Anxiety in Ukraine as NATO, U.S. and Russia bolster forces and accuse each other of pushing toward war
CBSN
Kyiv, Ukraine — With more than 100,000 Russian troops massed near the Ukrainian border, the U.S. government ordered the families of American staff members to leave the country's capital, Kyiv. The State Department advised all private U.S. citizens to do the same, along with American non-essential embassy personnel.
Moscow has denied a British government intelligence report suggesting that President Vladimir Putin wants to install a puppet government in Kyiv. But with his forces now deployed on three sides of Ukraine, American officials say Putin has the capacity to launch an invasion at any point — though they remain uncertain as to whether he's made the decision to do so.
The Kremlin has sent mixed signals. Moscow denies any intention to invade Ukraine, as it did in 2014, but has warned repeatedly of unspecified "military action" if Putin's demands — most notably for NATO to rule out accepting new members in eastern Europe, including Ukraine — are not met.
