President Biden says there is now every indication that Russia is ready to attack Ukraine.

John Berman here in Ferranderson, what's more, and far darker even than that, is this.

His word suggests the administration now considers war a matter of when, not if.

Secretary of State Anthony Blinken addressing the UN Security Council was no less blunt

and remarkably specific about how he would start.

First, Russia plans to manufacture a pretext for its attack.

Second, in response to this manufactured provocation, the highest levels of the Russian government

may theatrically convene emergency meetings to address the so-called crisis.

Next, the attack is planned to begin.

We've been warning the Ukrainian government of all that is coming.

And here today, we are laying it out in great detail with the hope that by sharing what

we know with the world, we can influence Russia to abandon the path of war and choose

a different path while there's still time.

Secretary Blinken went on to say his case is validated by what has been unfolding in plain

sight for months, and we certainly saw more of it today, specifically in the Eastern region

that Ukraine's president Zelensky just visited.

Outside observers there reporting a sharp escalation and ceasefire violations along the front

lines dividing Ukrainian and Russian-backed separatist forces.

This is precisely where many fear a Russian provocation could take place.

For its part, in a document sent to Washington today, Moscow denied that Russia was planning

to invade, but warned it would be forced to take, quote, military technical measures if

it demands on rolling back NATO expansion are not met.

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