Russians will try to establish the ruble as the currency in the region
Russia is preparing the ground to annex Ukrainian territories and is installing illegitimate authorities representing it in regions of Ukraine it already controls, the White House said Tuesday.
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Disclosing what he said was information from the US intelligence service, the chief spokesman for the US National Security Council, John Kirby, told a White House press conference that the Russians are preparing to install authorities representing them, establish the ruble as the default currency and force residents to apply for Russian citizenship.
Russia is also trying to take control of broadcast towers, he said.
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At the same time, Kirby said that in the coming days the United States will announce a new arms package for Ukraine, which is fighting a fierce battle with Russia in its eastern region. It will be the 16th such funding approved by the US Congress and allocated under presidential authority, he said.
