WASHINGTON, April 4, 2022 (AFP) – Russia is “repositioning its forces to focus offensive operations on the eastern and southern parts of Ukraine,” White House National Security Advisor Jake Jake said on Monday.
Estimating that this new phase of military action could “take months or longer”, Sullivan said, “Russia tried and failed to subjugate all of Ukraine. Now it will try to subjugate parts of the country.”
Russia stated a few days ago that it will focus its efforts on eastern Ukraine and will redouble its efforts in this part of the region and in the south.
There are key port cities in this region for the creation of a land link between the Crimean peninsula, which was annexed by Russia in 2014, and the pro-Russian separatist regions, Donetsk and Lugansk.
Sullivan said the United States and its allies will announce new economic sanctions against Russia “this week”. According to the American official, possible “energy-related” measures are being explored, which is a very sensitive issue for Europeans, who are very dependent on Russian gas.
This Monday, the US government announced that it has approved the sale of eight F-16 fighter jets to Bulgaria to “strengthen the security” of this NATO member in the context of the war in Ukraine.
The State Department said in a statement that it has notified Congress of its intention to sell this Eastern European nation of its fighter jets and munitions for $1.67 billion.
The White House did not specify whether the sale would result in the shipment of Soviet-made warplanes from Bulgaria to Ukraine.
Ukraine is asking its Western allies to send Mig-29 fighter jets, as has some Eastern European countries, because their military knows how to fly them.
There was a discussion about sending fighter jets from Poland in March, but the United States opposed it, fearing that Russia might interpret the measure as NATO’s direct involvement in the war.
According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the sale of F-16s will “improve Bulgaria’s ability to face current and future threats, which will allow the Bulgarian Air Force to regularly deploy modern warplanes in the Black Sea region together with Ukraine.”
Strengthening the “eastern flank” of the Atlantic Alliance is part of Washington’s strategy to respond to the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
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source: Noticias
Mark Jones is a world traveler and journalist for News Rebeat. With a curious mind and a love of adventure, Mark brings a unique perspective to the latest global events and provides in-depth and thought-provoking coverage of the world at large.