Ukraine: US troops on high alert over stand-off: Some 8,500 combat-ready US troops are on high alert to deploy at short notice amid rising tension over Ukraine, the Pentagon says. Some Nato members, including Denmark, Spain, France and the Netherlands, are already planning or considering sending fighter jets and warships to eastern Europe to bolster defences in the region. Over the weekend, some 90 tonnes of US "lethal aid" including ammunition for "front-line defenders" arrived in Ukraine. Earlier on Monday, Mr Johnson warned that "gloomy" intelligence suggests Russia is planning a lightning raid on the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv. "The intelligence is very clear that there are 60 Russian battle groups on the borders of Ukraine, the plan for a lightning war that could take out Kyiv is one that everybody can see," he said. "We need to make it very clear to the Kremlin, to Russia, that that would be a disastrous step." Oleksiy Danilov, Secretary of the National Security and Defence Council of Ukraine, told the BBC that its allies pulling out staff was unhelpful. "We need help here because if people start panicking, that puts Ukraine in a very dangerous position and it makes it easier for Russia to manipulate us," he said. Earlier, the UK Foreign Office had accused Russian President Vladimir Putin of planning to install a pro-Moscow figure to lead Ukraine's government. Russia has seized Ukrainian territory before, when it annexed Crimea in 2014. After Russian forces seized control, Crimea voted to join Russia in a referendum the West and Ukraine deemed illegal. Predictive programming? :scratch: - Fair Use - I enjoy watching Monkey Werx - his military background and analysis of what he can see on various tracking websites, coupled with his being a believer makes for interesting watching. He seems to be popping up more and more -- I see him now doing shows with a couple of pastors that I follow (e.g., Tom Hughes - Hope for Our Times). Yesterdays video focused on aircraft moments and his analysis of what that means. His prediction is a week to 10 days before Putin does something. I'm hoping we're out of here before April 18th so I don't have to do my taxes this year :). Owning a business makes it a painful process to file. Tom Gaston has three new Bible Codes, and I know he is almost always wrong, but they indicate a Russian attack on January 31st. That will be Monday.
Russia continues to deny planning military action against Ukraine, despite massing 100,000 troops nearby.
President Biden held a video call with European allies on Monday as Western powers aim for a common strategy against Russian aggression. The Pentagon said no decision had yet been made on whether to deploy troops.
