(NewsNation Now) — NATO allies accused Russia of misleading the world with “disinformation” by saying it was returning some troops to bases, charging that Moscow has instead added as many as 7,000 more troops near its tense border with Ukraine.
U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said the U.S. and its NATO partners “will closely match Russian words to Russian deeds, what they say to what they actually do.”
“Yesterday, the Russian government said it was withdrawing troops from the border with Ukraine,” a senior administration official confirmed to NewsNation. “They received a lot of attention for that claim, both here and around the world. But we now know it was false.”
The official said some troops arrived as recently as Wednesday.
The Russian Defense Military said Tuesday that some troops are returning to their bases after completing drills near the Ukrainian border, yet another gesture apparently aimed at easing fears it is planning to invade Ukraine.
President Joe Biden had not taken Russian President Vladimir Putin at his word. Biden said Tuesday that, “An invasion remains distinctly possible.”
He’s threatened Putin with “overwhelming international condemnation” should he invade. Biden said the United States is prepared no matter what happens.
NewsNation’s Leland Vittert, who reported from eastern Ukraine in 2014 when the region erupted into conflict between supporters of Russia and Ukranians loyal to their own government, also predicted Putin’s move.
“Vladimir Putin is saying one thing and doing the other,” Vittert said on “Morning in America.” “He’s saying that he is withdrawing troops, when in fact he is actually increasing the number of troops and moving them closer to attack positions.”
Russia has massed about 150,000 troops east, north and south of Ukraine, according to Western estimates. Moscow denies it has any plans to invade.
Russia wants the West to keep Ukraine and other former Soviet nations out of NATO, halt weapons deployments near Russian borders and roll back forces from Eastern Europe. The U.S. and its allies have roundly rejected those demands, but they have offered to engage in talks with Russia on ways to bolster security in Europe.
Vice President Kamala Harris is heading to Germany on Thursday and will speak to Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, as well as German Chancellor Olaf Scholz.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
