The United States tried to convince Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyi and other officials in Kyiv that a Russian invasion was inevitable, even as U.S. intelligence had received incontrovertible evidence that the Kremlin was planning a large-scale attack on Ukraine.

In a major investigation conducted by The Washington Post journalists after discussions and interviews with numerous American and Ukrainian officials, both in the civilian administration and in the intelligence services, they explain how the United States repeatedly tried to warn about the plans of President Vladimir Putin.

The material, prepared by American journalists, contains new behind-the-scenes information that suggests that despite the friendly relations between the two countries, behind the scenes there was reluctance and doubt on both sides, which most likely benefited the Putin war machine , even if it was finally repulsed in the first weeks of the invasion.

The main conclusions of American journalists:

American intelligence penetrated the highest circles of the Russian leadership

An investigation by The Washington Post reveals that US intelligence received information from Russia’s political leadership, its spy apparatus and its military that revealed Vladimir Putin was preparing to launch a full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

Back in October of last year, a month before the American press wrote about a new concentration of Russian troops on the border with Ukraine, President Joe Biden was briefed in the Oval Office about Vladimir Putin’s military plans, and he introduced himself in satellite images intercepted by communications and other confidential information.

Moreover, American officials have since assessed that the main target of the Russian invasion force will be the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv, but that they will launch an invasion on all fronts.

“Our assessment is that they (the Russians) plan to launch a significant strategic attack on Ukraine from several directions at the same time,” US Chief of Staff General Mark Milley told Joe Biden.

PHOTO: Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images/Profimedia Images

Every decision to provide weapons to Ukraine was made out of fear of giving Russia an excuse to attack the US or NATO

The American president was determined to mobilize NATO allies in the face of an imminent invasion without provoking direct conflict between Russia and the United States.

Mark Milley brought with him notes outlining American strategic interests and objectives, as well as possible risks.

“Problem: How to force a country with an extraordinary nuclear capability to comply with international law without provoking World War III?” – read one of them.

Every decision to arm Ukraine has been made on the premise that Russia should not be given a reason to escalate the conflict, a source of frustration for Ukrainian officials who have pressed the US for more powerful weapons even as they have publicly warned that an invasion is imminent.

Biden sent the head of the CIA to Moscow to confront Vladimir Putin

The Democratic president sent William Burns, director of the CIA, to Moscow to deliver a message to Putin: We know what you want to do, and if you invade, there will be serious consequences.

Burns delivered a personal letter to Biden and spoke to the Russian president by phone in his Kremlin office as Putin traveled to Sochi after the capital Moscow was locked down by a new wave of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Putin responded to the CIA director in his usual note, complaining about the expansion of NATO and talking about the illegitimacy of the Ukrainian government.

Burns concluded that Putin had not yet made an irrevocable decision to invade, but told Biden that “my level of concern has increased, not decreased” after the discussion with Putin.

PHOTO: Adam Schultz / AP – The Associated Press / Profimedia

Ukraine complained to the United States that they did not provide it with enough specific information about the Russian invasion

Several Ukrainian officials complained that when their American counterparts warned them of an imminent invasion, they never provided Kiev with all the details obtained by their intelligence services.

In November, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Dmytro Kuleba and the head of President Zelenskyi’s administration visited Washington, where they were received by a high-ranking official of the State Department.

“Guys, dig trenches!” – urged the American official. Kuleba reported that when they smiled back, the American official told them, “I’m serious. Start digging trenches. You will be attacked. It will be a large-scale attack, and we need to prepare for it.”

“I asked for details, they were not there,” Kuleba accused.

Actually, in discussions with The Post journalists before the publication of the material, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy himself complained about this, saying that “the West gave a general warning.”

“Nobody thought it would happen like this. And no one knew it. And now everyone says that I warned you, and you warned in general terms. When we said give us the details – where they are coming from, how many people and so on – they all had as much information as we did,” he said.

PHOTO: Sipa USA / ddp USA / Profimedia

Volodymyr Zelenskyi suspected that some Western officials wanted him to escape

The Ukrainian leader was concerned that if his government were toppled and the Russians succeeded in installing a new Kremlin-backed regime, NATO countries would try to negotiate peace between Moscow and Kyiv.

“The Western partners wanted – I’m sure that someone was very worried about what would happen to me and my family. But someone probably also wanted it to end sooner,” he said, referring to his famous refusal to be evicted from the Ukrainian capital.

“I think that most of the people who called me – well, almost all of them – did not have faith that Ukraine would be able to stand and stand,” he added.

Zelensky also noted that warning Ukrainians to prepare for war would economically weaken the country and make it easier for the Russians to conquer.

“Let them discuss whether I was right or not. But I know exactly and intuitively – and we discussed this every day in the National Security Council – we felt that the Russians wanted to prepare us for an easy surrender of the country,” added the President of Ukraine.

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