U.S. President Joe Biden says he’s “convinced” that Russian President Vladimir Putin has decided to launch a further invasion of Ukraine, saying he has “reason to believe” it will occur in the “coming days” and will include an assault on its capital, Kyiv.
The president spoke from the White House on Friday.
After weeks of saying that the U.S. wasn’t sure if Putin had made the final decision to launch a widespread invasion, Biden said Friday that assessment had changed. “As of this moment I’m convinced he’s made the decision,” Biden said. He cited the United States’ “significant intelligence capability” for the assessment.
Western concerns about Moscow’s intentions in Ukraine have zeroed in on two areas of simmering conflict in the east of the country. Ceasefire violations between pro-Russian and Ukrainian troops are occurring there. NATO countries fear those areas could be a flashpoint, providing the Kremlin with a pretext to invade Ukraine.
Read more from NPR: Why the U.S. keeps raising public alarms on Russia
