US NSA Sullivan says West 'more united' & NATO has been 'strengthened' amid Ukraine crisis

As tension continues to intensify between Russia and Ukraine, the United States has argued for months that an attack from Russia on Ukraine was "imminent" and it could occur "at any time now". During a routine news briefing on Friday, White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan asserted that the US is prepared in any case. He went on to say that regardless of what happens next, the West has become more unified than it has been in years and NATO has been 'strengthened', as per a press release from the White House.  

"We are in the window when an invasion could begin at any time, should Vladimir Putin decide to order it," Sullivan told the media as per an official press release. He also stated that he would not comment on the specifics about the US intelligence information, but he clarified that the attack "could begin during the Olympics, despite a lot of speculation that it would only happen after the Olympics.” 

According to Politico, Sullivan claimed that a complete Russian invasion of Ukraine may happen by the end of the Winter Beijing Olympics on February 20, even as US President Joe Biden warned his colleagues about Moscow's military potentially commencing an assault in five days. 

The Biden administration's statements have been entangled once more, with "Western and defense officials" informing the US Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) that the Kremlin had given Russian generals plans to invade, as per Sputnik.  

If Russia invades Ukraine, the US will act aggressively: Sullivan

If Russia invades Ukraine, Sullivan asserted, the US will act "aggressively with a series of sanctions" in collaboration with multiple other US partners, as well as "changes to NATO and the American force posture along NATO's eastern flank," and continuing assistance to Ukraine, as per the release.  

In terms of urgent next actions, President Biden and his administration will remain in  constant touch with the US allies and partners in order to plan both the possibilities for diplomacy and any required reaction should Putin decide to authorise military action, it further said. 

Furthermore, the US national security adviser asked all Americans in Ukraine to evacuate within the next 48 hours, noting that the threat has now become "high enough". He even added that the threat is now urgent enough that prudence is required, the release read. Sullivan then described how the White House expected a hypothetical Russian invasion of Ukraine to unfold, stating that it would "begin with aerial bombardment and missile assaults that could clearly kill innocents regardless of their ethnicity. "A subsequent ground invasion would involve the onslaught of a massive force,'' Sullivan said.

(Image: AP)