National security adviser Jake Sullivan on Friday February 11 stated that a Russian invasion could begin ‘at any time.’ He also warned Americans to leave Ukraine now.

Video Transcript

JAKE SULLIVAN: Good afternoon. Thanks, everybody, for giving me the opportunity to be here. I'd like to make a few comments on the situation in Russia and Ukraine. We continue to see signs of Russian escalation, including new forces arriving at the Ukrainian border. As we've said before, we are in the window when an invasion could begin at any time, should Vladimir Putin decide to order it.

I will not comment on the details of our intelligence information. But I do want to be clear. It could begin during the Olympics, despite a lot of speculation that it would only happen after the Olympics. As we've said before, we are ready either way. We are ready to continue results-oriented diplomacy that addresses the security concerns of the United States, Russia, and Europe, consistent with our values and with the principle of reciprocity.

We've continued to make that clear to Russia, in close coordination with our European allies and partners. We are also ready to respond decisively alongside those allies and partners, should Russia choose to take military action.

The president held a secure video conference today with key allies and partners to coordinate our approach to this crisis. We have achieved a remarkable level of unity and common purpose from the broad strategy down to the technical details. If Russia proceeds, its long-term power and influence will be diminished, not enhanced, by an invasion.

It will face a more determined transatlantic community. It will have to make more concessions to China. It will face massive pressure on its economy and export controls that will erode its defense industrial base. And it will face a wave of condemnation from around the world.

We have put concrete proposals on the table. They are now out there for the world to see. Whatever happens next, the West is more united than it's been in years. NATO has been strengthened. The alliance is more cohesive, more purposeful, more dynamic than at any time in recent memory.

It could begin any day now. And it could occur before the Olympics have ended. We encourage all American citizens who remain in Ukraine to depart immediately. We want to be crystal clear on this point. Any American in Ukraine should leave as soon as possible and, in any event, in the next 24 to 48 hours.

We obviously cannot predict the future. We don't know exactly what is going to happen. But the risk is now high enough, and the threat is now immediate enough that this is what prudence demands. If you stay, you are assuming risk with no guarantee that there will be any other opportunity to leave and no prospect of a US military evacuation in the event of a Russian invasion.

If a Russian attack on Ukraine proceeds, it is likely to begin with aerial bombing and missile attacks that could obviously kill civilians without regard to their nationality. A subsequent ground invasion would involve the onslaught of a massive force. With virtually no notice, communications to arrange a departure could be severed and commercial transit halted. No one would be able to count on air or rail or road departures once military action got underway.

Now, again, I'm not standing here and saying what is going to happen or not happen. I'm only standing here to say that the risk is now high enough and the threat is immediate enough that prudence demands that it is the time to leave now while commercial options and commercial rail and air service exist, while the roads are open.