Russia now has needed 'capability' for moving against Ukraine, U.S. defence secretary says

Top U.S. defence officials said Friday they remain concerned about Russia’s intentions amid a troop buildup along Ukraine’s borders that is sufficient for Russian President Vladimir Putin to move forward with military action.

“While we don’t believe that President Putin has made a final decision to use these forces against Ukraine, he clearly now has that capability,” U.S. Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin said, speaking to reporters in Washington on Friday.

U.S. Gen. Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said the troop buildup “is larger in scale and scope in the massing of forces than anything we have seen in recent memory,” likely since the