Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Monday declared that Wednesday will be a day of unity, as he addressed reports that a Russian invasion of his country could begin that day.
The comments from the Ukrainian leader, made in an address to his nation posted on Facebook, come amid heightened tensions between Kyiv and Moscow. The Biden administration had warned on Friday that an attack on Ukraine could be imminent.
Zelensky wrote in the statement on Facebook that the decree declaring a day of unity had already been signed.
This was reportedly filmed in Maslovka, #Voronezh region, #Russia, some 130 km from the border with #Ukraine: pic.twitter.com/6m0rEkqt3L
— Alex Kokcharov (@AlexKokcharov) February 12, 2022
Ukraine Border, Russian are going to the Border#UkraineInvasion pic.twitter.com/GfK8puE0yQ
— Emrah (@EmrahEmbrone) February 14, 2022
“We are told that February 16 will be the day of the attack,” he said, according to a Facebook translation of his comments.
NEW – President Zelensky, addressing the nation, says "we are told that February 16 will be the day of the attack. We will make it the Day of Unity… On this day, we will hoist national flags, put on blue and yellow ribbons and show the world our unity." pic.twitter.com/te3bj2AHRb
— Disclose.tv (@disclosetv) February 14, 2022
Ukrainian officials told reporters in Kyiv that Zelensky was not being literal about an attack on Wednesday – though that day has circulated in news reports as a possible opening day of a Russian campaign on Ukraine.
Pres Zelensky says that Ukraine “has been informed” that there will be an attack on Wednesday. He does not say who told him this. The US has said that Russia could invade Ukraine any day now, including in the next few days.
— Kylie Atwood (@kylieatwood) February 14, 2022
Zelensky and Ukraine’s government have criticized the United States at times for over-stating the danger of an imminent Russian invasion of the country.
The Associated Press, citing intelligence obtained by the U.S., reported that Russia was eyeing Wednesday as the target date for an attack.
And here's @NBCNews Chief Foreign Correspondent @RichardEngel promoting a media stunt by Ukraine's far-right, neo-Nazi Azov Battalion on air.
— Aaron Maté (@aaronjmate) February 14, 2022
Looking forward to see how many resident MSNBC extremism and disinformation experts speak out against this. (https://t.co/ubRoazpFGt) pic.twitter.com/jZK1fHFj2M
REPORTER: "Do you have any message for the military families that are involved with the Ukraine crisis?"
— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) February 14, 2022
JILL BIDEN: *crickets* pic.twitter.com/F3AWGyRhlB
🇺🇦⚡️The first combat unit of the Ukrainian army in the Donbass received the M141, NLAW and Javelin ATGMs#Ukraine pic.twitter.com/Zr2VahveHa
— The Rage X – Conflict News (@the_ragex) February 14, 2022
Pentagon press secretary John Kirby told reporters on Monday “we still don’t believe that some final decision has been made.”Asked about Zelensky’s statement and the mention of Feb. 16, Kirby said “I’m not going to talk about specific intelligence assessments, I think you can understand that. We have said for a while now that military action could happen any day.”
Lithuania has pursued & will continue to pursue a consistent support for Ukraine by all possible means. Ukraine's security is our security.
— Arvydas Anušauskas (@a_anusauskas) February 13, 2022
In the face of increasing Russian military pressure, today we are shipping additional support to strengthen Ukraine's military capabilities pic.twitter.com/izgu6njLqX
A gun store in Kyiv, #Ukraine, where civilian citizens have lined up to buy weapons and ammunition.
— AEROSINT Division PSF (@PSFAERO) February 14, 2022
pic.twitter.com/JVJmt7npB2
He later said “I won’t get into a specific date, I don’t think that would be smart. I would just tell you that it is entirely possible that he could move with little to no warning.”
Kyiv, Ukraine today. Ukraine is not Afghanistan. Ukrainians will fight for their country. #Ukraine #UkraineInvasion pic.twitter.com/7HgbZvWtCT
— Vitaliy Popov (@Vitaliy23404583) February 12, 2022
Russia has amassed more than 100,000 troops near the Ukrainian border. The troop buildup had raised concerns among the U.S. and NATO allies that Russia is planning a military incursion, but Moscow has continually denied having any such plans.
Ukrainian tanks on the border with Russia. The tankers know that they will all die in the war, but none of them has given up on this mission. #Ukraine #UkraineInvasion pic.twitter.com/buujuarztx
— Vitaliy Popov (@Vitaliy23404583) February 11, 2022
Officials from Ukraine, Russia and NATO nations have engaged in diplomatic discussions for weeks with hopes of easing the tensions in the region, but the conversations did not bear any breakthroughs.
President Biden spoke to Russian President Vladimir Putin on Saturday and said that “swift and severe costs” would follow if Moscow invaded Ukraine.
Has the war started?#روسيا_اوكرانيا #Russia_Ukraine pic.twitter.com/aLbJRuNAqy
— المطيري 🇸🇦 (@almtyry155) February 12, 2022
While the US is claiming war is about to break out, the president of Ukraine has said that's not true, thereby contradicting the clear US propaganda. So why is our gov't pushing for a catastrophic war the American people don't want? Big surprise – it comes down to oil & money. pic.twitter.com/tkSJ1jXVDn
— Lee Camp [Redacted] (@LeeCamp) February 9, 2022
Heavy Russian 152-mm self-propelled howitzers moving on the road, ~30km from the border with #Ukrainepic.twitter.com/V2QrwIj1hr
— marqs (@MarQs__) February 14, 2022
Soon after Zelensky posted his statement, Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced that the U.S. was “in the process of temporarily relocating our Embassy operations” from Kyiv to Lviv “due to the dramatic acceleration in the buildup of Russian forces.”
According to them, this is due to the warm weather, and because of this, the earth will not be able to freeze.
Journalism Level: CNN