U.S. Says 190,000 Russian Troops Now in and Around Ukraine

Tensions between Russia and the West escalated on Friday as Moscow announced plans to test nuclear missiles and host a NATO-led war game in Belarus. Ukraine is in a crisis that risks becoming the biggest European conflict in decades. As President Biden prepares to speak to NATO allies on Friday, US officials say up to 190,000 Russian troops have been deployed inside and near Ukraine, a number that includes Russian-backed separatists. Officials also repeated warnings that Moscow would try to fabricate a provocation from Ukraine to justify an invasion of its smaller neighbor.

Fears of such a "false flag" incident were heightened when a separatist leader  claimed there was no evidence in a video message on Friday that a Ukrainian military offensive would soon take place, and called on residents of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic to be evacuated to Russia.

The Defense Minister and Foreign Minister of Ukraine were quick to dismiss accusations of an impending attack in Ukraine.

The Russian separatist leader's message, after ramping up the front lines between Ukraine and Russia, highlighted worrisome signs that a simmering conflict for years could become the trigger for a larger-scale war. However, in the face of mixed messages from Russia throughout the crisis, Putin, on Friday, said Russia was ready to pursue a diplomatic path and Biden's Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken had accepted the invitation to meet. 

But Putin stressed that Russia will continue to stick to its ambitious demands for 'security guarantees' in Eastern Europe that the West has rejected - such as a halt to NATO expansion eastward and the withdrawal of NATO forces from the area.

The Biden administration says it believes Russia will invade Ukraine within the next few days. Although Moscow insists it has no such plan, it has pledged to take a "strong response" if the United States and its NATO partners do not reduce their presence in Europe.