In his much-awaited remarks on Russia’s invasion and war on Ukraine, US President Joe Biden announced new sanctions and said the attack is part of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s bigger ambitions to ‘re-establish the former Soviet Union’.
Biden addressed the nation and world from the White House on Thursday afternoon, about 15 hours after Russia launched missile attacks on Ukraine and its forces attacked the sovereign country from the north, east and south.
‘Putin is the aggressor,’ Biden said. ‘Putin chose this war and now he and his country will bear the consequences.’
Biden warned that Putin has his sights set beyond Ukraine.
‘He has much larger ambitions than Ukraine. He wants to, in fact, re-establish the former Soviet Union. That’s what this is about,’ Biden said.
‘And I think that his ambitions are completely contrary to the place where the rest of the world has arrived.’
Biden announced sanctions on four more major Russian banks in addition to the ‘first tranche’ of sanctions that included two Russian financial institutions. The new sanctions include VTB, Russia’s second-largest bank.
‘That means every asset they have in America will be frozen,’ Biden said.
Biden said the names of more Russian elites will be added to the list of those already hit with sanctions on Tuesday.
The US president reaffirmed that the US troops will not be fighting an offensive war with Russia.
‘Our forces are not, and will not be, engaged in the conflict with Russia in Ukraine,’ he said. ‘Our forces are not going to Europe to fight in Ukraine, but to defend our Nato allies and reassure those allies in the east.’
Biden vowed to protect every inch of Nato territory.
‘Make no mistake – freedom will prevail,’ Biden said.
Reporters pressed Biden on what he will do if sanctions do not deter Putin from further invading and waging war in Ukraine, asking if he would take other measures.
Biden said ‘no one expected the sanctions to prevent’ Putin from launching the attack. He also defended the sanctions, saying they will have an strong impact on Russia overtime.
‘This will take time and we have to show resolve so he knows what’s coming,’ Biden said. ‘He’s going to test the resolve of the west, if we’re going to stay together, and we will.’
Biden spoke more than 12 hours after Russian President Vladimir Putin declared war on Ukraine and began a full-scale invasion of the sovereign country. The US president was criticized for a slow response and not delivering remarks on camera as the attack on the sovereign nation began.
On Wednesday night, Biden’s public actions were limited to issuing a statement condemning Russia.
‘The prayers of the entire world are with the people of Ukraine tonight as they suffer an unprovoked and unjustified attack by Russian military forces,’ Biden stated.
‘I will be monitoring the situation from the White House this evening and will continue to get regular updates from my national security team.’
Former President Donald Trump opined that his successor is sleeping on the job.
‘I don’t think he’s monitoring, I think he is probably sleeping right now,’ Trump told Fox News’ Laura Ingraham. ‘This is a terrible thing that should never have happened.’
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Russia/Ukraine invasion: all you need to know
Russian forces have launched an attack on Ukraine, with swathes of the country – including capital city Kyiv, bring hit by rocket strikes.
Troops from Russia crossed the Crimea border into Ukraine in the early hours of February 24 after President Vladimir Putin gave the order for his invasion to begin.
Boris Johnson launched a scathing attack on the Russian leader as he unveiled a package of sanctions against the country, saying said Putin ‘will never be able to cleanse the blood of Ukraine from his hands’ and will be ‘condemned’ in the eyes of history.
He said President Vladimir Putin’s regime would be condemned to ‘pariah status’ after unleashing its ‘tidal wave of violence’ against its western neighbour.
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