A church is seen in the Russian village of Shebekino outside Belgorod, a few miles from the Ukraine border, on January 27, 2022.
Alexander Nemenov / AFP via Getty Images
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A church is seen in the Russian village of Shebekino outside Belgorod, a few miles from the Ukraine border, on January 27, 2022.
Alexander Nemenov / AFP via Getty Images
The situation along the Ukrainian border is getting worse, according to top US officials, who warned on Sunday that a Russian invasion of Ukraine now has a potential It might just be a matter of time.
To speak on ABC’s This weekNational Security Adviser Jake Sullivan offered one of the administration’s clearest assessments of the situation, saying that Russian President Vladimir Putin “has put himself in a position to need a military deployment in order to be able to act.” forcefully against Ukraine at any time.”
“We believe there is a very clear possibility that Vladimir Putin will order an attack on Ukraine,” Sullivan said. “It could take a number of different forms. It could happen as soon as tomorrow or it could take a few weeks.”
With more than 100,000 Russian forces estimated to be stationed along the Ukrainian border, American officials believe Putin has amassed nearly three-quarters of the total he needs for an all-out offensive. Russian forces continue to rally around Ukraine, officials said, including naval attack ships that could be used to infiltrate Ukrainian ports.
Officials spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss estimates.
The US estimates that an attack could result in the deaths of tens of thousands of soldiers and civilians, while millions of Ukrainian refugees would have to flee, potentially to nearby Poland.
Russian officials have sought to downplay the warnings from Washington, with the country’s deputy ambassador to the United Nations, Dmitry Polyanskiy, calling them “madness and intimidation”.
In a tweetPolyanskiy said, “what if we said that the US could take London in a week and cause the deaths of 300,000 civilians?”
Amid the war of words, some officials continue to try to find a diplomatic solution. French President Emmanuel Macron will be in Moscow on Monday, and then in the Ukrainian capital Kyiv on Tuesday.
Peter Stano, the European Union’s chief spokesman for foreign affairs and security policy, said: “It is our important concern to find a solution to the current crisis through dialogue. dialogue and through commitment, and this is what we are doing now.” an interview with NPR’s Sunday weekend version.
Stano describes a possible invasion as the “worst-case scenario” for which the EU has prepared, but hopes will not materialize.
“We are united, the European Union [and] Our transatlantic partners, including the United States, are facing this challenge because it is one of the most serious in the post-Cold War era, and it is an unprecedented challenge. for the European Security Order,” said Stano. We will not back down. We will stand firmly in favor of Ukraine and uphold the international principles that apply here. “
Stano went on to call Russia’s decision to send an abundant amount of troops to the Ukrainian border “gratuitous”, “unjustified” and “unjustified.”
Officials had previously stated that Russia would face heavy sanctions if the situation deteriorated. Stano echoed these feelings in Sunday’s interview, explaining that the consequences for Russia this time around will be “a lot harsher” than they have faced in the past.
Daniel Estrin contributed reporting from Kyiv
