Top Biden aide warns Russia’s Ukraine invasion could come ‘any day’

‘If war breaks out, it will come at an enormous human cost to Ukraine, but … it will come at a strategic cost to Russia as well,’ said US national security adviser Jake Sullivan

The US government has stepped up warnings in recent days that Russia increasingly seems intent on further invading Ukrainian territory

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A member of the Ukrainian armed forces Bohdan practices kickboxing at combat positions near the line of separation from Russian-backed rebels in Luhansk Region, Ukraine on February 6. Photo: Reuters

Published: 2:55am, 7 Feb 2022Updated: 5:39am, 7 Feb 2022

White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan said on Sunday that Russia could invade Ukraine “any day,” launching a conflict that would come at an “enormous human cost.”

The senior adviser to President Joe Biden offered another stark warning the day after US officials confirmed that Russia has assembled at least 70 per cent of the military firepower it likely intends to have in place by mid-month to give Russian President Vladimir Putin the option of launching a full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

“If war breaks out, it will come at an enormous human cost to Ukraine, but we believe that based on our preparations and our response, it will come at a strategic cost to Russia as well,” Sullivan said.

US national security adviser Jake Sullivan speaks at the White House in Washington on February 4. Photo: AFP via Getty Images / TNS

Sullivan did not directly address reports that the White House has briefed lawmakers that a full Russian invasion could lead to the quick capture of Kyiv and potentially result in as many as 50,000 casualties as he made appearances on a trio of Sunday talk shows.

US officials, who discussed internal assessments of the Russian build-up on the condition that they not be identified, sketched out a series of indicators suggesting that Putin intends to start an invasion in the coming weeks, although the size and scale are unclear. They stressed that a diplomatic solution appears to remain possible.

Among those military indicators: An exercise of Russia’s strategic nuclear forces that usually is held each fall was rescheduled for mid-February to March. That coincides with what US officials see as the most likely window for invasion.

French President Emmanuel Macron spoke again to US President Joe Biden in a “coordination logic” ahead of his trip to Moscow on Monday, a French Presidency source said on Sunday.