Moscow will face harsh consequences, warns Joe Biden amid Russia-Ukraine conflict
President Joe Biden said he would explore adding direct sanctions on Putin to a slew of other measures being considered while warning that such a move would have "enormous consequences" and even "alter the world."
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FollowThe US warned Moscow on Tuesday that if it goes forward with an invasion of Ukraine, it will face harsh consequences, including measures aimed directly at Putin, as Russian combat forces massed around the pro-Western country began additional drills. Tensions looked to be rising, with the White House declaring that a Russian invasion of Ukraine "remains imminent."
President Joe Biden said he would explore adding direct sanctions on Putin to a slew of other measures being considered while warning that such a move would have "enormous consequences" and even "alter the world." "Yes. I'd look into it," Biden stated this in response to a question from reporters in Washington about attacking Russian President Vladimir Putin, whose opponents have long accused of amassing vast amounts of hidden riches.
A top US official announced economic penalties "with huge implications" that go well beyond earlier restrictions imposed when Russia annexed Ukraine's Crimea region in 2014. New measures would include limitations on the export of high-tech US equipment used in artificial intelligence, quantum computing, and aerospace, according to an official who spoke on the condition of anonymity.
"What we're talking about is advanced technology that we create and produce," the person explained, adding cutting them off would have a significant impact on Putin's "strategic objectives to industrialise his economy." The statement was repeated by British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who said penalties will be "heavier than anything we've ever done." French President Emmanuel Macron said he would speak with Putin via phone on Friday to get "clarification" on Moscow's intentions.
The Russian military launched additional training involving 6,000 troops near Ukraine and within the Crimea area, just a day after Washington said it was placing 8,500 US troops on notice for possible deployment to boost NATO forces in Europe. According to the defence ministry, the drills included fire exercises with fighter planes, bombers, anti-aircraft systems, and ships from the Black Sea and Caspian fleets. According to Western authorities, the Kremlin has already positioned more than 100,000 troops on Ukraine's borders, with reinforcements pouring from all around Russia.
Washington also warned Russia's ally Belarus that it would face "a swift and decisive response" if it assisted Moscow in its invasion of Ukraine. The US and its European Union partners accuse Russia of destabilising European stability by threatening to invade Ukraine, a former Soviet country aspiring to join NATO and other Western institutions. Moscow rejects any ambitions to invade the nation, where it has seized Crimea and supports separatist troops in the east. On the other hand, Russia blames the West for the tensions. It has issued a list of demands, including a promise that Ukraine would never join NATO and that NATO personnel already stationed in the former Soviet bloc will withdraw.
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