A Russian invasion of Ukraine did not materialize Wednesday, as the West originally feared while it watched Russia mass an estimated 150,000-plus troops on three sides of Ukraine. But after a handful of positive signals from Moscow that seemed to ease tensions earlier in the week, the pendulum appeared to swing in the opposite direction again.
On Wednesday, the U.S. went even further in knocking down the Russian assertions, saying that more forces were being added. Western allies maintained that the threat of an attack was strong, The official was not authorized to speak publicly about sensitive operations and spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity. The official did not provide underlying evidence for the assertions.
British Defence Secretary Ben Wallace also said there had been an increase of up to 7,000 troops in recent days. The Ukrainian leader, who has repeatedly sought to project calm and strength during the crisis, declared Wednesday a day of "national unity" -- a day that had been floated as a possibility for the start of an invasion.Hundreds unfolded a 200-metre flag at Kyiv's Olympic Stadium, while another was draped in the centre of a shopping mall in the capital.
A 2015 deal brokered by France and Germany helped end the worst of the fighting in eastern Ukraine, but implementation has stalled. The deal, known as the Minsk agreement, would offer broad self-rule to the separatist territories and thus is resented by many in Ukraine.