John Kirby sounds the alarm: Russian invasion of Ukraine ‘could happen at any time’

Pentagon press secretary John Kirby mentioned Sunday that whereas the U.S. nonetheless hopes to keep away from any battle between Russia and Ukraine, Russian President Vladimir Putin might probably invade his neighboring nation at any level now, and that there are a variety of strategies at his disposal to do it.

In a dialog with “Fox Information Sunday,” Kirby’s outlook of the instant way forward for the area was a grim one, regardless of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zalenskyy claiming that the U.S. was overstating the direness of the scenario. Backing up his place, Kirby pointed to Russian troops amassed on the Russia-Ukraine border and in Belarus, along with Russian exercise within the Mediterranean Sea and Atlantic Ocean.

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“Putin has a number of choices obtainable to him if he desires to additional invade Ukraine, and he can execute a few of these choices imminently,” Kirby mentioned.

When pressed on what precisely he meant by “imminently,” Kirby said that “imminent means it might occur, actually, actually, at any time.” He then clarified that what precisely “it” is “will depend on what Vladimir Putin may need to do.” Kirby recalled how Protection Secretary Lloyd Austin mentioned Friday that Putin has “a number of functionality obtainable” to conduct large-scale or small-scale actions. 

Nonetheless, Kirby mentioned, not all hope is misplaced.

“It doesn’t have to return to battle. We nonetheless imagine there’s room and house for diplomacy, and we’d wish to see that be the answer right here,” he mentioned.

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When requested if the U.S. can or must be extra particular with threats of sanctions in opposition to Russia, comparable to naming banks that might be affected, Kirby mentioned the U.S. has been “very clear concerning the financial penalties that may come his means and the best way of the Russian individuals ought to he additional incur and invade inside Ukraine.”

On the similar time, Kirby indicated that the U.S. was in no rush to impose sanctions as a result of it might take away an arrow from their quiver.

“One of many issues about sanctions is when you journey that, then the deterrent impact is misplaced,” Kirby mentioned.

Maybe seeking to enhance the potential deterrent impact of the specter of sanctions, Kirby mentioned the U.S. is taking a look at “sanctions and financial penalties the likes of which now we have not checked out earlier than and even thought of even way back to 2014.”

The Pentagon press secretary then added that financial hurt shouldn’t be the one factor that Putin must be apprehensive about, as it’s not the one avenue the U.S. is taking a look at.

“One of many final issues they need is a powerful and bolstered NATO on their western flank and if he does one other invasion inside Ukraine that’s precisely what they’re going to get,” Kirby mentioned. “You’re going to see the USA and our NATO allies bolster our capabilities on the japanese flank of the alliance.”