Russia could invade Ukraine soon, but talks still an option – White House adviser

A service member of the Ukrainian armed forces walks in a trench at combat positions near the line of separation from Russian-backed rebels outside the settlement of Zaitseve in the Donetsk region, Ukraine on Feb. 5, 2022.  Russia could invade Ukraine soon, says White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan. (REUTERS/Oleksandr Klymenko/File Photo)

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -Russia could invade Ukraine within days or weeks but could still opt for a diplomatic path forward, White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan said on Sunday.

“We are in the window. Any day now, Russia could take military action against Ukraine, or it could be a couple of weeks from now, or Russia could choose to take the diplomatic path instead,” Sullivan, who gave a round of television interviews, told the “Fox News Sunday” program.

Any possible Russian action could include annexing Ukraine’s Donbass region, cyberattacks or a full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Sullivan told NBC’s “This Week” program, adding that Russia could act as soon as on Monday though it could also be weeks.

Russia has in place about 70% of the combat power it believes it would need for a full-scale invasion of Ukraine and is sending more battalion tactical groups to the border with its neighbor, two US officials said on Saturday.

As Russia masses more than 100,000 troops near the border, Moscow has said it is not planning an invasion but could take unspecified military action if its security demands are not met. Those include a promise that NATO will never admit Ukraine, a demand the United States and NATO have called unacceptable.

ATM

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