In the midst of hostilities, Russia may conquer Ukraine, according to Blinken

According to US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Russia may invade Ukraine during the current Beijing Winter Olympics, and Americans should evacuate the Eastern European country immediately.

Blinken did not elaborate on the grounds for the State Department's most recent security notice, which urges all Americans to leave Ukraine.

Simply put, we continue to observe extremely alarming indicators of Russian escalation, including new military coming at the Ukrainian border, according to Blinken, who spoke to reporters in Melbourne, Australia.

We're in a period where an invasion may happen at any time, including during the Olympics, according to Blinken. The Olympic Games are set to conclude on February 20.

Near Ukraine, Russia has gathered about 100,000 troops. It claims it has no ambitions to invade, but it does want Ukraine and other former Soviet republics to remain outside of NATO.

The possibility of conflict in Ukraine and a reinforced alliance between Russia and China were high on Blinken and his counterparts from India, Japan, and Australia's agenda during a meeting in Canberra on Friday.

The Quad is a group of Indo-Pacific democracies formed to resist China's increasing regional dominance.

The conference was led by Australian Foreign Minister Marise Payne, who said the alliance between Moscow and Beijing was alarming because it "doesn't represent a global order that aligns with...ambitions for freedom, openness, sovereignty, and territorial integrity preservation."

Blinken previously stated that a battle with China in the Indo-Pacific was unlikely.

We share concerns that China has become more assertive at home and in the area, as well as potentially abroad, in recent years, according to Blinken.

He noted that the Quad partners are united by a positive vision for the future and a resolve to safeguard the rules-based system that they have spent so much time and work developing.

Blinken's trip is intended to reaffirm America's interests in Asia and its determination to counter China's growing aggressiveness in the region. He'll also visit Fiji and meet with his Japanese and South Korean counterparts in Hawaii to discuss current worries about North Korea.

Quad concerns over Beijing's growing influence among Pacific island states were downplayed by Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Zhao Lijian.

Zhao claimed that China's help for Pacific island countries is open, transparent, and inclusive, and that it does not target any other parties, presumably referring to the US and its allies.

At a daily briefing, he stated, "We hope that all governments will take real efforts to help Pacific island countries deal with their issues and do more to contribute to regional peace, stability, and prosperity."

In recent years, Australia has faced trade retaliation as a result of actions that have enraged Beijing, such as outlawing covert foreign interference in domestic politics, banning Chinese tech giant Huawei from major infrastructure projects, and calling for an independent investigation into the origins of the COVID-19 pandemic.