U.S. Does Not Seek to “Start a War” with Russia in Ukraine

Joe Biden’s national security adviser, Jake Sullivan, said Sunday that the U.S. goal in deploying troops in Germany and Eastern Europe is not to start a war against Russia over the conflict in Ukraine, but warned that Moscow could launch an invasion at any time.
“The president has made it clear for months that the United States is not sending forces to start a war or fight a war against Russia in Ukraine,” the official told Fox News. “We have sent forces to Europe to defend NATO territory.” Sullivan added that “a military escalation and an invasion of Ukraine could happen at any time.”
“We believe the Russians have put in place capabilities to mount a significant military operation in Ukraine and we have been working hard to prepare a response,” he said. “President (Joe) Biden has brought our allies together. It reinforced and reassured our partners on the eastern flank, provided material support to the Ukrainians, and offered the Russians a diplomatic avenue.”
Distrust of “apocalyptic forecasts”
Sullivan insisted that Washington seeks to keep the diplomatic track open with Moscow. “Russia could take military action against Ukraine or choose to take the diplomatic route,” he said. And he put on the table the alternatives that Moscow would have, such as annexing the Donbas region, launching an all-out invasion that includes Kiev or deploying a range of computer attacks.
“If a war is unleashed, it will be at enormous human cost to Ukraine, but we believe that according to our preparations and response, it will also entail a strategic cost for Russia,” he said.
Ukraine, for its part, called for distrust of “apocalyptic forecasts”, considering that the chances of a “diplomatic solution” with Russia are “much higher” than those of a “military escalation”. “Ukraine has a powerful army, unprecedented international support and is prepared for any scenario,” Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmitro Kuleba wrote on Twitter.
According to U.S. officials who briefed congressional and European allies, intelligence services estimate that Russia has already deployed 70 percent of the military apparatus needed for a full-scale invasion. If Putin were to choose to do so, he could encircle Kiev and topple Volodymyr Zelensky in just 48 hours.
They also warned that between 25,000 and 50,000 civilians could die in a war, 5,000 to 25,000 Ukrainian soldiers and between 3,000 and 10,000 Russian soldiers. It would also lead to the displacement of between one and five million refugees, mostly to Poland. In addition, in just two weeks Russia increased from 60 to 80 the total number of battalions positioned on the border with Ukraine, even moving forces from Vladivostok, in the Far East of the country.

Original source in Spanish