Top US diplomat warns Russia could attack Ukraine on 'very short notice,' implores Putin to take 'peaceful path'

• Secretary of State Blinken visited Kyiv on Wednesday, warning that Russia could invade Ukraine "on very short notice."
• The top US diplomat urged Putin to pursue a "diplomatic and peaceful path" instead.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken during a visit to Kyiv on Wednesday warned that Russia could attack Ukraine "on very short notice," as he urged Russian President Vladimir Putin to pursue diplomacy instead.

Russia has gathered tens of thousands of troops along Ukraine's border, and Blinken said the already sizeable force could soon grow "even more."

"We know that there are plans in place to increase that force even more on very short notice," Blinken said in comments to employees at the US Embassy in the Ukrainian capital. "That gives President Putin the capacity, also on very short notice, to take further aggressive action against Ukraine."

Blinken also said he "strongly" hopes Putin makes the decision to pursue a "diplomatic and peaceful path."

—Reuters (@Reuters) January 19, 2022

—U.S. Embassy Kyiv (@USEmbassyKyiv) January 19, 2022

Blinken met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky during his visit to Kyiv, as the US vies to show support to Ukraine in the face of Russian aggression. While in Kyiv, Blinken called on Ukrainians to prepare for "difficult days."

The top US diplomat is also set to visit Berlin for further diplomatic discussions this week, followed by a trip to Geneva to meet with his Russian counterpart.

Diplomatic efforts to thwart a broader confrontation have not yielded any major breakthroughs thus far, as Russia continues to make demands for binding security guarantees that the US and NATO have dismissed as non-starters.

Russia claims it has no plans to invade Ukraine, but also refuses to withdraw troops from the former Soviet republic's border. In 2014, Russia invaded and annexed Crimea from Ukraine. Since that year, the Kremlin has also supported rebels in a war against Ukrainian forces in the eastern Donbass region.

The White House on Tuesday warned that a Russian invasion of Ukraine could be imminent.

Blinken in his remarks at the US embassy on Wednesday said that Russia was threatening to undermine international order and that the situation was "bigger than Ukraine."

"If we allow those principles to be violated with impunity, then we will open a very large Pandora's box," Blinken said. "The entire world is watching what is happening here."

The Biden administration on Wednesday announced it was providing an additional $200 million in military aid to Ukraine.