U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin on Saturday appeared to compare Russsia’s military to a snake that was uncoiling and preparing to strike Ukraine after a massive military buildup that has stoked the biggest East-West crisis since the Cold War.
Austin, speaking on a trip to Lithuania, said he agreed with President Joe Biden’s Friday assessment that Russian President Vladimir Putin has made a decision to stage a new invasion of Ukraine.
“They are uncoiling and are now poised to strike,” Austin told a news conference in the Lithuanian capital, Vilnius, ahead of talks with increasingly anxious Baltic leaders.
See also:
–NATO Evacuates Staff From Ukrainian Capital
–Russian Military Build-Up Continues, Despite Moscow’s Promises Of A Drawdown
–Israeli Satellite Images Show Rapid Russian Military Buildup In Crimea
–Russia To Protect Its Citizens In Donetsk, Lugansk If They Are In Danger – Duma Speaker
–Ukraine’s Paramilitaries Prepare For Conflict With Russia
–Russian Proxies In Eastern Ukraine Mobilize Troops, Kill Two Ukrainian Soldiers
–The Ukraine War Has Already Begun – And It’s Unlike Any You’ve Seen Before