National security adviser: U.S. preparing for Russia to launch attack 'any time now'

WASHINGTON — White House National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan on Sunday affirmed that the United States and its European allies are preparing for Russia to launch an attack against Ukraine "any time now" amid a mass mobilization of Russian troops along Ukraine’s border.

"It could happen as soon as tomorrow or it could take some weeks yet," Sullivan told ABC’s "This Week," adding that Russian President Vladimir Putin "has put himself in a position with military deployments to be able to act aggressively against Ukraine at any time now."

Sullivan’s assertions on the Sunday political talk show circuit came days after lawmakers were briefed by Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and Secretary of State Antony Blinken on the increasing prospect of a Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Russia has positioned more than 100,000 troops along its border with Ukraine, and has also positioned 11 amphibious assault ships in the Black Sea and in the Mediterranean, according to details provided to the lawmakers, The New York Times reported Saturday.

Top national security officials told members of Congress that Russia has assembled 70% of the forces it would need to launch an invasion of Ukraine, and warned that a full-scale invasion could lead to up to 50,000 human casualties and a mass exodus of Ukrainians to other parts of Europe, according to the report.

Asked about the reported numbers, Sullivan did not confirm the details but said the United States "is working hard to rally our allies, to provide material support to the Ukrainians, to reinforce our eastern allies in particular, Poland and Romania and the Baltic states, and, at the same time, to send a clear message to Russia that we are prepared to walk the diplomatic path, to address our mutual security concerns if they're prepared to do so."

President Joe Biden last Wednesday ordered the deployment of 2,000 U.S. troops to the region including 1,700 service members to Poland and 300 to Germany. The president has repeatedly said the United States will not deploy any troops to Ukraine, but will provide support to neighboring NATO allies.

"The president has been clear for months now that the United States is not sending forces to start a war or fight a war with Russia in Ukraine," Sullivan said on "Fox News Sunday." "We have sent forces to Europe to defend NATO territory. We have a sacred obligation under Article 5 to defend our NATO allies — Poland, and Romania and the Baltic states. We have made that commitment to them, we will keep that commitment to them."

Sullivan, asked whether Putin would likely wait until mid-February to launch an attack, until the Winter Olympics in Beijing are complete, said "yes" it was "a possible scenario" that Putin would wait out of respect to his close ally, Chinese President Xi Jinping.

"We have to be prepared for the possibility of a contingency of a military action by Russia before the Olympics end, and we also have to be prepared for one after the Olympics end," Sullivan said.

Rep. Michael McCaul (R-Texas), the ranking Republican on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, said he left last week’s briefing believing the "conditions are there" for Russia to invade, describing the situation in the region as "dangerous times."

"At the end of the day, what you’re going to see … is a resistance movement in Ukraine," McCaul said on "This Week." "That's why we're sending them sniper rifles, ammunition. Remember, the majority of Ukraine is not pro-Russia anymore. Unlike before Crimea, they don’t like Russia, and there's a resistance movement there."

Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said a Russian invasion of sovereign Ukraine would impact the United States by first "destabilizing Europe."

"If we now live in a world where you can just go in and take a country because you claim it or parts of it belong to you and you can do so militarily, well, we've entered a very dangerous period in human history once again," Rubio said on CBS’ "Face the Nation." "I think it has enormous consequences if and when that happens."

Biden is scheduled to meet with new German Chancellor Olaf Scholz on Monday, where the situation with Russia and Ukraine is expected to be a top issue of discussion.

White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki last month when announcing Scholz’s visit said, "The leaders will discuss their shared commitment to both ongoing diplomacy and joint efforts to deter further Russian aggression against Ukraine."