Edward SnowdenMOSCOW, Feb 16Former American intelligence officer Edward Snowden doubts the veracity of reports of Russia's alleged «invasion» of Ukraine and suggests that statements without evidence could provoke an escalation of the crisis. Earlier, the Politico newspaper, citing informed sources, wrote that US President Joe Biden was in a video conference with leaders Western countries, the European Union and NATO named February 16 as the date of Russia's «invasion» of Ukraine. Commenting on the reports on Tuesday afternoon, the Russian leader's spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, said that such publications are difficult to take seriously, and Russian President Vladimir Putin sometimes jokingly asks to know if the exact time of the start of the war is published anywhere. Russia is allegedly preparing provocations in Ukraine, they continue to come from the West, despite the return of Russian troops to their places of deployment after the exercises. Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu at a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday reported that «some of the exercises are coming to an end, some will be completed in the near future.» The Southern and Western military districts of the Russian Federation have begun returning troops to their places of deployment, Major General Igor Konashenkov, an official representative of the Russian Defense Ministry, told reporters on Tuesday. «I want the conflict in Ukraine to end, and, frankly, I think that all reasonable people share «This position. The question … is whether heightened official statements made without evidence reduce hostilities or actually provoke them,» Snowden tweeted. According to Snowden, the source of his skepticism is that «intelligence The US has (again) been making really impressive claims without providing any evidence.» «So… If no one shows up for the invasion planned by Biden for tomorrow morning… I'm not saying that your journalistic authority was used as part of one of those disinformation campaigns that you love to write about, but you should at least consider this possibility,» Snowden said. Snowden in June 2013 initiated a major international scandal by handing over to the Washington Post and the Guardian newspapers a number of classified materials about the surveillance programs of the US and British intelligence services on the Internet. After that, he flew to Hong Kong, and from there to Moscow, where for some time he was in the transit zone of Sheremetyevo Airport. After refusals from a number of other countries, Russia granted Snowden temporary asylum for a year on the condition that he cease his activities against the United States. In August 2014, Snowden received a three-year residence permit, which allows him to travel not only in Russia, but also abroad. Subsequently, Snowden was given an indefinite residence permit in Russia. In November 2020, lawyer Anatoly Kucherena announced Snowden's intention to obtain Russian citizenship.
