Changes

On November 20, 2021<ref>https://www.wsj.com/articles/russia-rebuts-growing-u-s-warnings-of-attack-on-ukraine-11637605543</ref> Haines alleged that Russia had massed 100,000 troops at the border with Ukraine and was planning an invasion.  In late December 2021 [[Jake Sullivan]] said a four-week window was left to prevent such an invasion and that if it were to happen the sanctions against Russia "would be overwhelming, immediate and inflict significant cost on the Russian economy and their financial system."<ref>https://www.cnn.com/2021/12/19/politics/joe-biden-russia-ukraine-obama-2014/index.html</ref>  Germany had called upon the US not to impose sanctions, insisting that doing so will "damage transatlantic unity", ''Axios'' reported,<ref>[https://www.axios.com/germany-nord-stream-sanctions-congress-ukraine-4d28940b-dc3b-4b19-9d16-c122da6d113c.html Scoop: Germany urges Congress not to sanction Putin’s pipeline], Zachary Basu, ''Axios'', Nov 28, 2021.</ref> citing newly obtained German documents dated November 19, 2021 and marked as "classified":

On November 20, 2021<ref>https://www.wsj.com/articles/russia-rebuts-growing-u-s-warnings-of-attack-on-ukraine-11637605543</ref> Haines alleged that Russia had massed 100,000 troops at the border with Ukraine and was planning an invasion.  In late December 2021 [[Jake Sullivan]] said a four-week window was left to prevent such an invasion and that if it were to happen the sanctions against Russia "would be overwhelming, immediate and inflict significant cost on the Russian economy and their financial system."<ref>https://www.cnn.com/2021/12/19/politics/joe-biden-russia-ukraine-obama-2014/index.html</ref>  Germany had called upon the US not to impose sanctions, insisting that doing so will "damage transatlantic unity", ''Axios'' reported,<ref>[https://www.axios.com/germany-nord-stream-sanctions-congress-ukraine-4d28940b-dc3b-4b19-9d16-c122da6d113c.html Scoop: Germany urges Congress not to sanction Putin’s pipeline], Zachary Basu, ''Axios'', Nov 28, 2021.</ref> citing newly obtained German documents dated November 19, 2021 and marked as "classified":

{{quotebox-float|"US Sanctions targeting [[Nord Stream 2]] would undermine the commitment given to [[Germany]] in the Joint Statement, weaken the credibility of the US government, and endanger the achievements of the Joint Statement, including the provisions supporting Ukraine."<ref>https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/21118732-germany-non-paper</ref>}}  

{{quotebox-float|"US Sanctions targeting [[Nord Stream 2]] would undermine the commitment given to [[Germany]] in the Joint Statement, weaken the credibility of the US government, and endanger the achievements of the Joint Statement, including the provisions supporting Ukraine."<ref>https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/21118732-germany-non-paper</ref>}}  

The ongoing reality was a massive buildup and activity of [[NATO]] forces inside Ukraine, which Putin had warned about crossing Russia's red line days before Haines panicked statements.<ref>https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/policy/defense-national-security/putin-accuses-nato-of-ignoring-russian-warnings-about-red-lines</ref>  [[CIA]] leaker [[David Ignatius]] told the ''Washington Post'' that the US was supporting an anti-Russian military insurgency in Ukraine.<ref>https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2021/12/19/biden-ukraine-insurgents-russia/</ref>  Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova reported that ten thousand NATO soldiers, including four thousand Americans, were already stationed and active in Ukraine. Drones and Stingers have been provided and used in eastern Ukraine.<ref>https://tass.com/world/1376191</ref>

The ongoing reality was a massive buildup and activity of [[NATO]] forces inside Ukraine, which Putin had warned about crossing Russia's red line days before Haines panicked statements.<ref>https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/policy/defense-national-security/putin-accuses-nato-of-ignoring-russian-warnings-about-red-lines</ref>  [[CIA]] leaker [[David Ignatius]] told the ''Washington Post'' that the US was supporting an anti-Russian military insurgency in Ukraine.<ref>https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2021/12/19/biden-ukraine-insurgents-russia/</ref>  Foreign Ministry spokeswoman [[Maria Zakharova]] reported that ten thousand NATO soldiers, including four thousand Americans, were already stationed and active in Ukraine. Drones and Stingers have been provided and used in eastern Ukraine.<ref>https://tass.com/world/1376191</ref>

==References==

==References==