National security adviser vows to ramp up ammunition for Ukraine
National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan speaks during a CNN town hall on Thursday, February 23, 2023. (CNN)
National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan vowed to do "everything in our power to get you the equipment and the ammunition" that Ukraine needs. That includes 155-millimeter artillery shells, 120-millimeter tank shells among other tools like HIMARS missiles.
"One of the things that we are working hard at— at President Biden's direction — is to increase the production of all of these types of ammunition," Sullivan told a Ukrainian soldier named Yegor Thursday night.
He said the increase of ammunition isn't just a goal for the United States, but for all NATO countries as well "so that the total supply of each of these different forms of ammunition grows month by month and we can continue to move to the front lines."
He said countries are putting in "immense effort and resources" into ramping up ammunition, but noted that "this is not something we can do with the snap of a finger."
9:35 p.m. ET, February 23, 2023
US sees no change in Russia's nuclear posture, national security adviser says
The US sees no change in Russia's nuclear posture, National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said when asked by CNN's Fareed Zakaria on whether Russian President Vladimir Putin is bluffing about the risk of escalation of using nuclear weapons.
"We do not see any change in Russia's nuclear posture and we've made no changes in our nuclear posture. So we are constantly vigilant and we also maintain regular channels to the Russian government to be able to talk to them about the risk of this escalation and also communicate the severity of the consequences of the use of nuclear weapons," Sullivan said during Thursday's CNN town hall. "Sitting here today we do not see movements in Russia's nuclear forces that lead us to believe that something fundamentally has changed from how things have been over the course of the past year," he added.
10:23 p.m. ET, February 23, 2023
National security adviser details military aid and security assistance US has provided to Ukraine
US President Joe Biden and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky have had "deep conversations" about providing Ukraine with the weaponry and tools needed to fight the war against Russia, US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said.
He said during Biden's recent surprise visit to Ukraine, the US president "brought with him an announcement of more artillery, more ammunition, more HIMARS on the back of major announcements about American tanks and armored vehicles."
Sullivan also mentioned recently announced security assistance for Ukraine, as well as more technology.
"We will keep working with them month by month to figure out if there are additional tools that they need," Sullivan said.
10:22 p.m. ET, February 23, 2023
"We were heading into the unknown," national security adviser says on Biden's trip to Kyiv
National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan described the precautions taken when US President Joe Biden made his historic and risky trip to Kyiv at the CNN town hall marking the one-year anniversary of Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
Sullivan noted that Biden took an unmarked SUV with a small motorcade to the train station to travel 10 hours to the Ukrainian capital.
"The United States didn't control the airspace, didn't control the ground. We were entering a country at war heading to a capital at war, a country that has been subject to routine and repeated bombardments by the Russians and without any of the normal security capacity that would usually accompany a president. So we were heading into the unknown because this was unprecedented," Sullivan said.
9:31 p.m. ET, February 23, 2023
NOW: CNN is hosting a town hall tonight to mark the one year of Russia's invasion in Ukraine
Zakaria is speaking with top national security officials from President Joe Biden’s administration: National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan and United States Agency for International Development Administrator Samantha Power.
Here's how to watch: The town hallwill stream live for pay TV subscribers via CNN.com, CNN OTT, mobile apps under “TV Channels” or CNNgo where available. The town hall will also be available on demand beginning Friday, February 24, to pay TV subscribers via CNN.com, CNN apps, and cable operator platforms.
8:59 p.m. ET, February 23, 2023
China releases paper detailing its position on the war in Ukraine
From CNN's Pauline Lockwood, Wayne Chang, Kristie Lu Stout and Steve George in Hong Kong
China released a 12-point document Friday detailing its position on the war in Ukraine. In it, the country called for the end of hostilities and the resumption of peace talks.
In the online paper titled “China’s Position on the Political Settlement of the Ukraine Crisis,” the country's Ministry of Foreign Affairs pledged that China will “continue to play a constructive role” in the resumption of peace talks, but provided no additional details.
Each point is followed by a paragraph explaining China’s position, but provides no concrete proposals as to how the points should be achieved.
Here's what those 12 points are:
Respecting the sovereignty of all countries
Abandoning the Cold War mentality.
Ceasing hostilities.
Resuming peace talks.
Resolving the humanitarian crisis.
Protecting civilians and prisoners of war (POWs).
Keeping nuclear power plants safe.
Reducing strategic risks.
Facilitating grain exports.
Stopping unilateral sanctions.
Keeping industrial and supply chains stable.
Promoting post-conflict reconstruction.
For context: Prior to the release of this document, US officials have said China could be preparing to provide lethal military aid to Russia. US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said he had not yet seen China do so, but that China "hasn't taken that off the table for sure."
"I've engaged my counterpart early on and told him that this would be a very bad mistake if China were to do this. It would complicate things," Austin said.
8:34 p.m. ET, February 23, 2023
US defense secretary says aid and training to Ukraine will "change the dynamics" of war with Russia
From CNN's Haley Britzky
US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin speaks at a press conference February 16 in Tallinn, Estonia. (Sergei Grits/AP)
The US believes the training and equipment it is providing Ukraine will "change the dynamics on the battlefield" in the war against Russia and allow Kyiv's forces to "breach Russian defenses," US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin told CNN's Kaitlan Collins in a Thursday interview on "CNN This Morning."
"We're training and equipping several brigades of mechanized infantry — that's a pretty substantial capability," Austin said. "In addition to that, additional artillery, and so they'll have the ability to breach Russian defenses and maneuver, and I think that will create a different dynamic."
Austin echoed a common sentiment among other American officials — including Biden — to CNN, reiterating that the US will stick with Ukraine for as long as it takes.
"As long as Ukraine continues to conduct operations and continues to work to take back its sovereign territory, we'll be there with them," he said, adding that "the international community will be with Ukraine once the fighting stops."
The US and its allies have provided billions of dollars' worth of ammunition, weapons systems, and training to the Ukrainians since the war began one year ago — $29.8 billion of that coming from the US alone since the beginning of Russia's invasion. Recently that has included significant items like the Patriot missile system and M1 Abrams tanks, though both require substantial training and maintenance capabilities.
Those additional capabilities will make all the difference, Austin said.
"I think the things that we're doing, the capability that we're providing — again, capability, not just a platform — the capabilities that we're providing I think will enable the Ukrainians begin to change the dynamics on the battlefield," he said. "And so rather than having a stalemate, what you'll probably see is Ukrainians shaping this fight so they can create opportunities for themselves and exploit those opportunities going forward."
Austin said in Brussels last week that countries involved in the Ukraine Defense Contact Group have been "working hard" to ensure Ukraine has the capability it needs to create "the effects on the battlefield they want to create," particularly in a renewed offensive he expects Ukraine to launch this spring.
"I've engaged my counterpart early on and told him that this would be a very bad mistake if China were to do this. It would complicate things," he said.
Ultimately, the war will most likely "end with some sort of negotiation," Austin told CNN. In recent months, the prospect of negotiations taking place have seemed unlikely as Russia has continued to bombard Ukrainian infrastructure and population centers.
"[W]hat the Ukrainians are interested in is getting the Russians out of their sovereign territory," he said. "And I think that's probably going to be their going-in point, but I'll let the Ukrainians speak for themselves."
8:13 p.m. ET, February 23, 2023
SOON: CNN hosts a special live town hall tonight to mark one year of Russia’s invasion in Ukraine
CNN's Fareed Zakaria will host aspecial live town hall on Thursday at 9 p.m. ET with Americans and Ukrainians to mark the one-year anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Zakaria will be joined by top national security officials from President Joe Biden’s administration: National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan and United States Agency for International Development Administrator Samantha Power.
Sullivan and Power will also take live questions from Americans and Ukrainians, including a soldier on the front lines of the war.
How to watch: The town hallwill stream live for pay TV subscribers via CNN.com, CNN OTT, mobile apps under “TV Channels” or CNNgo where available. The town hall will also be available on demand beginning Friday, February 24, to pay TV subscribers via CNN.com, CNN apps, and cable operator platforms.
6:57 p.m. ET, February 23, 2023
Inside a field hospital on the edge of the battle for Bakhmut
From CNN's Sarah Dean in eastern Ukraine
Editor’s Note: Warning: This story contains graphic imagery.
Orderlies and doctors jump to their feet. The doors – closed to keep out a bitter chill – are pinned back. Seconds later, a trolley rushes in.
Stretched out, a muddied soldier lays — one leg of his trouser pants obliterated.
He’s whisked inside a triage room to be stabilized. A scream of pain comes from behind the closed door.
In the hallway, what’s left of his trousers are picked apart by staff for documents and evidence of what happened.
A finger-sized piece of shrapnel is dug out. The tourniquet used to stem blood loss is extracted from the heap.
Once sorted, the mess of mangled cloth is placed in a black bin bag, along with the remnants of other war-wounded soldiers’ belongings.
Blood on the floor is quickly mopped up but the rusty stench remains.
Later, this soldier is moved and carried out on another trolley to an awaiting ambulance.
“Cold, cold,” he says. “Where is my leg?”
Outside, ashen-faced soldiers pile out of the back of an army truck. They move slowly, some with limps, through the doors of the cramped field hospital.
A quick triage is carried out, their injuries marked down on clipboards. They wait quietly to be seen and then moved on to better-equipped hospitals further back from the front.
Their faces sullen and exhausted, the walking wounded come outside to smoke. Some have concussions, some have bruises, says a soldier named Vasyl.
“I was concussed hard a couple of times. My shoulder was bruised because I was hit by a wall. And my ribs hurt, my chest,” he says before our conversation is cut short by the arrival of another ambulance.
The patients, briefly here, are kept company and watched over by visiting priests. Those worse off, with limbs torn and blasted, are prayed for in the hallway.
It’s a rinse and repeat system. Day and night, the casualties pour in — and the doctors do what they can.
“We need weapons, and we need them now. Not next month, now,” one porter says, in a brief break from moving patients.
Bloodied stretchers, discarded medical gloves and foil "space blankets" litter the ground outside.
Here the war is all too real, the casualties unavoidable.
