Thread by @nickschifrin

Highly unusual, operational briefing by @JakeSullivan46 from the White House podium.
"We believe Russia is revising its war aims."
"Focusing on southern and eastern Ukraine."
"Russians will seek to surround and overwhelm Ukrainian forces in eastern Ukraine."

"They are now executing the redeployment from north of Kyiv to the Donbas. Well on their way to retreating… Russia will deploy dozens of additional BTG’s, tens of thousands of soldiers to the Donbas."

"Russia could extend its force projection deeper into Donetsk and Luhansk. At least that is their intention."
"Russia will try to hold Kherson."
"Russia will try to block Mykolaiv."
"Moscow will comtinuie to launch air and missile strikes throughout the rest of the country."

"This does not mean Russia will succeed in the east."
"The next stage of this conflict may be protracted."
"Russia could regenerate more forces for additional goals… Now is not the time for complacency."

.@jakejsullivan uses a strange definition of "genocide": “We have not seen a systematic depravation of life.” The legal threshold for genocide is "intent to destroy."

.@jakejsullivan confirms US will announce more sanctions this week

This @jakejsullivan point has important legal consequences: "This has been a matter of policy in this war to kill civilians… and to impose a reign of terror. That is what we have seen play out. No, we do not believe this is a rogue act… This was part of the plan.”