Russia to be held accountable if it invades Ukraine, will be a disaster, says US President Joe Biden
With over 100,000 troops and war-making equipment stationed on Ukraine's borders, Moscow has sounded the alarm in the West about its danger to Kyiv.
FollowUS President Joe Biden said on Wednesday that he expects Russia to "move-in" on Ukraine but cautioned that a full-fledged invasion would come at a high cost. Biden stated that he does not believe Russian President Vladimir Putin wants a conflict but has created a scenario that is proving incredibly difficult to defuse – one that could quickly "get out of hand" in the area.
"My hunch is that he will relocate. He has to do something," Biden stated during a news conference to commemorate his first year in office, expecting a small invasion to put the United States to the test.
With over 100,000 troops and war-making equipment stationed on Ukraine's borders, Moscow has sounded the alarm in the West about its danger to Kyiv. "Our friends and partners are ready to impose high costs and enormous harm on Russia and the Russian economy," Biden said, warning Moscow against a full-fledged invasion. He said it's going to be a tragedy for Russia if they do what they're capable of doing with the force they've massed on the border. He added that the cost of moving into Ukraine in terms of physical loss of life would be high for the Russians.
Biden said he has already shipped over USD 600 million worth of sophisticated defence equipment to the Ukrainians. He said the cost of going into Ukraine in terms of physical loss of life for Russians would be high, actual and consequential. The US President further said Vladimir Putin has never seen sanctions like what he promised will be imposed if Russia further advances into Ukraine.
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However, the US president stirred outrage when he stated that "anything substantially short of a big invasion" would receive less resistance from NATO. "It's one thing if it's a tiny intrusion, and then we wind up fighting over what to do and what not to do, and so on," he explained. The White House moved quickly to explain Biden's remarks, with Press Secretary Jen Psaki pledging, "If any Russian military forces come across the Ukrainian border, it is a fresh invasion, and it will be met with a prompt, harsh, and unified response from the United States and our partners." In a statement, Psaki added, "Russia has an extensive playbook of aggression short of military action, including cyberattacks and paramilitary tactics."
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