U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said on February 19 that Moscow's military was "poised to strike" Ukraine, even as he voiced hope that Russian President Vladimir Putin would step back from the brink of war.
Austin vowed that Washington would stand with its Baltic allies during a visit to Lithuania amid growing fears in the region of a Russian invasion of Ukraine. Russia denies planning any attacks.
"I want everyone in Lithuania, Estonia, and Latvia to know -- and I want President [Vladimir] Putin in the Kremlin to know -- that the United States stands with our allies," Austin told a news conference in Vilnius, after talks with Lithuanian leaders.
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Alongside Austin, Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis said the Russian troop buildup around Ukraine was "a direct military threat to Ukraine but it also poses a threat to the entire region.”
"The battle for Ukraine is a battle for Europe. If he is not stopped there, he will go further," Landsbergis said, referring to Putin.
The security tensions in the region have rattled the formerly Soviet-ruled Baltic states, which all have borders with Russia.
Austin said he agreed with U..S President Joe Biden that Putin had "made the decision" to invade.
"There are significant combat forces forward, those forces are now beginning to uncoil and move closer to the border, that facilitates their onward movement," he said.
"Having done this before, I can tell you that is exactly what you need to attack and the stance that you need to be in to attack," Austin said.
He said conflict was "not inevitable", adding that Putin "can choose a different path."
Russia has amassed more than 150,000 troops on Ukraine’s border over the past four months, a number that U.S. and NATO officials have said continues to grow despite Russia’s claims it has begun sending some troops back to their barracks.