US warns Russia-Ukraine war can escalate, says next few days likely to 'shape outcome'

"There's always a possibility of escalation" in the Russia-Ukraine war, said the United States Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Mark Milley who also stressed that it is essential to maintain constant contact with Kyiv to ensure active risk management. In an interview with Fox News, the Pentagon official said the US has to “closely” manage the chances of escalation of ongoing conflict and assess the situation.

Milley said, “I think there's always a possibility of escalation, we have to closely manage chances and assess the chances of escalation, so we do that”.

The US General also stressed that US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin is in constant contact with the Ukrainian Defence Minister. According to Milley, this shows "to manage the escalation and prevent it from expanding into something much more horrific than it already is." Additionally, the US official noted the operational battles between Moscow and Kyiv in eastern Ukraine and stated that the next few days are expected to “shape the outcomes of what would happen”. 

It is to note here that the Russia-Ukraine war has entered day 97 with the EU announcing the ban on more than two-thirds of Moscow's oil imports as the conflict continues to stir a global response. A French journalist was killed in Ukraine's Luhansk and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenksyy said that Frederic Leclerc-Imhoff was the 32nd media personnel who was killed in the Moscow-Kyiv war.

Donbas 'liberation' is 'unconditional priority' for Moscow

Milley not ruling out the possibility of escalation in the ongoing war came as Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said that the “liberation” of the Donbas region in eastern Ukraine is an “unconditional priority” for Moscow and the other Ukrainian territories should decide their fate on their own.  In an interview with French TV channel TF1, Lavrov mentioned that the Donetsk and Luhansk regions are recognised by the Russian Federation as “independent states”. It is to note here that parts of the Donbas region are controlled by separatist groups and after failing to capture Kyiv in the initial days of the Russia-Ukraine war, Moscow has shifted its focus on eastern Ukrainian territories. 

Image: AP