Russia might attack Ukraine “any day,” according to White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan. He further explained that initiating confrontation would have “enormous human cost.”
This comes the day after US sources verified that Russia has gathered at least 70% of the military firepower it plans to put in place by mid-month potentially allowing President Vladimir Putin the option of launching a full-scale invasion of Ukraine, according to President Joe Biden’s senior adviser.
“If war breaks out, it will come at an enormous human cost to Ukraine, but we believe that based on our preparations and our response, it will come at a strategic cost to Russia as well,” Sullivan said.
As he appeared on a trio of Sunday talk shows, “Fox News Sunday,” NBC’s “Meet the Press” and ABC’s “This Week.” Sullivan did not directly address claims that the White House has told legislators that a full Russian invasion might result in the swift takeover of Kyiv and as many as 50,000 dead.
Officials from the United States, speaking on the condition of anonymity, laid out a sequence of clues that imply Putin wants to launch an invasion in the coming weeks, while the magnitude and extent of the invasion are unknown. They emphasized that they believe a diplomatic solution is still possible.
An drill of Russia’s strategic nuclear forces, which is usually undertaken in the fall, has been delayed for mid-February to March. This corresponds to the most likely invasion window, according to US sources.
In recent days, the government has increased its warnings that Russia is increasingly intent on seizing Ukrainian territory.
Officials from the Biden administration stated last week that intelligence results revealed that the Kremlin had devised a complex plan to stage a Ukrainian military attack that Russia might use as a pretext to launch military action against its neighbor.
According to Pentagon spokesperson John Kirby, the plan involved the creation of a dramatic propaganda video featuring faked explosions, corpses, and actors portraying mourning mourners.
Sullivan said, “It could happen as soon as tomorrow or it could take some weeks yet,” he further added that Putin “has put himself in a position with military deployments to be able to act aggressively against Ukraine at any time now.”
According to Sullivan, the administration is hoping that the Russians would use diplomacy to de-escalate the situation.
“The key thing is that the United States needs to be and is prepared for any of those contingencies and in lockstep with our allies and partners,” Sullivan said. “We have reinforced and reassured our allies on the eastern flank.”
Last week, Texas Rep. Michael McCaul, the top Republican on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, attended a confidential briefing given to members of Congress by administration officials. He was asked if he came away from the briefing certain that Russia will act against Ukraine.
“I would say the conditions are there. It’s more likely than not. I think the noose is being prepared. It’s around Ukraine right now as we speak. These are dangerous times,” McCaul said.
Speaking on CNN’s “State of the Union”, Biden’s UN ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield said the administration was still looking for a diplomatic solution, but that “at the same time, we know that the Russians continue to prepare,” and that the administration would try to “address the security challenges.”
Ukraine, according to Sen. John Barrasso of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, is the first step in Putin’s ambition to reconstruct the Soviet Union. He was concerned about the message this might send to US adversaries.
“He needs to choke on trying to swallow Ukraine because if it’s easy pickings for him, my worry is that then China moves against Taiwan and Iran moves quickly to a nuclear weapon.”
Meanwhile, elite US troops and equipment arrived in southeastern Poland near the Ukraine border on Sunday, following Vice President Joe Biden’s instructions to deploy 1,700 troops there amid fears of a Russian invasion.
The 82nd Airborne Division is anticipated to arrive at Rzeszow-Jasionka Airport with hundreds more troops. A Boeing C-17 Globemaster plane from the United States Air Force delivered a few dozen men and vehicles.
Maj. Gen. Christopher Donahue is their leader, and he was the last American soldier to leave Afghanistan on August 30.
“Our national contribution here in Poland shows our solidarity with all of our allies here in Europe and, obviously, during this period of uncertainty we know that we are stronger together,” Donahue said at the airport.
In the midst of Russia-Ukraine tensions, Biden ordered extra US troops to be deployed to Poland, Romania, and Germany to emphasize America’s commitment to NATO’s eastern flank. Poland, a NATO member in the east, shares borders with both Russia and Ukraine. Romania shares a border with Ukraine.
Within 18 hours, the division can deploy and launch parachute assaults to secure vital objectives. The division was founded in 1917 and is based in Fort Bragg, North Carolina.
On Monday, Biden will meet with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz at the White House. Scholz has stated that if Russia is attacked, it will pay a “heavy price,” but his government’s hesitation to give deadly weapons to Ukraine, bolster its troop presence in eastern Europe, or specify which sanctions it will support against Russia has garnered international and domestic criticism.
French President Emmanuel Macron is scheduled to arrive in Moscow on Monday for discussions with Putin, and Scholz will join him in the coming days.
If Russia invades Ukraine again, Sullivan is convinced that the Nord Stream 2 gas project between Russia and Germany “will not move forward.” Although the pipeline is built, the gas has yet to flow.
“While it’s true that Germany has not sent arms to Ukraine, after the United States, they are the second largest donor to Ukraine in Europe,” Sullivan said. “The great thing … about having the kind of alliances we have with 30 NATO allies is that different allies are going to take different pieces of this.”
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Well, gosh. Now I just won’t sleep tonight. ?
BIDEN THE KEYSTONE PIPE SLAER PLANS TO REPLACE VP HARRIS WITH PINOCCIO
Very few people are stupid enough to believe anything our corrupt administration says
Hidenbiden and his talking heads, ought to shut up, and quit pushing for a war with putin. They could start a war with their idiotic, retoric and threatening sanctions that would not do a dam thing,because the chicons would pick up the slack.Hidenbiden’s administration is a joke and russia knows it.
I’d go on alert the day before the Olympics ends for Taiwan and Ukraine. I don’t trust Putin and the Chinese less.
I have reverted to calling the Chinese capital Peking.
Does anyone else feel like Putin is putting on an act to make Joe Biden look like a fool? Putin might have some troops next to Ukraine, but even the Ukrainians don’t think it is as bad as Biden says.