America and its allies will respond “decisively” to a Russian invasion of Ukraine, a top Biden administration official said Sunday, warning that the U.S. is prepared to defend NATO territory against Russia if such a confrontation becomes necessary.
The sharp words from White House National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan were the latest example of how the administration has upped the rhetorical ante with Russia over the past several days. Mr. Sullivan on Friday urged Americans to flee Ukraine immediately amid fears that a Russian invasion of its neighbor was imminent.
And President Biden on Saturday spoke with Russian President Vladimir Putin and warned of “swift and severe costs” if Mr. Putin orders military action.
The administration’s public push continued Sunday morning, with Mr. Sullivan appearing on several news programs and using some of the most stark language seen so far during the months-long crisis.
“We are prepared to respond immediately and decisively, flanked by our allies and partners, if Russia moves forward,” Mr. Sullivan told CNN’s “State of the Union” program.
“We will defend NATO territory. We will impose costs on Russia. And we will ensure we emerge from this, as the West, stronger, more determined, more purposeful than we have been in 30 years, and that Russia ultimately suffers a significant strategic cost for military action,” Mr. Sullivan said.
He reiterated the administration’s belief that Russia is prepared to launch a false-flag operation to create a pretext for an invasion. He pushed back against critics who said that the U.S. is fear-mongering with its handling of the standoff, particularly by publicly revealing pieces of intelligence about Russia‘s potential plans.
“We are putting forward this intelligence to stop a war,” Mr. Sullivan said. “The world should be prepared for Russia staging a pretext and then launching a potential military action.”
“Fundamentally, our view is we’re not going to give Russia the opportunity to conduct a surprise here, to spring something on Ukraine or the world,” he said.
Meanwhile, the U.S. has evacuated nonessential personnel from its embassy in Kyiv. The administration also is warning all American citizens to get out of the country right away, repeatedly vowing that there will be no military evacuation missions for any Americans in Ukraine.
The U.S. clearly wants to avoid any scenario where American forces could clash with Russian troops, fearing that such a scenario could quickly spiral out of control and spark a major war.
“U.S. troops will not be fighting in Ukraine,” Pentagon spokesman John Kirby told “Fox News Sunday.”
Leaving Ukraine may soon become more difficult. Several airlines said Sunday they’re canceling or diverting planes away from the country, underscoring the fears that a Russian invasion is now a matter of when, not if.
But despite more than 100,000 Russian troops stationed all along their borders, Ukrainian officials have tried to maintain a sense of calm and have downplayed the prospect of a looming invasion. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in particular has tried to cool tensions and tamp down any panic among his own citizens.
Mr. Biden will speak by phone with Mr. Zelenskyy on Sunday, the White House said.
In Moscow, Russian officials also have tried to downplay the idea of an invasion. They have argued that it is the West, not Russia, that is responsible for the current crisis because of NATO‘s eastward expansion and the presence of NATO military personnel and equipment near Russian borders.
“The situation has simply been brought to the point of absurdity,” Yuri Ushakov, a top foreign policy aide to Mr. Putin, said Sunday.
• This article is based in part on wire service reports.