Russia inching closer to a full-scale ground invasion of its neighbour: The clock is ticking...

Even as Joe Biden and Vladmir Putin were sitting down to talks meant to end the crisis, Russia was actually inching closer to being ready to launch a full-scale ground invasion of Ukraine.
The Conflict Intelligence group that has used social media, railway schedules and other data to reveal details of Russia’s military buildup on the border has said that these data allows them to conclude that despite the negotiations between Biden and Putin, the concentration of Russian troops in the areas bordering the territory controlled by Ukrainian authorities continue.
A recent sighting of Putin’s notorious Buk missiles carried in a flatbed rail wagon speeding through southwest Russia towards the frontline, does not bode well for the talks. The Bulk-M1 missile that was carried was the kind of medium-range surface-to-air missile system that became notorious in 2014 after a missile fired from territory controlled by Russia proxies in eastern Ukraine shot down a Malaysian airliner killing all 298 people aboard, creating ripples all around the world.
It is to be noted that, if Russia goes to war in Ukraine, it still needs to establish fuel supply lines, open field hospitals and deploy air-defence systems such as the Buk that would protect its heavy weaponry and troops near the front.
The clock is ticking. Putin could pull back, but it would be embarrassing to do so now without a solid win in hand. But, Russia’s demands look impossible to fulfill for the west.
Meanwhile, Russian President Vladimir Putin will hold a virtual summit this week with Chinese President Xi Jinping to discuss bilateral relations and international issues, amid tensions between Moscow and the West over the massing of tens of thousands of Russian troops near its border with Ukraine.