A senior Biden administration official said Wednesday night that no Russian troops had been withdrawn from Ukraine’s border. This contradicts Moscow’s assertion that some of its forces were being retracted.

The official stated that “we now know it wasn’t true” and added that up to 7,000 soldiers had joined 150,000 troops near the border in the last few days.

According to the official, the Russian claim that it was withdrawing more troops from Ukraine was “false”. He also gave the worst assessment yet of any chance of reaching a diplomatic resolution in order to avoid war.

The official stated that Russia keeps claiming it is interested in pursuing a diplomatic solution. However, its actions suggest otherwise. “We are hopeful that they will alter their course and not start a war that would cause catastrophic destruction and death.

Officials claimed that additional Russian troops arrived Wednesday, and Moscow might launch an invasion of Ukraine under false pretenses at any time.

Moscow said that some 150,000 soldiers the United States and its allies warned had converged in Ukraine from three directions have been being pulled back by Moscow. However, the West is skeptical about Russia’s signals from Russia as they seek to signal that there might not be another deadly European conflict.

According to Secretary of State Antony Blinken, “We continue seeing critical units moving toward and not away from our border,” he said on Wednesday’s MSNBC’s Morning Joe. There’s Russia’s words and there’s Russia’s actions. It has not seen any withdrawal of its forces.”

He said that it would be great if they actually followed up on their promises, but we haven’t yet seen this happen.

Kyiv: Ukraine’s leaders have sought to play down that alarmA defiant National Day of Unity was held in the nation.

In an apparent attempt to support its claim of partial withdrawal, Russia’s defense ministry posted video of an armored vehicle train moving along a bridge towards Crimea. This is the Ukrainian peninsula Moscow annexed in 2014.

The announcement was similar to one made a day before, and Russian President Vladimir Putin talked about diplomatic solutions.

Washington leaders as well as European leaders have called for caution. Moscow’s intentions remain unclear, and there is little information available about their plans.

Ukraine’s foreign minister, Dmytro Kuleba, tweeted Wednesday that “statements on withdrawal aren’t sufficient. Transparency and facts are essential.”

Jens Stoltenberg, NATO Secretary General, told journalists in Brussels that Russia has “increased its troops” and more are coming.

Stoltenberg stated Wednesday that the NATO defense ministers met with him and said during a press conference, “any indication of de-escalation” on the ground. He also indicated there have been no troop withdrawals or equipment withdrawals.

Stoltenberg claimed that Russia had a “massive invading force available to attack with high end capabilities from Crimea and Belarus,” noting it was the largest European build-up since the Cold War.

He said that NATO had sent “concrete propositions” to Russia on transparency, risk reduction, and arms control. Russia has yet to respond.

Stoltenberg said that Russia’s attempts to intimidate other nations has become “the new norm in Europe” and that this has led to defense ministers developing options Wednesday to increase NATO’s defense and deterrence. New NATO battlegroups could be established in Central, Eastern, and Southeastern Europe, Stoltenberg said.

NATO defense ministers stated in a written joint statement that their strategy includes “additional ground forces” and “additional maritime, air, and other assets.” Ministers described the actions as “preventive”, proportionate, and non-escalatory.

Ursula von der Leyen was president of European Commission and described it as “the biggest buildup of troops in Europe since the darkest days during the Cold War.”

As U.S. officials she stated that Russia has been sending “conflicting signals” about its future plans.

Tensions are rising and three U.S. Navy P-8 Poseidon surveillance planes came into close contact with several Russian jets last weekend over the Mediterranean Sea, according to the Pentagon. They also stated that they were within international waters when the intercepted U.S. aircrafts.

Two defense officials said that while no one was hurt, the intercepts were not professional. Although intercepts such as this are common, they are often deemed professional and safe.

A spokesperson for the Navy, U.S. Capt. Mike Kafka stated that “we have made our concerns known through diplomatic channels to Russian officials.” While no one was injured, such interactions can lead to mistakes and miscalculations that could cause more danger.

President Joe Biden said Tuesday it was still “very much a possibility” that Russia could invade Ukraine, warning it could also lead to a spike in American energy prices. He stated that while the U.S. would be open to engaging in diplomacy with Russia, his administration hasn’t verified any partial drawdown.

Mark Galeotti is a Senior Associate Fellow at The Royal United Services Institute in London. He said that an invasion wasn’t inevitable, and that Putin would prefer to make concessions rather than use force.

Russian claims about a partial withdrawal are false. “None has changed on ground in any meaningful manner,” Galeotti tweeted Wednesday. “Putin could invade yesterday. He can still do so tomorrow.”

Although the U.S. has remained firm in its belief that Russia will attack within the next few days, the Ukranian officials and citizens are much more relaxed when discussing the possible threat of attack from Moscow.

The Ukrainian President spoke earlier this week Volodymyr Zelenskyy appeared to mock media reports that Wednesday would be the day the invasion begins. Instead, he announced it would be a national day of unity — with Ukrainians marking it by raising the blue and yellow national flag and playing the national anthem.

The city of Dnipro is less than 120 mi from the nearest airport. the ongoing conflict in the country’s east with Russian-backed separatists that has raged since 2014, locals took to the streets outside city hall. Traditional dress was worn and people sang patriotic songs, while cadets hoisted the national flag. Around 200 members of the city council attended.

“All people should keep working. [continue]daily life,” Natalya Cherylova, 55-year-old head of economic development, said. That’s my biggest belief. [way]To show that we don’t fear to be different.”

However, officials in Ukraine said that even though this was taking place, they were still preparing for a cyberattack that began Tuesday and knocked offline the website of its defense ministry and two largest banks was the worst of its kind in the country’s history.

Ilya Viyuk, chief of Ukraine’s cybersecurity service said that distributed denial of services attack had “traces foreign intelligence service,” at a press briefing.

Vityuk claimed that Russia was interested in “image strikes” against Ukraine. However, he said and other officials did not believe they were able to blame Moscow. Moscow repeatedly denies involvement and has consistently denied plans for an invasion.