Page 18 - Proxy Forces News Today : Breaking News, Live Updates & Top Stories | Vimarsana

>> what we know according to u.s. officials is these operatives who russia has allegedly prepositioned in eastern ukraine are trained in urban warfare. and using explosives. they are potentially preparing to carry out attacks of sabotage against russia's own proxy forces. and what u.s. officials are telling us is that would preface any invasion using the russian forces stationed at ukraine's borders right now because it would give the kremlin an excuse to say that it was only acting in self-defense and, thereby, justify an invasion. notably, the administration now believes this could lead to t...

Russia is making moves to justify an invasion. mike pompeo will be here in a minute. first, to benjamin hall with the very latest from the state department. >> yeah, russia's military is set up and ready for an invasion. two things that vladimir putin still needs. he needs to persuade the russian people that it's warrantand justified and he needs a pretext to do so. and intelligence says he's doing both things to move ahead. according to numerous officials, russian intelligence operatives are in eastern ukraine and in place ready to carry out acts of sabotage and could be carrying out missions...

Insignia on them, that they had nothing to do with them. but what we do know about the wagner group that they are closely enmeshed with russian militias -- russian intelligence, and the u.s. government has called them a proxy for the russian military. so there is a strong relationship there. and they've been known, as you say, to pop up in syria, across africa now to advance the kremlin's strategic objectives in these countries, but whilst maintaining this dip plausible deniability so, if things go wrong, like a dust for this group, they can wash their hands. >> where do they come from? if the...

Terror, murder, mayhem will not be tolerated any longer. >> reporter: vowing stiff, new sanctions and pledging not to let iran obtain a nuclear weapon. >> we will never let that happen. our missiles are big, powerful, accurate, lethal and fast. >> reporter: but it's his comment that iran seems to be standing down that is drawing scrutiny with some democratic lawmakers stressing iran could still attack through its proxy forces. >> i wouldn't rest easy that somehow the threat is contained and that's the end of it i don't believe that's true at all. >> reporter: for his part, the president down h...

Mazloum abdi spoke via skype to the russian defense minister telling him "i appreciate specifically president putin's efforts in protecting our people and stopping the military operations. there really is a sense of chaos. no one knows what comes next. as for the suggestion of sending u.s. tanks and troops to guard the oil fields and the kurds to go to the oilfield as well, no one is sure what to make of it but some people feeling it might be too little, too late and that the u.s. may have already lost its foothold here. >> martha: water hearing from turkey? -- what are we hearing from turkey?...