Milley stated to lawmakers that Kyiv could be overthrown in 72 hours, if there is a complete Russian invasion of Ukraine
Multiple congressional sources have told Fox News that Gen. Mark Milley, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, stated to lawmakers that Kyiv could be overthrown in 72 hours if Russia invades Ukraine.
Milley stated to lawmakers in closed-door briefings held on February 2 and 3, that a Russian invasion of Ukraine could lead to the fall of Kyiv in 72 hours. This could be at a cost of 15,000 Ukrainian troop death and 4,000 Russian troop death.
Many lawmakers were concerned that the Biden administration failed to quickly provide significant military assistance to Ukraine, including anti-aircraft missile launcher systems and anti-aircraft rocket launcher systems. This would have protected against an invasion by Russia.
Biden administration officials responded to these concerns at the meetings by saying that significant military aid to Ukraine could be used to invade Ukraine.
The United States is providing security assistance to Ukraine through a $200million allocation in December. However, the country also receives $600 million from the United Kingdom, the Baltic states and other countries. This assistance includes anti-tank Javelin and anti-aircraft missiles of older versions.
At the briefings, several officials from the Biden administration were present, including Secretary of State Anthony Blinken and Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin. Also, Chairman of Joint Chiefs of Staff General Mark Milley, Homeland Security Sec. Alejandro Mayorkas. Deputy Treasury Secretary Wally Adeyemo. Deputy Commerce Secretary Don Graves. And USAID Deputy Administrator, Ambassador Isobel Coleman.
One person who is familiar with the planning stated that the United States is working to prepare for a major refugee and migration crisis. European allies are leading discussions about housing and migrant flows, assuming that Ukrainian nationals will flee to other parts of Europe.