Washington is preparing for a massive exodus of refugees fleeing Ukraine in
the event of a Russian attack. The White House announced the preparations as
tensions remain high in Eastern Europe.
Speaking at a briefing Tuesday (Feb 8/2022), US President Joe Biden's
spokeswoman Jen Psaki referred to the preparations American officials are
making in case the Russian armed forces carry out an attack on its
neighbour.
"We are of course preparing for the possibilities, and are working and
engaging with our European partners and partners to prepare for them," he
said.
“And that has to do with potential refugees; This is related to the
potential scarcity of natural gas or oil," he explained.
However, he declined to elaborate further in an "intelligence assessment"
cited by the Washington Post over the weekend, which alleged a Russian
invasion could result in the displacement of millions of people and the
death of thousands of civilians.
According to the Washington Post, US officials have informed lawmakers and
European partners of a new estimate that claims Russia has amassed more
troops near the border with Ukraine and could soon launch an offensive that
would reach Kiev in just two days, killing 50,000 people and causing up to
50,000 people. five million refugees fled the chaos.
Commenting on Washington's hasty evacuation from Afghanistan last summer,
Psaki insisted that, “It is very important to keep the two separate.
Because, firstly, we are not in a 20 year war with US troops in Ukraine.
Those are very different circumstances.”
"The situation on the Ukrainian border with Russian troops being built is
not the same as ending a 20-year war," he said.
He added, “That is something the president has been talking about for some
time, where we spent a lot of money on not just money but the blood of
American service member for decades.”
On Wednesday (9/2/2022), the Wall Street Journal reported that the White
House had approved a plan from the Pentagon for US troops stationed in
Poland to help thousands of Americans flee Ukraine if Moscow ordered an
attack.
According to the outlet, about 30,000 Americans reside in the former Soviet
republic. This number certainly cannot be ignored if there really is a war.
Western leaders have been warning for months that Russia could be planning
an invasion of Ukraine. The allegations have consistently been denied by
Moscow.
The Kremlin insists the movement of its troops on its own territory is an
internal matter and does not concern other countries.
Russia's demands on NATO have so far been rebuffed, notably for Ukraine's
exclusion from the Western bloc.
Russia points out that NATO has deployed weapons to Ukraine and is deploying
troops around the region.
