US warns Putin will ‘crush’ Ukraine and the chance of diplomacy is ‘diminishing by the hour’

The White House says any Russia attack on Ukraine would be a ‘greater form of brutality’ than a typical war between two militaries and warns chances of diplomacy are diminishing ‘by the hour’, National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said Monday. 

He said Russia plans to ‘crush’ Ukraine should it decide to go forward with a full-scale invasion.

‘We believe that any military operation of the size, scope and magnitude of what we believe the Russians are planning will be extremely violent,’ Sullivan told NBC News’ Today show on Monday morning. ‘It will cost the lives of Ukrainians and Russians, civilians and military personnel alike.’

‘But we also have intelligence to suggest that there will be an even greater form of brutality, because this will not simply be some conventional war between…