Poland "The risk of war in Europe is now greater than ever in the last 30 years"
NATO, to Russia "Only we will decide who and when can join the Alliance"
Tension rises between Washington and Moscow after the United States alleges that Russia has positioned saboteurs in Ukraine in order to create "a pretext for an invasion."
An attack that could begin next month, according to a senior US official.
"Russia is laying the groundwork for the option of fabricating a pretext for invasion, including through sabotage activities and intelligence operations, by accusing Ukraine of preparing an imminent attack on Russian forces in eastern Ukraine," a US official said, according to
The Guardian
. "We have information indicating that Russia has already positioned a group of agents to carry out a false flag operation in eastern Ukraine." "Russian influencers are already starting to fabricate Ukrainian provocations on state and social media," the official said, noting that Russia used similar tactics before its annexation of Crimea in 2014. The military invasion could start between mid-January and Half of February,points out the same source.
This new detail jumps in the same week that diplomacy has failed to end the crisis that caused the concentration of more than 100,000 Russian soldiers near the borders of Ukraine and the same day that Kiev denounced a massive cyberattack.
massive cyber attack
Ukraine denounced a massive cyberattack against government websites, including those of the cabinet of ministers, the ministries of Foreign Affairs, the Emergency and the Security Council.
Early in the morning, government computers read:
"Ukrainians, be afraid and be prepared for the worst."
Kiev and its allies have been sounding the alarm for months about a possible new Russian military offensive against Ukraine.
Or about an interference of this type: cybernetic and anonymous.
Ukraine's Foreign Ministry spokesman told Reuters it was too early to say who the perpetrator might be but recalled that the Russians had been behind similar attacks in the past.
The hackers left a message: "Ukrainians.
All information about you has been made public, be afraid and expect the worst. This is for your past, present and future."
From the EU, Josep Borrell admitted that he had no data on who was responsible for the cyberattack but "you can already imagine it," the head of European diplomacy told journalists, clearly referring to Russia.
The EU will mobilize all its resources to help Ukraine in the face of this massive cyber attack.
In addition,
the EU's Political and Security Committee will meet urgently and study how to include Kiev in European
cyber defense programs.
Moscow red lines
Russia will react if the United States refuses to approve the security guarantees proposed by Moscow.
It is the Russian announcement of the day, this time through the mouth of the Russian Foreign Minister, Serguei Lavrov.
"We categorically reject the presence of the Atlantic Alliance near our borders,
" Lavrov said at a press conference in which he presented the annual balance of his administration. An eventual entry of Ukraine into NATO would be to cross "a red line" for Moscow. According to the Russian foreign minister, even if Ukraine allows the bloc to deploy military bases on its territory, it would also be a red line for Moscow.
Russia does not stop issuing messages that its patience is running out. "We see the purpose of turning everything into abstract discussions. And, of course, we expect to see an adult reaction, and we firmly told the Americans that," Lavrov said during his annual news conference. The foreign minister also added that
the Russian response to Washington's refusal to guarantee the non-expansion of NATO "will depend on the proposals presented by military experts to the president
of Russia," Vladimir Putin. Lavrov once again avoided hinting at what the Russian attack would be like. But he did say that a possible Moscow response should security talks with the West fail would involve the deployment of military equipment.
Russia expects security talks with the United States to resume after this week's series of meetings, but that depends on Washington's response to Moscow's proposals, Lavrov warned.
verbal escalation
The week of negotiations with Russia has ended with
more threats and new fronts open
.
Moscow has dropped the possibility of having a military presence closer to the US, in countries like Venezuela or Cuba.
And Washington has once again put possible new accessions to NATO on the table, this time in Scandinavia.
Lavrov was indignant at such an idea. "Those who encourage the accession of Finland and Sweden to NATO by all means are the ones who disregard the sovereignty [of these countries]," he said, referring to comments about the possible entry of these countries into NATO. Only the Finns and the Swedish people can decide whether their states join NATO, said Lavrov, who did not mention the Ukrainian people in this category.
"Russia respects the sovereignty of Finland and Sweden and we believe that the neutrality policy of these states makes an important contribution to the European
[security] architecture and to ensuring stability in Europe," the diplomat stressed.
On Thursday, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said the organization could admit Finland and Sweden if they requested it.
The US Assistant Secretary of State, Victoria Nuland, spoke in a similar vein.
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