Reports: The Kremlin's order to continue invading Ukraine prompted Biden to warn

Reports: The Kremlin's order to continue invading Ukraine prompted Biden to warn

President Biden's Friday announcement that he was "convinced" that Russian President Vladimir Putin had "made the decision" to invade Ukraine was reportedly based on intelligence that indicated the Kremlin had ordered Russian military units to go ahead with the invasion of Ukraine, according to several reports.

The New York Times and CNN, citing US officials and various sources, reported on Sunday that the United States obtained intelligence last week showing that the Kremlin had ordered the Russian military to invade Ukraine, prompting Biden to say he is convinced of Putin. The decision was made to launch an incursion.

But the Kremlin's order is not permanent, according to CBS News. A US official told CNN that Putin could still change the directive.

Secretary of State Anthony Blinken confirmed Sunday that the United States believes Putin "made the decision" to invade Ukraine but stressed that a diplomatic path forward would remain an option until the last possible moment.

Concerns have been mounting for weeks in the United States and among allied countries about the possibility of a Russian military incursion into Ukraine. On Sunday, Blinkin said Moscow had massed more than 150,000 troops across the Ukrainian border.

ON FRIDAY, the US envoy to the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) detailed reports that as many as 190,000 Russian troops are now present along Ukraine's borders, including those in Belarus and Crimea.

Fears of an invasion escalated Sunday when Belarusian Defense Minister Viktor Khrinin announced that military leaders from Russia and Belarus would "continue to check" the readiness of joint forces due to an "increased military activity" near the Belarusian border. Karin also noted the "worsening of the situation" in eastern Ukraine.

Blinken said that the continuation of joint exercises between Russia and Belarus makes him more concerned about a possible Russian invasion. He also said that the new development shows that Russia follows the "evidence" he put in the United Nations Security Council. Moscow is looking to provoke provocations to justify aggression against Ukraine.

Blinken also noted the surge of Russian troops on the Ukrainian border and the false flag operations that unfolded over the weekend.

These factors, he said, show that "the evidence we have put forward is moving forward."

The Washington Post, citing people familiar with the matter, said the United States had obtained intelligence indicating that the Kremlin had ordered the Russian military to go ahead with the invasion as military and security officials were working to carry out the order.

The Post first reported that the Kremlin had ordered the invasion.

"Biden's statement on Friday reflects assessments of the intelligence community," an administration official told The Hill on Sunday.

"As he also made clear, the door for diplomacy will remain open," the administration official added.