The United States remains convinced of Russia's imminent invasion of Ukraine. And for this, "shortly", they will send troops to Eastern Europe.
American President Joe Biden said: "I will send troops to Eastern Europe in NATO countries in the short term. Not many", he specified, returning from his visit to Pittsburg, Pennsylvania. For the "possible" deployment, the Pentagon has put 8,500 soldiers on alert.
US-UKRAINE TENSION - According to the White House, the Russian invasion could take place as early as February. But in the last few hours the clash also took place with the Ukrainian president Volodymir Zelensky who denied Biden in front of the international media, inviting him not to unleash the "panic".
For Zelensky, the Russian threat is no more serious than that of the spring of 2021, when Moscow first deployed its troops not far from the border. But if you listen to certain "respected heads of state" it seems "that there is already a war in the whole country". But Russia too, he added, must do its part to seek a de-escalation, that is to "demonstrate" that it is not thinking of an invasion.
Meanwhile, the Biden administration goes straight and has already informed some of the major banks on Wall Street - Bank of America, Citigroup, Goldman Sachs and JPMorgan - of what the sanctions on Russia may be.
MACRON GOES AWAY - On the allied front, however, French President Emmanuel Macron, who leads the European semester, breaks away from the American line with a telephone conversation with Vladimir Putin during which the two declare that they "agree" on the "necessity of a de-escalation "and a" continuation of dialogue "on the crisis in Ukraine.
According to Paris, the head of the Kremlin "did not express any offensive intentions" and "said very clearly that he was not looking for a confrontation".
(Unioneonline / D)