The American Newspaper, Politico, citing the opinions of analysts, gave a list of reasons Russia could allegedly embark on an alleged invasion of Ukraine after February 20.
It said the branding of the previous date of the anticipated attack February 16, was a distraction from the actual dates.
Last week, the newspaper reported that U.S. President Joe Biden had told world leaders at a video conference that Russia would attack Ukraine on February 16.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, in turn, said that it was hard to take such reports seriously, added that Russian President Vladimir Putin quipped several times.
He asked whether the media mentioned the exact hour of the beginning of the war.
Several UK tabloids later published exact timings of anticipated invasions that never came to pass.
According to analysts, cited by the newspaper in a report on Wednesday, the February 16, invasion scenario was overestimated and aimed at diverting attention from the real key dates, after February 20, for several reasons.
Firstly, according to the analysts, the date marks the end of Russian-Belarusian joint exercises, after which Russian troops are supposed to return home.
In this regard, Moscow’s intentions would become clear based on the actions of the Russian military after February 20, the newspaper said.
Secondly, the date will be the end of the Munich Security Conference, which will be attended by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris, and U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken.
According to the newspaper, Russia’s invasion at this moment, when the Ukrainian leader is outside his country would be a geopolitical trolling allegedly favoured by Putin.
Lastly, February 20 was the last day of the Winter Olympics in Beijing so Russia would not launch the attack against Ukraine before that date to allegedly please Chinese President Xi Jinping, the newspaper said.
Should the Russian offensive not occur by March 1, it would be a relief for many, the outlet went on, adding that the danger would remain, according to some analysts.
When the anticipated Russian invasion, projected by British Newspapers `The Sun and Daily Mirror’ on Wednesday, did not take place, The Sun decided to edit its article on the site, replacing the exact time of the alleged attack with a less precise one at any time.
The precarious situation around Ukraine has worsened in recent weeks with the United States and the European Union raising concerns over Russian military buildup at the Ukrainian border.
NATO urged allies to boost their military support for Kiev.
Russia, in turn, has repeatedly denied allegations of intending to invade its neighbour, pointing out that NATO’s military activity near Russian borders poses a threat to its national security while hampering efforts toward peaceful resolution in Ukraine.
