United States President Joe Biden said that he was developing a set of measures that would prevent a possible invasion of the Russian army into Ukraine.

"I am developing the most, in my opinion, a comprehensive and meaningful set of initiatives aimed at preventing Vladimir Putin from doing as much as possible what people fear he is going to do," Biden quoted Reuters as saying.

Later, the head of the White House told reporters that he would have a long conversation with his Russian counterpart.

Biden and Putin will have a video link on Tuesday, December 7. 

In his statement, Biden did not explain what tools he plans to use to influence Moscow.

Reuters quoted a senior US official, who asked to remain anonymous, that measures against Russia would be carried out by Washington in conjunction with its allies.

“From the very beginning of this administration, we have demonstrated that the United States and our allies are ready to use a range of tools to counter Russia's harmful activities.

In the future, we will not hesitate to use these and other tools, ”the official said.

Also, speaking to the media, Biden commented on the Kremlin's arguments on security issues.

The American leader stressed that he does not recognize the "red lines" that Moscow is talking about.

As Vladimir Batyuk, head of the Center for Military-Political Research of the Institute of the USA and Canada of the Russian Academy of Sciences, recalled in an interview with RT, the leadership of the Russian Federation is categorically opposed to solving the crisis in Donbass by force and does not accept NATO's further approach to the borders of Russia.

“Biden's statements were predictable.

Public disregard for Russia's interests is a common style of American diplomacy.

True, the results of negotiations with Moscow are often different, ”the expert noted.

“But no“ set of initiatives ”will be accepted by the White House simply for the reason that Moscow is not going to attack anyone.

This also applies to Ukraine, "Batyuk emphasized.  

"Unseen circumstances"

Recall that on December 3, speaking at the online conference Reuters Next, US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken said that during a conversation with Putin, Biden intends to declare Washington's determination to resist Russia's "reckless or aggressive actions" towards Ukraine.

Moscow has repeatedly denied accusations of preparing an offensive military operation in Ukraine.

From the Kremlin's point of view, this hysteria is artificially whipped up by the United States.

At the same time, the Russian leadership does not deny that the security situation in Ukraine is indeed degrading.

In particular, on December 1, during a briefing, the official representative of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation, Maria Zakharova, announced that Ukraine had drawn 125,000 servicemen to the conflict zone in Donbass, that is, half of the personnel of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

  • Ukrainian armored vehicles in Donbass

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According to the diplomat, Kiev is dismantling Minsk-2 and refuses to try to resolve the conflict peacefully.

In this regard, Zakharova called on NATO countries "to stop provocations and encouragement of the militaristic plans of the Kiev regime."

The West and the United States ignore Moscow's arguments.

Pentagon spokesman John Kirby has repeatedly stated about the alleged increase in the concentration of Russian units near Ukraine, expressing concern about such "military activity."

In addition, the largest Western media published a number of materials in which, according to unnamed officials, they openly speak of the alleged preparation of the Russian army for a military operation on Ukrainian territory.

So, on December 3, CNN TV channel, loyal to the US Democratic Party, reported that the American authorities were alarmed by the alleged activity of Russian troops near the Ukrainian border.

According to them, Moscow is building forces and reserves capable of withstanding a protracted armed conflict.

According to an unnamed senior White House official, Moscow has allegedly brought up additional troops to one of its border regions in recent days.

However, he did not specify the location where the newly "arrived" army units of the Russian Federation were concentrated, and did not name their number.

Another CNN source, a senior Western intelligence official, believes the Kremlin wants to convey a message to Kiev and the West about its alleged readiness to "take great risks and use force."

“If you threaten to use force and keep your troops ready, and political and military interference from the West is either insignificant or absent at all, then this gives you confidence,” the TV channel quotes its anonymous interlocutor.

On December 4, the Associated Press, citing new forecasts from US intelligence, reported that Moscow allegedly intends to deploy about 175,000 troops in various areas adjacent to Ukraine.

And at the moment, about half of the indicated number of Russian military personnel are allegedly already in these points of deployment.

In an interview with the agency, another anonymous White House official said that in the near future, another 100 battalion tactical groups, along with armored vehicles and artillery, would allegedly be deployed to the Ukrainian border.

  • Tanks of the Russian 41st Army

  • © Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation

In addition, the source said that the US intelligence services allegedly recorded an increase in the activity of "Russian propaganda" in the field of denigrating Ukraine and NATO.

As the Associated Press interlocutor believes, the increase in the volume of such informational materials also indicates preparations for a potential invasion of the Russian Federation, which is expected to take place in early 2022.

However, at the public level, United States officials refrain from announcing specific dates for the alleged implementation of Moscow's hatched "plans to invade" Ukraine and do not claim that the corresponding decision has been finally made.

“We do not know whether President Putin made the decision to invade.

But we know that he creates conditions to be able to do it in a short time if such a decision is made.

We must prepare for any unforeseen circumstances, ”the head of the State Department told reporters ahead of the December 1 meeting of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe.

At the same time, some representatives of the EU expert community are also seriously discussing the aggressive "intentions" of the Russian Federation.

For example, on November 30, an article was published on the website of the Euronews TV channel with a commentary by a researcher at the European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR) Gustav Gressel.

The political scientist said that Ukraine was allegedly "surrounded by rather significant Russian troops."

In his opinion, Moscow could pull up to the borders of Ukraine some units of the 41st and 58th combined-arms armies, as well as the 1st tank army.

According to Gressel's forecast, the Russian Federation may agree to a "limited escalation" aimed at destabilizing Ukraine.

And to prevent it, "a strong reaction from the West is needed," says an ECFR employee.

According to experts interviewed by RT, not only the alarmist statements of US officials, but also Kiev officials give a lot of fuel to the Western media.

For example, on December 3, during the hour of questions to the government in the Verkhovna Rada, the Minister of Defense of Ukraine Alexei Reznikov said that at present, 41 battalion tactical groups of the RF Armed Forces were allegedly deployed around Ukraine and in Crimea.

“Of these, 33 - on a permanent basis, eight - additionally transferred to the Crimea.

The total number of troops on the territory of the Russian Federation and in the temporarily occupied territories that can be involved in the escalation is estimated at 94.3 thousand people, "Reznikov said.

In addition, according to the Ukrainian Minister of Defense, Moscow has begun a series of exercises, stepped up reconnaissance near Ukraine and reinforced the groupings in the Bryansk and Smolensk regions with tanks and armored vehicles.

Dangerous hysteria

According to Vladimir Batyuk, numerous reports in the media and statements by officials regarding the "aggression" that Russia is allegedly preparing are inspired and organized by Washington.

The expert recalled that it was in the American press that the Russophobic information campaign began and continues.

We will remind, in the fall, the first articles about the "plans" of the invasion of the Russian army into Ukraine were published by The Washington Post and Politico.

By the way, Kiev initially denied the allegations made by these media outlets.

“The Kiev authorities later picked up the alarmist wave launched by the United States and other Western states.

And recently we have seen that Kiev, as our president puts it, is actively cheating on "Western partners," says Batyuk.  

  • A snapshot of Russian military equipment in Yelnya, Smolensk region, published by Politico

  • © Maxar Technologies

The expert explains the logic of the United States by the course of maintaining “controlled escalation”.

The essence of such a policy, in his opinion, is to maintain tension in the Donbass and in Russian-Ukrainian relations in general.

Alexey Podberezkin, director of the Center for Military-Political Studies at MGIMO, adheres to a similar view.

In an interview with RT, the expert said that the United States is conducting a propaganda campaign that is absurd from a rational point of view.

However, its consequences could be very dire for the security of Europe.

“Hysteria about Moscow's 'imminent invasion' of Ukraine occurs regularly.

However, it is also impossible to take such phenomena lightly.

The atmosphere may turn out to be so tense that a “preemptive strike” will be justified, as was the case with Georgia's aggression in August 2008, ”Podberezkin concluded.