The US upped the alarm over Ukraine on Friday, saying that a Russian invasion might start in days, starting with civilians caught in aerial bombings, and advising US citizens to escape within 48 hours.
White House National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan warned reporters in Washington that an attack by the more than 100,000 Russian forces stationed in Ukraine “may happen any day now.”
Sullivan dismissed suggestions that the Kremlin would never start a crisis while the Beijing Olympics were still going on in close Russian ally China, saying that an attack “might happen” before the Games ended on February 20.
An imminent strike is “a very, very distinct likelihood,” according to Sullivan.
While stressing that it was not yet known whether President Vladimir Putin had taken a decision, saying “we can’t predict the exact determination,” Sullivan made clear that the United States was bracing for the worst, including a “rapid assault” on the capital Kyiv.
