US President Joe Biden has warned Russia with penalties the likes of which Putin has never seen.
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| [Kiev, Ukraine] |
US Vice President Joe Biden stated that his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin has never seen penalties like those that the US is planning in the event that the situation in Ukraine escalates. He made the remarks during a news conference commemorating his presidency's first anniversary. The broadcast is being carried out via the White House Twitter account.
When asked why the potential of further sanctions should concern the Russian president, the White House chief responded, "Because he has never seen sanctions like those that I pledged to implement if he takes this move."
A probable Russian invasion of Ukraine, according to Biden, would be a disaster for Moscow. The American president warned Russian banks, stating that if Russia invaded Ukraine, they would be unable to undertake transactions in dollars.
At the same time, he emphasized that such severe penalties on Russia might have a significant impact on the US economy.
NATO unity
During a news conference, Biden expressed confidence in NATO's solidarity in the circumstances surrounding Ukraine. "There is no reason to believe that NATO members will not be unified in their retaliation steps against the Russian Federation in light of the situation on the Russian-Ukrainian border," he added.
The lawmaker went on to say that as a consequence of the talks, Russia and NATO may "come to something" on the question of strategic weapons non-deployment in Ukraine.
The American president also appraised Ukraine's chances of joining the North Atlantic Alliance in the near future.
Ukraine's leadership, on their part, demand that NATO take meaningful measures toward membership in the alliance. "It is critical for us to see real moves toward adopting Ukraine as a member over the next ten years," said Olga Stefanishyna, Deputy Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration. She went on to say that Russia's "aggressive goals" will get stronger, and that membership in the alliance will be a key role in discouraging them.
The State Duma, on the other hand, believes NATO intends to invade Ukraine. Vyacheslav Volodin, Speaker of the State Duma, stated that the alliance is making informational preparations for the march of armies into Ukrainian territory. "Their advisers and instructors are already there, and now they're thinking about how to justify the introduction of soldiers," he explained.
Military assistance to Ukraine
The United States' defense support to Ukraine is anticipated to be $600 million, according to the White House's press secretary.
At a joint news conference with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmitry Kuleba in Kiev, US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken stated that Washington intends to enhance military assistance to Ukraine and bolster diplomatic support against Russian aggression. The Russian economy would pay a "crippling price" in the case of an invasion.
Blinken went on to say that the US will continue to improve military and diplomatic cooperation in order to boost Kiev's defensive capabilities against Moscow.
A fresh encounter with Putin is possible
The US president stated that he was exploring a fresh summit with Putin. "Yes, I still feel that such a chance exists," he said, remarking on the progress of diplomatic talks between officials from the two nations aimed at finding solutions to the Ukraine conflict.
Earlier this month, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky approached Biden with a suggestion to have trilateral talks with Putin. According to the director of the Ukrainian President's office, Andriy Yermak, Kiev is presently awaiting a reaction from Moscow. He noted that the meetings might be held through video conference.
On December 31, Putin and Biden spoke by phone about critical security matters. The parties decided to continue the debate; on the whole, the American colleague responded honestly and rationally to the Russian leader's point of view, and he, in turn, stressed the fundamental clauses that Moscow adheres to multiple times.
According to Yuri Ushakov, Russia's Assistant to the President, what is vital for Moscow is the outcome in the form of legally codified assured security for the country, which it will achieve. He went on to say that although Washington appreciates Russia's worries, it also has its own.
In January, White House press secretary Jen Psaki stated that she had nothing to say on the potential of Biden meeting with Putin at the time. She claims to have no knowledge of the presidents' meeting following the security talks.