President Joe Biden thinks Russia will invade Ukraine but will suffer a “stiff price” for the attack. In his most extensive remarks yet on the Russia-Ukraine crisis, Biden strayed away from the typical show of unity between the NATO countries and hope for a diplomatic solution.
He said that NATO was divided on how best to respond if there is only to be a “minor incursion” from Russia into Ukraine.
The remarks alarmed the Ukraine government in Kyiv. Biden made the comments at a conference on Wednesday during an extended press conference.
Biden said that he believes Russia will attack its neighbor Ukraine, at the border of which it has already massed 100,000 troops. But Biden warned Russia would face consequences, and that Putin’s actions would come at a stiff price.
What constitutes a minor incursion? The White House quickly issued a clarification after Biden’s speech, saying that any movement of military forces across the border into Ukraine would be an invasion.
When asked what he believes Russian President Vladimir Putin’s intentions are, Biden responded that he thinks Putin does not quite know yet, but if Biden were to further a guess, Putin would invade.
Biden said that if Russia were to attack Ukraine, it would be the most consequential thing that has happened globally in terms of war and peace since World War II. He warned that it could quickly escalate and spill outside of Ukraine’s borders.
Biden’s remarks come only two days before the U.S. is meant to sit down with Russia for a second diplomatic talk in Geneva. Last week, there was a marathon of three different diplomatic talks with Russia and Western-allied countries. The first was between the U.S. and Russia in Geneva, the second was a meeting of the Nato-Russia Council, and the third was a session of the Organization for Cooperation and Security in Europe.
Be the first to comment