“We aren't seeing any indication that there's an imminent move on Kiev, but obviously, we are going watch it as close as we can,” Kirby said during a press briefing.
On Thursday, Ukraine's top military commander Valery Zaluzhny said in an interview that he has no doubt there will be a second Russian attempt to take Kiev.
Pentagon spokesman John Kirby speaks during a briefing at the Pentagon in Washington, Friday, April 16, 2021.
© AP Photo / Manuel Balce Ceneta
Also on Thursday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said that the only way to end hostilities in Ukraine is for Russia to withdraw its troops to the 1991 borders.
On February 24, Russia began a military operation in Ukraine in response to calls for help from the breakaway republics of Donetsk and Lugansk. Russian and Ukrainian delegations have engaged in several rounds of peace talks since then, but the negotiations ultimately reached an impasse.
In November, the Russian Foreign Ministry said Kiev was set on escalation, not peace talks. In December, the Kremlin expressed agreement with US statements that the resolution of the situation must be based on a fair and long-term peace, but at the same time, Moscow said it saw no prospects yet for negotiations on the settlement.