Despite Pledges That It Will Remove Some Troops, Russia Has Added 7,000 Troops To The Ukraine Border, According To The US

A senior Biden administration official told reporters Wednesday night that no Russian troops had been evacuated from the Ukraine border, despite Moscow's claims to the contrary.

"We now know it was fake," the official said, adding that 7,000 troops have recently joined the 150,000 already stationed along the border.

According to the official, troops arrived as recently as Wednesday, and Moscow might attack Ukraine under false pretenses at any time. The official reportedly gave one of the most pessimistic evaluations yet of the chances of avoiding conflict through diplomacy.

"While Russia continues to claim that it wishes to pursue a diplomatic solution, their actions suggest otherwise," the official said. "We're hoping they'll change their minds before they start."

"While Russia continues to claim that it wishes to pursue a diplomatic solution, their actions suggest otherwise," the official said. "We hope they reconsider their minds before launching a conflict that will result in massive death and destruction."

Moscow has announced that it is withdrawing part of the 150,000 troops that the US and its allies claim have converged on three sides around Ukraine. Days of high-stakes signaling from Russia were met with suspicion by the West, as the world looked for signals that a terrible new battle on European territory could be avoided.

On MSNBC on Wednesday, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said, "We continue to see key units heading toward the border, not away from the border." "There's what Russia says and there's what Russia does."