Russia probably plans to "deploy tens of thousands of soldiers" to eastern Ukraine as it shifts its focus to the country's south and east, U.S. President Joe Biden's national security adviser Jake Sullivan said on Monday.
"At this juncture, we believe Russia is revising its war aims" to focus on "eastern and parts of southern Ukraine rather than target most of the territory," Sullivan told reporters at the White House.
Sullivan said the Biden administration would announce fresh military assistance for Ukraine in the coming days and stressed that further sanctions against Russian energy are also on the table in talks with European allies.
Russian President Vladimir Putin's invasion of Ukraine, which began on Feb. 24, is Europe's bloodiest since World War Two. Russia calls it a "special military operation" aimed at protecting civilians.