Well Done WP Artcle: Road to war: U.S. struggled to convince allies, and Zelensky, of risk of invas

[Fla Dem]

Road to war: U.S. struggled to convince allies, and Zelensky, of risk of invasion

This account, in previously unreported detail, shines new light on the road to war and the military campaign in Ukraine, drawn from in-depth interviews with dozens of senior U.S., Ukrainian, European and NATO officials.

Exclusive ● By Washington Post Staff ● Shane Harris, Karen DeYoung, Isabelle Khurshudyan, Ashley Parker and Liz Sly
Aug. 16 at 7:39 a.m.


On a sunny October morning, the nation’s top intelligence, military and diplomatic leaders filed into the Oval Office for an urgent meeting with President Biden. They arrived bearing a highly classified intelligence analysis, compiled from newly obtained satellite images, intercepted communications and human sources, that amounted to Russian President Vladimir Putin’s war plans for a full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

For months, Biden administration officials had watched warily as Putin massed tens of thousands of troops and lined up tanks and missiles along Ukraine’s borders. As summer waned, Jake Sullivan, the national security adviser, had focused on the increasing volume of intelligence related to Russia and Ukraine. He had set up the Oval Office meeting after his own thinking had gone from uncertainty about Russia’s intentions, to concern he was being too skeptical about the prospects of military action, to alarm.

The session was one of several meetings that officials had about Ukraine that autumn — sometimes gathering in smaller groups — but was notable for the detailed intelligence picture that was presented. Biden and Vice President Harris took their places in armchairs before the fireplace, while Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and Gen. Mark A. Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, joined the directors of national intelligence and the CIA on sofas around the coffee table.

Tasked by Sullivan with putting together a comprehensive overview of Russia’s intentions, they told Biden that the intelligence on Putin’s operational plans, added to ongoing deployments along the border with Ukraine, showed that all the pieces were now in place for a massive assault.

The U.S. intelligence community had penetrated multiple points of Russia’s political leadership, spying apparatus and military, from senior levels to the front lines, according to U.S. officials.

Much More......
https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/interactive/2022/ukraine-road-to-war/?utm_campaign=wp_post_most&utm_medium=email&utm_source=newsletter&wpisrc=nl_most&carta-url=https%3A%2F%2Fs2.washingtonpost.com%2Fcar-ln-tr%2F37aa31f%2F62fbc127cfe8a2160131e879%2F602bea569bbc0f73f6ccfcfc%2F9%2F72%2F62fbc127cfe8a2160131e879&wp_cu=fc9b354d4f42fec17f7292a2ca3549fa%7CBB76BEEB22F51E95E0530100007F0C79

[MarineCombatEngineer]

1. I said all along that US Intelligence had sources inside the Russian Govt.

because the intelligence was just too good, now it seems as if I was correct, too bad the Europeans, except for Britain, and Zelensky didn't take us seriously, and the Russians badly miscalculated the fighting spirit of the Ukrainians and the world response.

Putin did more to unite NATO than any imploring by the US and Britain to take the invasion plans seriously.

[Ray Bruns]

3. Oh please. A blind man could have seen what was going to happen.

Men like Putin don’t make idle threats. They don’t bluff. And when he puts 100,000 troops on your border, he’s going to invade.

[MarineCombatEngineer]

4. Apparently the oniy ones who would admit to it were the US and Britain,

the rest of the European countries did their best to ignore the obvious warning signs hoping that Russia wouldn't plunge Europe into another war, but the article says we had intel from inside the Putin Govt., and I have said all along that the info was just too good for any other explanation.

The U.S. intelligence community had penetrated multiple points of Russia’s political leadership, spying apparatus and military, from senior levels to the front lines, according to U.S. officials.

[CanonRay]

2. Really great article