Tom Cotton: Russia Could Invade Ukraine In ‘Matter Of Days,’ Americans Should ‘Leave Now’

During a Fox News interview on Thursday, Sen. Tom Cotton (R-AR) urged Americans to flee Ukraine, warning that a Russian of the country could happen in “a matter of days.”

“The sad fact is that Russia has troops encircling Ukraine and they’re exposed on almost every front,” Cotton told host Martha MacCallum, according to Fox News. “But my estimate, based on the late troop movements into Belarus, is that Vladimir Putin decided that he wanted to get to the capital sooner rather than later.”

“I think those military drills … are nothing but a cover for a likely invasion,” he added. “I think they tell us, since they’re starting so soon, that we could be down to a matter of days, not weeks.”
Cotton said that he believes the United States should move troops into Ukraine, but urged the 30,000 Americans in the country to “leave now” or make emergency plans to leave by ground to countries to the west of Ukraine.

“I would say this about the more than 30,000 Americans we have in Ukraine. You should leave now. If you do not leave now, you should make a plan to leave by ground to the west into countries like Poland or like Hungary,” Cotton said. “You should not expect that the American military is going to be able to fly aircraft into Ukraine to help you evacuate after a potential invasion. For the sake of safety, I would urge all Americans in Ukraine to leave today.”

Cotton’s warnings come the day after White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki warned that Democrat President Joe Biden’s administration is unlikely to help U.S. citizens evacuate Ukraine.

“The White House has made it pretty clear there is no plan for a mass evacuation of American citizens in Ukraine,” a reporter said to Psaki. “And, in fact, you and the President and others have suggested that Americans who are in Ukraine should leave now if they can. At the same time, it’s been projected that Russia could overtake Kyiv in two days if it invades.”

“So, what happens to Americans if they do get stranded in Ukraine?” the reporter asked. “Should they understand that the U.S. is not coming to get them?”

Psaki responded by saying “people should understand that the United States does not typically do mass evacuations,” and that the Biden administration’s disastrous attempt to withdraw Americans from Afghanistan was “unique for many reasons.”