Tag: americans

United States National Security Advisor (NSA) to President Joe Biden, Jake Sullivan, has advised all Americans to depart Ukraine for their own safety, following speculation that Russian would attack the country.

Sullivan explained that if the Russian attack on Ukraine proceeds, it is likely to begin with aerial bombings and missile attacks that could obviously kill civilians without regard to their nationality.

In his words: “Any American in Ukraine should leave as soon as possible, and in any event in the next 24 to 48 hours.

“We obviously cannot predict the future, we don’t know exactly what is going to happen. But the risk is now high enough and the threat is now immediate enough that this is what prudence demands.

“If a Russian attack on Ukraine proceeds, it is likely to begin with aerial bombings and missile attacks that could obviously kill civilians without regard to their nationality.
“A subsequent ground invasion would obviously involve the onslaught of a massive force.”

There was a very distinct possibility that Russia would act militarily

Meanwhile, President Joe Biden plans to speak with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Saturday, Sullivan said.

According to him, the two men would speak by phone but didn’t say when.

It would be recalled that Biden last spoke to Putin at the end of December. He is spending the weekend at the Camp David presidential retreat.

Defense Secretary, Lloyd Austin, had ordered 3,000 more soldiers from the 82nd Airborne Division to deploy to Poland, joining the 1,700 already there. The soldiers are there to help Americans who may try to leave Ukraine.

Russia has more than 100,000 troops near the Ukraine border, with thousands added just this week

However, Sullivan noted that it’s not clear if Russian President Vladimir Putin has decided to invade Ukraine.

“I want to be crystal clear. A final decision has not been taken by President Putin, but we have a sufficient level of concern based on what we see on the ground and what our intelligence analysts have picked up that we’re sending this clear message.

“And it remains a message that we have now been sending for some time. And it is an urgent message because we’re in an urgent situation,” Sullivan said.

Later, he noted that there was a “very distinct possibility” that Russia would act militarily, but couldn’t pinpoint when or how.

“I’m not going to get into intelligence information, but if you look at forces in both Belarus and in Russia on the other side of the Ukrainian border from the north and from the east, the Russians are in a position to be able to mount a major military action in Ukraine in a day now,” he asserted.

The U.S. continues to see very troubling signs of Russian escalation, including new forces arriving at the Ukrainian border

Earlier Friday U.S. Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, said the U.S. believes a Russian invasion of Ukraine could begin “at any time,” including during the ongoing Olympics in Beijing.

He also maintained that the U.S. continues “to see very troubling signs of Russian escalation, including new forces arriving at the Ukrainian border.”

Following the development, Biden administration is also discussing the possibility of further reducing the number of staff at the U.S. Embassy in Kyiv and pulling other U.S. government employees out of Ukraine amid new U.S. intelligence suggesting that Russia could move to attack Ukraine prior to the end of the Beijing Olympics next week.

The U.S. has estimated that Russia has more than 100,000 troops near the Ukraine border, with thousands added just this week, according to an administration official.

On Wednesday, the White House approved a plan for members of the 82nd Airborne in Poland to help Americans who may try to leave Ukraine

The U.S. last month ordered the departure of diplomats’ family members from the U.S. Embassy in Kyiv and allowed nonessential personnel to leave on a voluntary basis.
A senior defense official hinted that “As the plans are made for the observers to leave Ukraine, the troops from the 82nd Airborne will be heading to neighboring Poland.

“The soldiers will fall under the command of Maj. Gen. Christopher Donahue, who was the commander of forces during the final evacuation and withdrawal from Afghanistan.
“Three hundred members of the 18th Airborne Corps have also arrived in Germany, they are under the command of Lt. Gen. Michael Kurilla, who’s slated to be the next head of U.S. Central Command.

“This group of 5,000 troops will reassure our NATO allies, deter any potential aggression against NATO’s eastern flank, train with host-nation forces, and contribute to a wide range of contingencies.”

Biden on Thursday urged Americans in Ukraine to leave the country immediately, warning that “things could go crazy quickly” in the region.

The president spoke with the leaders from Canada, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Romania, NATO, the European Commission, and the European Council in a call that lasted more than an hour Friday morning.

Some leaders on the call later expressed concerns about the risk of invasion and urged the redoubling of diplomatic efforts with Russia.
NATO Secretary General, Jens Stoltenberg, said in a statement that “the risk of conflict in Europe is real.”

“Participants made clear that any further Russian aggression against Ukraine would come at a high cost, while reiterating that they were ready to continue dialogue with Russia,” he said.

A Downing Street spokesperson said United Kingdom Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, had told allies on the call that he feared for the security of Europe due to the situation in Ukraine.

“He impressed the need for NATO allies to make it absolutely clear that there will be a heavy package of economic sanctions ready to go, should Russia make the devastating and destructive decision to invade Ukraine,” the spokesperson said.