Putin has 'made the decision' to invade Ukraine Biden

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00:00President Biden just a short time ago speaking to the nation and to the world.

00:04The president saying he is now convinced that Vladimir Putin has made his decision to invade Ukraine in the coming days.

00:12When pressed, you believe the decision has been made to invade, the president said yes.

00:17He also said there is still room for diplomacy, but tonight after warning of Russia's playbook

00:21that there could be a false flag operation, a manufactured incident that could then lead to something far greater,

00:27we have the unsettling images from Ukraine today.

00:31Tonight, the president saying Russia's efforts to divide at home and abroad are failing,

00:35saying the U.S. and our allies, quote, remain in lockstep.

00:39But these are the images tonight from eastern Ukraine playing out on Russian television now.

00:44Authorities believe Russian separatists in eastern Ukraine are orchestrating the appearance of a large-scale emergency,

00:51showing buses lining up to evacuate women, children and the elderly to the safety of Russia.

00:56And today, a massive explosion reported, but an AP reporter on the scene finding just a single destroyed car.

01:04Authorities believe this might have been orchestrated, too.

01:07The Russians now making the case, as all of these images now play out on Russian TV,

01:11that it's Ukraine that's actually planning military action.

01:15The president said just a short time ago that claim defies logic.

01:19Mary Bruce standing by at the White House.

01:21Martha Raddatz with Defense Secretary Austin.

01:23Is there any chance that this is a bluff from Putin?

01:27But we're going to begin with ABC's senior foreign correspondent, Ian Pannell, from Ukraine tonight.

01:32Tonight, the president saying clearly, for the first time, that Vladimir Putin has decided to invade Ukraine.

01:38As of this moment, I'm convinced he's made the decision. We have reason to believe that.

01:42While leaving the door open for a last chance at diplomacy,

01:45the president warning he expects an invasion to happen soon.

01:49We have reason to believe the Russian forces are planning to and intend to attack Ukraine in the coming week, in the coming days.

01:59We believe that they will target Ukraine's capital, Kiev, a city of 2.8 million innocent people.

02:05Biden saying the political and economic repercussions for Russia would be severe and that the Western allies stand united.

02:12And this is what the White House has been warning for weeks would happen.

02:17A massive so-called false flag operation underway in the Russian-controlled East.

02:22Fake attacks being staged that could be used by the Kremlin to justify an invasion.

02:27Local and Russian state media propaganda now in full swing.

02:31Viewers have been shown video of emergency sirens blaring.

02:40And images of women, children and the elderly.

02:43700,000 people being told to evacuate to Russia.

02:47But there's no credible sign of attacks underway.

02:50A massive explosion reported, but an AP reporter on the scene finding just a single destroyed car.

02:57Russian separatists accused of staging the incident.

03:01No evidence that any of this is true.

03:05And today, as expected, President Putin doubling down.

03:09Without evidence, claiming the situation in eastern Ukraine is escalating.

03:14But even now, saying Russia was still open to further diplomacy if all his security demands were on the table to negotiate.

03:22The now very real fear is Putin's forces amassed at the border

03:26will invade under the pretext of protecting the Russian-speaking population there.

03:33The Ukrainian government today categorically denying any intention of launching an offensive.

03:39The president's urge is calm.

03:41But people are getting ready.

03:44This gun club seeing more than a 500 percent increase in members in the last three weeks.

03:51Today, even workers from the local water supply station in Lviv taking up arms to protect their city, families and country.

04:00Natalia says if something happens, she wants to be ready to defend it.

04:04The reality is setting in for the people of Ukraine tonight.

04:08Ian Pannell joining us tonight from western Ukraine.

04:10And Ian, the president, saying he believes Putin has made his decision to invade now.

04:15But we also know that U.S. Secretary of State Blinken and Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov have agreed to meet next week.

04:21President Biden also made it clear just a short time ago that if there's any Russian military action, obviously that meeting is off.

04:29But then the president remained hopeful that there could still be some sort of a diplomatic solution here.

04:36Yeah, that's right, David.

04:37I mean, the two things don't seem to quite sit so easily together.

04:39It looks like a last gasp for diplomacy.

04:41But the gulf between the two sides remains as wide as ever.

04:45And if the president is right, that an invasion is going to happen anyway in the next few days, it could be all too late.

04:51David.

04:52Ian Pannell with us tonight from Ukraine leading us off.

04:55Ian, thank you.

04:55And as you heard there in Ian's piece, President Biden was definitive, saying that he believes President Putin has made this decision to invade.

05:02I want to get right to Mary Bruce, live at the White House tonight on two fronts this evening.

05:07Mary, first, I'm curious what your sources are telling you, this new urgency, the president saying the decision has been made now,

05:13what they've seen, for the president to come out and then say that.

05:16And then Ukraine's President Zelensky.

05:18President Biden was asked that if Putin has made this decision, should Zelensky leave?

05:23The president saying it may not be or it may be a wise choice that it's up to him.

05:29The White House, I know, clarifying the president is not suggesting Zelensky leave, or is he?

05:34No, David, the White House clarifying that the president does not think it is wise for Zelensky to leave Ukraine at this moment,

05:40to attend a security conference in Munich, but that ultimately the decision is up to Zelensky.

05:45Now, as for the president going this step further, saying he is confident that Putin has decided to invade,

05:52I'm told the president is going this further step now based on the intelligence he is now receiving,

05:57and because of what he's seeing on the ground, that Russia is increasing its troop presence

06:01and seeming to try to create an excuse to invade.

06:04David.

06:05Mary Bruce, live at the White House for us.

06:06Mary, thank you.

06:07Our Martha Raddatz sat down with Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin today in Poland

06:11as he was visiting with U.S. and Polish troops,

06:13and he made it very clear that Vladimir Putin had assembled the kind of forces on the Ukrainian border

06:18that he believes clearly point to an invasion and not a bluff.

06:22Martha then pressing on that point.

06:25This is not a bluff.

06:26I don't believe it's a bluff.

06:28I think he's assembled the right kinds of things that you would need to conduct a successful invasion.

06:38He's got things like medical tents and nurses.

06:42You would never have seen that if you were going to be withdrawing your troops.

06:46Exactly.

06:46If they were redeploying to garrison, we wouldn't be seeing the kinds of things in terms of not only combat power,

06:55but also logistical support, medical support, combat aviation that we've seen in the region.

07:01Listing some of the things that we've witnessed on these satellite images,

07:05the medical hospitals, for one, that are part of the forces along the Ukrainian border.

07:09Martha with us tonight.

07:10And, Martha, I know that you were asking that question because many at home have been wondering, too,

07:15could Vladimir Putin be bluffing, you know, as part of this strategy?

07:19But Secretary Austin made it very clear that he doesn't believe Putin would go to these lengths

07:23unless he was actually planning something.

07:27Exactly, David.

07:28And you have to remember that Lloyd Austin was a lifelong soldier, a career soldier.

07:33He has been in war.

07:34He has seen war up close.

07:36And he was just flabbergasted at the thought that anyone would build up those troops,

07:41would have those medical supplies, would have plasma there if they didn't intend to go in.

07:46David.

07:46All right.

07:47Martha Raddatz from Warsaw tonight.

07:48And we should mention that Martha is now traveling to Ukraine.

07:51She'll have much more of Secretary Austin's interview as she broadcasts from Ukraine Sunday morning

07:57on ABC's This Week.

07:58We'll be watching, Martha.

08:01Hi, everyone.

08:02George Stephanopoulos here.

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