Crisis in Eastern Europe: CIA expects Russian attack next week

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Photo: SERGEI SUPINSKY / AFP

The US intelligence services have issued the most urgent warning to the NATO allies of an imminent Russian attack on Ukraine.

According to SPIEGEL information, both the US secret service CIA and the US military informed the federal government and other NATO states over the course of Friday that, based on new information, there were fears that the attack could take place as early as next Wednesday.

According to several diplomats and military officials, the United States gave many details about the secret briefings.

Routes for the Russian invasion were specifically described, as well as individual Russian units and what tasks they were to take on.

February 16 was given as the possible date for the start of the invasion.

What information the sharp US warning is based on was initially not known in Berlin.

However, it was said that the US accounts were very detailed and supported by many sources.

Nevertheless, according to the line, one cannot assess and predict for oneself whether an attack is imminent.

A point in time around mid-February had long been considered plausible.

However, insiders also believe it is possible that the USA deliberately spread the information in order to torpedo the Russian attack plans.

At the White House press briefing, Jake Sullivan, Joe Biden's national security adviser, declined to comment on these reports.

An attack could happen at any time, even before the end of the Olympic Games.

However, he emphasized: "We are not saying that President Putin has made a final decision." But one is in an "urgent situation".

During the course of the crisis, the US government disseminated intelligence information on an unusually large scale.

Crisis meeting in the situation room

Aside from the secrecy, however, a worsening situation could be observed throughout the day.

Foreign Minister Antony Blinken, who is currently in Australia, warned of a possible attack before the end of the Olympic Games in China on February 20.

The night before, US President Joe Biden had called on all Americans to leave Ukraine immediately.

According to US media, he met his most important security advisors in the situation room in the White House late Thursday evening (local time) for an emergency meeting.

Then on Thursday the wires ran even hotter.

Apparently, the United States has been informing allies individually about the new findings since the early morning.

For the late afternoon, US President Joe Biden called all EU heads of state and government together for a secret switching conference.

The head of the EU Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, and NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg were also invited.

In addition to the new findings, Biden also pointed out how important it is to remain in dialogue with Russia.

There was also talk of a possible phone call between him and Putin.

The federal government only commented very generally on the content of the video conference.

The government spokesman said on Twitter that it was an "important exchange on the very, very serious security situation in Ukraine," in which the unity of the Allies was expressed.

The allies are ready for a sharp response with sanctions, should there be an invasion.

It was now a question of “preventing a war in Europe”.

Chancellor Olaf Scholz will travel to Ukraine on Monday and meet the Russian President in Moscow on Tuesday.