US President Joe Biden has blasted Russian President Vladimir Putin’s move to create two new countries from Ukraine’s territory, promising appropriate sanctions against Russia.
Biden described Putin’s speech on Monday where he announced the creation of the new republics as a “twisted rewrite of history” in which he attacked Ukraine’s “right to exist.”
Biden announced sanctions against Russia, which include the head of the FSB (Russia’s Foreign intelligence service) Putin’s Deputy Chief of Staff and a multi-millionaire Russian bank CEO. He also announced that the Nord 2 pipeline project to supply gas from Russia to Germany has been cancelled.
Biden said more sanctions will be poured on Russia if Russia continues its invasion of Ukraine.
“I’m not going to go into it, nothing in Putin’s lengthy remarks indicate interest in pursuing real dialogue on European security in the year 2022. He directly attacked Ukraine’s right to exist. He indirectly threatened territory formerly held by Russia, including nations that today are thriving democracies and members of NATO,” Biden said while addressing reporters from the East Room of the White House on February 22.
Biden continued; “He explicitly threatened war unless his extreme demands were met.”
“There’s no question that Russia is the aggressor” against Ukraine.
“The United States and our allies and partners remain open to diplomacy if it is serious. When all is said and done, we’re going to judge Russia by its actions, not its words. And whatever Russia does next, we’re ready to respond with unity, clarity, and conviction.”
“I’m hoping diplomacy is still available.”
In his remarks, Biden described events now underway in Ukraine as “the beginning of a Russian invasion of Ukraine” as he unveiled harsh new sanctions to punish Moscow.
Biden also announced more troops will be sent to Eastern European NATO member countries and that four state-of-the-art Fighter jets and Apache attack helicopters will be sent to Poland, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania.
“I’m going to begin to impose sanctions in response, far beyond the steps we and our allies and partners implemented in 2014. And if Russia goes further with this invasion we stand prepared to go further as with sanctions,” Biden said in White House remarks.
“Who in the Lord’s name does Putin think gives him the right to declare new so-called countries on territory that belongs to his neighbours?” Biden asked. “This is a flagrant violation of international law and demands a firm response from the international community.”
“Yesterday Vladimir Putin recognized two regions of Ukraine as independent states. And he bizarrely asserted that these regions are longer a part of Ukraine and their sovereign territory,” Biden said during his remarks from the White House on the Ukraine crisis.
“To put it simply, Russia announced it is carving out a big chunk of Ukraine. Last night, Putin authorized Russian forces to deploy into these regions. Today, he asserted these regions actually extend deeper than the two areas he recognized, claiming large areas currently under the jurisdiction of the Ukraine government,” he said.
“He’s setting up a rationale to take more territory by force, in my view, and if we listen to his speech last night, and many of you did, I know, he’s setting up a rationale to go much further. This is the beginning of a Russian invasion of Ukraine,” the President said.
