February 20, 2022 is said to be a critical date for Russia and Ukraine as
well as the world, of course. Because, Russia is said to be attacking
Ukraine after February 20.
“After February 20 is always the more important time frame,” said Michael
Kofman, Russia military expert at the CNA think tank, as quoted by Politico.
"We want to see what the Russian troops were doing at that time."
On February 20, Russia's largest joint military exercise with Belarus since
the Cold War will end. The leaders in Moscow and Minsk promised that the
troops of the country of the red bear would return to their country.
"Not a single Russian soldier, not a single piece of equipment will remain
in Belarus after the exercises are over," Belarusian Foreign Minister
Vladimir Makei said, as reported by Politico.
Only, according to Kofman, where or not Russian troops go from Belarus after
February 20 will provide insight into President Vladimir Putin's true
intentions.
“This is a useful date to see if they are lying or not. When someone lies,
it tells you a lot of things."
Russia attacks Ukraine in the next few days
There's another reason why February 20 is such a critical date: the Munich
Security Conference ended that day. The annual “Defense of Davos” meeting is
a grand event, featuring direct participation from leaders.
For example, Vice President of the United States (US) Kamala Harris, US
Secretary of State Antony Blinken, and President of Ukraine Volodymr
Zelenskyy.
If Russia launched the invasion while the US No. 2 was in Europe and the
Ukrainian head of state was abroad, it could prove the ultimate insult of
the kind of geopolitical trolling Putin favors.
While US President Joe Biden said Thursday, there are now indications Russia
is planning to attack Ukraine in the next few days.
Because, Biden said, Moscow is preparing a pretext to justify it, after
Ukrainian troops and pro-Russian rebels exchanged fire in eastern Ukraine.
Gun battles early Thursday between Ukrainian troops and pro-Russian
separatists, who have been at war for years and in which the ceasefire is
periodically violated, sparked alarm.
Western officials who have long warned that Moscow could try to come up with
a scenario to justify an invasion say they believe it is now underway.
"We have reason to believe they were involved in a false flag operation to
have a reason to come in. Every indication we have is they are ready to go
to Ukraine and attack Ukraine," Biden told reporters at the White House.
"My feeling is this (attack) will happen in the next few days," he said, as
quoted by Reuters.
Russian Presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov dismissed another false claim
by the Politico newspaper which reported that Russia might invade Ukraine
after February 20.
"It looks like another fake has been created. I hope, at least you and I
won't believe such a fake," he told the media, as reported by TASS.
"Everything turned out to be a fake, an irresponsible forgery, but none of
the authors finally admitted that they were wrong," Peskov added.