The White House said a Russian invasion of Ukraine could come within the week and urged Americans to immediately leave the country.
WASHINGTON -- The White House said Friday that a Russian invasion of Ukraine could come within the week, possibly within the next two days, even before the end of the Winter Olympics, and urged Americans to leave the country now.U.S. national security adviser Jake Sullivan said the United States did not have definitive information that an invasion has been ordered by Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Russia is holding massive war games in neighboring Belarus and insisting that the highly strained relations is not its fault. Russia says it has no plans to invade but wants the West to keep Ukraine and other former Soviet countries out of NATO. Speaking at the start of his talks with Wallace, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu noted that"the military-political situation in Europe is growing increasingly tense, and it's not our fault."
Wallace described the talks as"constructive and frank" and noted his Russian counterpart's assurances that Moscow has no intention to attack Ukraine. But he also emphasized that the concentration of Russian troops near Ukrainian territory is clearly"beyond normal exercising," explaining that about half of Russia's land forces are concentrated around the border with Ukraine.
"It's not like we're dealing with a terrorist organization. We're dealing with one of the largest armies in the world. It's a very different situation, and things could go crazy quickly," he said.Asked whether there were any scenarios that would prompt him to send U.S. troops to Ukraine to rescue Americans, the president said:"There's not. That's a world war when Americans and Russia start shooting at one another.
Continuing its military buildup near Ukraine, Russia has moved six amphibious assault vessels into the Black Sea, augmenting its capability to land marines on the coast. Russia's troop concentration includes forces deployed on the territory of its ally Belarus for massive joint drills involving firing live ammunition. Those exercises entered a decisive phase Thursday and will run through Feb. 20. The Ukrainian capital is about 75 kilometers south of the Belarus border.
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