US: Biden agrees to meet Putin if he halts Ukraine attack
Kyiv(AP): In what appeared to be a last-ditch diplomatic gambit brokered by French President Emmanuel Macron, the White House said US President Joe Biden has agreed in principle to a meeting with Russia's President Vladimir Putin as long as he holds off on launching an assault that US officials warn appears increasingly more likely.
White House press secretary Jen Psaki said the administration has been clear that we are committed to pursuing diplomacy until the moment an invasion begins.
US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov are set to meet on Thursday in Europe as long as a further invasion doesn't occur.
We are always ready for diplomacy. We are also ready to impose swift and severe consequences should Russia instead choose war," Psaki said in statement. "And currently, Russia appears to be continuing preparations for a full-scale assault on Ukraine very soon.
In Kyiv, life outwardly continued as usual for many on a mild winter Sunday, with brunches and church services, ahead of what Biden said late last week was an already decided-upon Russian attack.
Russia on Sunday rescinded earlier pledges to pull tens of thousands of its troops back from Ukraine's northern border, a move that US leaders said put Russia another step closer to what they said was the planned invasion of Ukraine. Residents of Ukraine's capital filled a gold-domed cathedral to pray for peace.
Russia's action extends what it said were military exercises, originally set to end Sunday, that brought an estimated 30,000 Russian forces to Belarus, Ukraine's neighbor to the north. They are among at least 150,000 Russian troops now deployed outside Ukraine's borders, along with tanks, warplanes, artillery and other war materiel.
The continued deployment of the Russian forces in Belarus raised concern that they could be used to sweep down on the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv, a city of about 3 million people less than a three-hour drive away.
Katerina Spanchak, who fled a region of eastern Ukraine when it was taken over by Russian-allied separatists, was among worshippers crowded into the capital's St. Michael's monastery, smoky with the candles burned by the faithful, to pray that Ukraine be spared.
We all love life, and we are all united by our love of life," Spanchak said, pausing to compose herself. We should appreciate it every day. That's why I think everything will be fine.
Our joint prayers will help to elude this tragedy, which is advancing," said another worshipper, who identified himself only by his first name, Oleh.
A US official said Sunday that Biden's assertion that Putin has made the decision to roll Russian forces into Ukraine was based on intelligence that Russian front-line commanders have been given orders to begin final preparations for an attack. The official spoke on the condition of anonymity to describe the sensitive intelligence.
The United States and many European countries have charged for weeks that Putin has built up the forces he needs to invade Ukraine - a westward-looking democracy that has sought to move out of Russia's orbit - and is now trying to create pretexts to invade.
Western nations have threatened massive sanctions if Putin does.
US officials on Sunday defended their decision to hold off on their planned financial punishments of Russia ahead of any invasion, after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called passionately Saturday for the West to do more.
If you pull the trigger on that deterrent, well then, it doesn't exist anymore as a deterrent," Pentagon spokesman John Kirby told Fox on Washington's sanctions threat.
Russia held nuclear drills Saturday as well as the conventional exercises in Belarus, and has ongoing naval drills off the coast in the Black Sea.
The announcement that Russia was reversing its pledge to withdraw its forces from Belarus came after two days of sustained shelling along a contact line between Ukraine's soldiers and Russian-allied separatists in eastern Ukraine, an area that Ukraine and the West worry could be the flashpoint in igniting conflict.
Biden convened the National Security Council at the White House on Russia's military buildup around Ukraine. White House officials released no immediate details of their roughly two hours of discussion. (AP)
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How Indian AI Is Booming with GEOX AI Leading the Next Wave of Geolocation Intelligence
TraceX Labs has announced the launch of GEOX AI, an advanced artificial intelligence platform capable of identifying the real-world location where a photograph or video was taken using only the visual content within the media.
Positioned as an enterprise-grade intelligence solution, GEOX AI leverages advanced computer vision and multi-agent AI to analyze pixel-level details such as architecture, road patterns, vegetation, signage, lighting, and environmental context. By interpreting these visual clues, the system can estimate—and in many cases precisely determine—the origin of an image or video.
AI-Powered Geolocation Intelligence
Marketed under the concept of “Locate Anywhere From Any Image,” GEOX AI is designed for intelligence operations where speed, accuracy, and reliability are critical. The platform currently supports:
- 400+ analyses available
- <10 seconds average response time
- Up to 99% accuracy on landmark-based identification
- Global coverage across diverse terrains and environments
Core Capabilities
GEOX AI integrates multiple intelligence features into a single platform:
- Precise Geolocation:
Identifies exact geographic coordinates using visual landmarks, architecture, vegetation, and cultural indicators. - Satellite Map View:
Results are plotted on live satellite imagery with 2D/3D viewing options and multiple map styles for deeper analysis. - AI Reasoning Analysis:
Provides a detailed explanation of how the system arrived at a conclusion, including confidence scoring. - Multi-Result Analysis:
Returns multiple possible locations ranked by confidence, enabling cross-verification. - Intelligence PDF Export:
Allows one-click generation of professional reports containing maps, coordinates, analysis, and structured findings. - Credit-Based Access:
Agencies are allocated credits, with each analysis consuming one credit. Additional credits can be requested directly.
Speed Meets Intelligence
GEOX AI is designed to balance rapid processing with analytical depth:
- Fast Mode: Delivers results within seconds for clear and high-context images
- Advanced Mode: Performs deeper multi-step analysis for complex or ambiguous visuals
- Built for real-time decision-making in high-pressure environments
How GEOX AI Works
The platform follows a simple and efficient workflow:
- Upload any image or video frame
- AI analyzes visual clues such as structures, terrain, and environment
- The system identifies location with coordinates, confidence score, and reasoning
- Results are displayed on an interactive satellite map
- Export a professional intelligence report in one click
A Breakthrough for Investigations
GEOX AI is expected to have wide-ranging applications across multiple domains:
- Tracking the origin of images from social media and open sources
- Supporting digital forensics and cyber investigations
- Assisting law enforcement and intelligence operations
- Helping journalists and OSINT analysts verify visual content
- Providing support in missing person cases and threat intelligence scenarios
Enterprise Access and Deployment
GEOX AI is available to verified law enforcement agencies, intelligence organizations, and authorized enterprises. Access is provided through a structured system where organizations can request credentials and define their operational use cases.
Interested users can request access via tracexlabs.com or contact contact@tracexlabs.com, with response times typically within 24–48 hours.
Privacy Debate Intensifies
The launch of GEOX AI has also sparked renewed discussion around digital privacy. By demonstrating how location data can be extracted purely from visible elements within images, the platform highlights the potential risks associated with sharing photos online without considering what those visuals may reveal.
Conclusion
With GEOX AI, TraceX Labs is entering the rapidly evolving geolocation intelligence space with a platform that combines speed, precision, and real-world usability. As artificial intelligence continues to advance, tools like GEOX AI are expected to play a critical role in shaping the future of investigations, security, and digital intelligence.
