Joe Biden Announces New Sanctions On Russia In Response To Vladimir Putin’s Start Of An “Invasion Of Ukraine”
deadline.comPresident Joe Biden, addressing the dire crisis in Ukraine, said that he is imposing a series of new sanctions on Russia, the latest move in a geopolitical crisis over the widespread belief that Vladimir Putin is poised to launch a widespread invasion of Ukraine.“This is the beginning of a Russian invasion of Ukraine,” Biden said, promising that “if Russia goes further with this invasion, we stand prepared to go further as with sanctions.”The sanctions come a day after Putin announced the recognition of two separatist regions of Ukraine as independent republics, a move widely viewed as a prelude to an attack.
Indeed, Putin approved the movement of troops into the eastern regions as a “peacekeeping” force, further escalating what may be a wider invasion.Biden’s brief speech from the East Room was delayed about an hour and 20 minutes from its originally scheduled start, perhaps underscoring the delicate task that the president faces in navigating the escalating crisis.
Cable networks carried the speech live. Among broadcasters, ABC, NBC and Fox had special reports from the White House. CBS stayed with the UEFA Champions League pre match.The first “tranche” of sanctions, Biden said, would be on two Russian financial institutions, as well as Russian sovereign debt, which means that the country can no longer raise money from the West and cannot trade debt on U.S.
and European markets. He also said that sanctions would be imposed on Russian elites and their family members.“Yesterday, the world heard clearly the full extent of Vladimir Putin’s twisted rewrite of history,” Biden said, referring to Putin’s lengthy speech on Monday.
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