National security advisor Jake Sullivan says US wants an 'independent' Ukraine and 'isolated' Russia

• Jake Sullivan said the US wants to see an "independent" Ukraine and an "isolated" Russia.

• The Biden national security advisor made a Sunday appearance on NBC's "Meet the Press."

• In recent days, Russia has retreated from key areas around Kyiv — the Ukrainian capital.

National security advisor Jake Sullivan on Sunday said that the United States is pushing for an "independent" Ukraine and an "isolated" Russia, a stance that's hardened as Moscow's conflict against its western neighbor approaches the two-month mark.

During an interview on NBC's "Meet the Press," Sullivan told host Chuck Todd that the Biden administration would continue to send critical aid and additional resources to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and his country's military.

"Our policy is unequivocal that we will do whatever we can to help Ukraine succeed. And it will be … President Zelenskyy and the democratically-elected government of Ukraine that determines what that success constitutes," he said.

He added: "We need to keep giving them military support and strong economic sanctions to improve their position, their posture at the negotiating table."

Sullivan then said that US envisions a future of Ukraine without Russian interference — and with Russia essentially backed into a corner.

"At the end of the day, what we want to see is a free and independent Ukraine, a weakened and isolated Russia, and a stronger, more unified, more determined West," he said. "We believe that all three of those objectives are in sight, can be accomplished, and we will do what it takes to support the Ukrainians in their effort to help bring those objectives about."

In recent days, Russia has retreated from key areas around the capital city of Kyiv — which Russian military forces were unable to capture.

While on CBS's "Face the Nation," Sullivan said that Ukraine continues to face a grave threat, as Russia has brought on a new commander — Gen. Alexander Dvornikov — who will oversee the invasion.

"We've seen scorched-earth warfare already, we've seen atrocities and war crimes, and mass killings and horrifying and shocking images from towns like Bucha and the rocket attack at Kramatorsk," Sullivan said.

Ret. Army General Mark Hertling, who served as the Commanding General of the US Army in Europe, on Sunday said that Dvornikov "is well-versed in campaigns involving attacks on civilians."

"The way he has conducted combat operations in the past has caused him to be... [perceived as] the kind of executioner we've seen prosecute these kinds of campaigns where there's an awful lot of civilian attacks, civilian destruction, [and] chaos on populations, both in Syria and Grozny," Hertling said during a CNN appearance.

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