halt.
They have been monitoring temperatures and weather patterns since the build-up of Russian troops began in November last year.
Since then the tempo of Russian military operations pointed to a January invasion of Ukraine.
The unusually clement conditions have caused the Kremlin to reconsider its military options, according to US weather experts (Ukrainian troops pictured on the frontline today)
