US predicts Russia may attack Ukraine in the next few days to weeks
The US national security adviser said that Russia could attack Ukraine in the coming days or weeks, with scenarios such as annexing the Donbass region, launching a cyber attack or invading Ukraine. However, the US official did not provide any evidence.
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| US soldiers arrive at Rzeszow-Jasionka airport in Poland on February 6. Photo: Reuters |
"Any day now, or a few weeks from now, Russia could take military action against Ukraine. Or Russia could choose a diplomatic path," White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan said on Fox News on Sunday (February 6).
Sullivan’s comments came a day after two US officials said Russia had about 70% of the combat power needed to attack Ukraine. The officials said Moscow was sending additional combat groups to the border with Ukraine.
According to the US national security adviser, possible scenarios on the Russia-Ukraine border include Russia annexing Ukraine's Donbass region, where many Moscow-backed separatists are located, launching a cyber attack or a full-scale "invasion" of Ukraine.
“If they choose the path of escalation, it will be a huge human cost for Ukraine. But we believe that, over time, it will also be a real strategic cost for (Russian President) Vladimir Putin,” Mr. Sullivan said.
However, Mr. Sullivan did not provide any evidence for the above comments, according to Sputnik News Agency. Many American newspapers also cited data on Russian troop deployments predicting that Moscow will mobilize troops against Ukraine in the next few days. Recently, Bloomberg News Agency had to correct after publishing the article "Russia invaded Ukraine".
Although the US has announced that it will not send troops to Ukraine, it is providing weapons to Kiev. The first reinforcements sent by the US to Poland arrived at the Rzeszow military base on February 5.
On February 7, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz also left open the possibility of sending more troops to Lithuania to reinforce the eastern side of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). However, Mr. Scholz rejected providing weapons to Ukraine due to Germany's policy of not sending weapons to conflict zones. Mr. Scholz traveled to the US to meet with US President Joe Biden earlier this week./.
