Russia still denies all allegations that it is part of a protracted conflict in Ukraine
Russia has long resisted Ukraine's move toward European institutions, and its key demand is that it never join NATO and have no offensive weapons on its territory. Russia currently denies allegations that it is part of a long-running conflict in Ukraine.
According to the BBC, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov called on everyone to keep a cool head, and Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov warned that tensions could lead to a situation similar to the Cuban Missile Crisis of 1962, when the United States and the Soviet Union approached nuclear conflict.
Western intelligence services believe that the invasion may occur in early 2022.
"The probable time to reach readiness for escalation will be the end of January", - Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksiy Reznikov said.
U.S. intelligence says up to 175,000 Russian troops may be involved in January.
"Putin is putting the Russian military and their security services in places where they can act quite radically", - CIA Director William Burns said.
On Tuesday, December 7, US President Joe Biden had a video conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin, during which they raised the issue of Ukraine, cybersecurity and strategic stability.
Initially, Russia called the satellite photos, which show clusters of troops in the Crimea and near eastern Ukraine, alarming. But in early December, an aide to the Russian president said that "we have the right to move troops on our territory".
Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Armed Forces Valery Gerasimov says that NATO has paid too much attention to the movement of troops, and "the information circulating in the media about the possible Russian invasion of Ukraine is a lie".
Moscow recently accused Kyiv of building up half of its army to about 125,000 in the east, saying Ukraine planned to attack Russian-backed separatist-held territories and accused NATO countries of "pumping" weapons into Ukraine.
Volodymyr Jabarov, a spokesman for the Russian Federation Council for International Affairs, said that in early December, about half a million Ukrainians in rebel-held areas now have Russian passports. As Dzhabarov assured, if the rebel leaders turn to Russia for help, "of course, we cannot leave our compatriots".
"Common sense and responsibility for one's own countries and the world community will eventually win", - Russian President Vladimir Putin said at a conference.
Back in July 2021, the Russian leader published an extended report on the Kremlin's website, detailing the history of the two countries. At the same time, he called Russians and Ukrainians "one nation", and current Ukrainian leaders a "anti-Russian project".
"Those who are trying to turn Ukraine against Russia will destroy their own country", - Vladimir Putin said.
