Russia perpetrating a "brutal war of choice" if it invades Ukraine, Jake Sullivan says
President Biden's National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said Monday that the United States will rally the world to hold Russia accountable should it invade neighboring Ukraine.
The U.S. said it has intelligence that Russian commanders have received orders to proceed with an invasion. President Biden has agreed to a summit meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin, provided Russia has not invaded Ukraine. Secretary of State Antony Blinken told "Face the Nation" on Sunday that the U.S. still believes Russia is "moving forward" with plans to invade, despite denials from Moscow.
On Monday, Sullivan told "CBS Mornings" that Mr. Biden "has been clear all along throughout this crisis that the United States and its allies are ready either way. We're ready to continue diplomacy, including at the highest levels, to try to resolve this matter peacefully. But we are equally ready, and we are united as the West, [for] imposing swift and severe consequences if Russia chooses to move forward.
"Yesterday, President Biden got a briefing on the details and the final plans for those consequences should Russia move in the coming hours or days."
Sullivan said that Washington has been proactive, not only in moving thousands of U.S. troops to Poland, Romania and other parts of Europe in order to defend NATO territory from Russian aggression, but also in warning the world about Russia's intentions, including efforts to manufacture a crisis in the eastern part of Ukraine to provide a pretense for invasion. "That's exactly what happened over the weekend," Sullivan said, alluding to an escalation of shelling of Ukrainian civilians and military in the east.
"What we have done is indicate to the world that this is not something Russia's been provoked into; this is a brutal war of choice that Russia will be perpetrating on its neighbor," Sullivan said. "And that will enable us, if they, in fact, do move forward, to rally not just the West, but the world to hold Russia accountable for what it has done."
- Biden warns Putin U.S. will "impose swift and severe costs on Russia" if Ukraine is invaded
- Eight years after pro-democracy protesters were killed in Kyiv, Ukraine faces greater Russian threat
"CBS Mornings" co-host Gayle King asked, "Can you help the American people understand … why should we pay close attention to this, why does this matter to us?"
"We have seen before how a small war in Europe can grow if we don't stand up in strong and resolute terms to defend our allies and partners," he replied. "That's why President Biden has sent troops to NATO territory – not to fight Russia in Ukraine, but to defend NATO. That has helped keep the peace over there for the past seven decades in Europe, kept a major power war between the U.S. and Russia from happening.
"I think it matters, and it's the basic value of freedom of choice and freedom of destiny for all people everywhere. That's deep in the American DNA, and that's why we support the Ukrainian people in this time."
To watch the full interview with Jake Sullivan click on the video player above.