Biden says 'convinced' Putin has decided to invade Ukraine

President Joe Biden repeated his claim Friday that the US had intelligence showing his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin has made up his mind to invade Ukraine.

Yet, just moments later he said it was “hard to read his mind”.

"As of this moment I’m convinced he’s made the decision. We have reason to believe that," said Biden, citing US intelligence assessments.

He made the remarks at a press briefing at the White House after delivering an update on the threat of a Russian invasion.

"You are convinced President Putin is going to invade Ukraine. Is that what you just said a few moments ago?" a reporter asked moments later. "Yes, I did," Biden said.

Asked why he believed the Russian leader had decided to invade, he said, “There’s a significant intelligence capability.”

Also on Thursday, Biden claimed that his administration had “reason to believe” that Russia was “engaged in a false-flag operation to have an excuse to go in”.

“Every indication we have is they’re prepared to go into Ukraine, attack Ukraine … My sense is it will happen in the next several days,” he told reporters shortly after the expulsion of his country’s deputy ambassador to Moscow.

Washington and its NATO allies have been accusing Russia of plans to invade Ukraine by amassing about 150,000 troops and armaments near the border with Ukraine. Moscow has vehemently rejected the allegations, saying the military build-up is defensive in nature, slamming NATO over its increased military activity near Russian borders.

In a major step toward de-escalation, Moscow also announced last week that some of the Russian troops deployed in areas bordering Ukraine would return to their bases. It also released footage showing some tanks and armored vehicles being loaded onto railway flatcars.

The West claims that the presence of Russian military forces is not diminishing, but on the contrary, growing. 

On Thursday, Russia lambasted the “unfounded accusations” by the US and NATO that it was not withdrawing troops, saying it will take time to draw to a close the current military exercises.

Kremlin says West’s accusations about Russia's troop pullback from Ukraine ‘unfounded’

Russia has denounced "unfounded accusations" by the US and NATO on troop withdrawal from Ukraine.

For weeks, Biden and White House officials have said they did not think Putin had made a final decision about whether to invade Ukraine.

However, the US president indicated Friday that had changed and that the US and allies were preparing for a Russian attack in the days to come.

"We have reason to believe the Russian forces are planning to and intend to attack Ukraine in the coming week, in the coming days,” Biden said in prepared remarks.

In a call earlier Friday, Biden spoke with leaders from Europe and Canada to discuss the current situation.

Meanwhile, Vice President Harris is slated to meet Saturday with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at the Munich Security Conference in Germany.

The development comes as nearly 5,000 American troops from the 82nd Airborne Division arrived in Poland on Thursday with Pentagon officials saying they provide reassurance to a pivotal NATO ally and expertise in helping with the possible evacuation of Americans and others if Russia invades Ukraine.

In addition, another 1,000 American troops — a Stryker squadron from the Army’s Second Cavalry Regiment — are moving from Germany to Romania, according to a US military official.

US sends F-35 jets to Germany amid rising tensions in Eastern Europe

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The Air Force has also sent over a dozen additional fighter jets to Eastern Europe in recent days.

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