Biden condemns ‘Russia’s unprovoked and unjustified attack on Ukraine’
The US and allies are planning on Thursday to trigger the “full scale” of the sanctions that have been discussed over the last several weeks in response to the attack, according to a senior Biden administration official.
“President Putin has chosen a premeditated war that will bring a catastrophic loss of life and human suffering,” Biden said. “Russia alone is responsible for the death and destruction this attack will bring, and the United States and its Allies and partners will respond in a united and decisive way. The world will hold Russia accountable.”
The White House statement came in response to explosions across Ukraine, including in the capital of Kyiv. Shortly before the explosions began, Russian President Vladmir Putin announced a “special military operation” and called for Ukraine’s “demilitarization” in televised remarks.
An adviser for the interior minister of Ukraine, Anton Gerashchenko, said Russia’s “invasion has begun” with “missile strikes on Kyiv,” in an official WhatsApp group with journalists.
The early assessment from the US is that this is the start of the full Russian invasion, according to a senior US official familiar with the latest US intelligence. The source said the belief is that the explosions heard near Kyiv and Odessa are likely missiles, while those around Kharkiv in eastern Ukraine are likely artillery, given the proximity to the border.
Biden also spoke by phone with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. In a statement on the call, Biden said he briefed Zelensky “on the steps we are taking to rally international condemnation, including tonight at the United Nations Security Council.”
“He asked me to call on the leaders of the world to speak out clearly against President Putin’s flagrant aggression, and to stand with the people of Ukraine,” Biden said.
In an address Thursday morning in Ukraine, Zelensky said he was introducing martial law across the country and urged Ukrainians to remain calm.
“No panic. We are strong. We are ready for everything,” he said. “We will win over everybody because we are Ukraine.”
Biden said that he planned to speak to his G-7 counterparts and would give a speech to the American people on Thursday. He said he intended to announce “further consequences” that the US and its allies planned to impose on Russia over “this needless act of aggression against Ukraine and global peace and security.”
“We will also coordinate with our NATO Allies to ensure a strong, united response that deters any aggression against the Alliance,” Biden said.
While the administration official declined to lay out specifics, the US has planned to target Russia’s two largest banks, as well as other financial firms, and has prepared to deploy export controls to cut off Russian access to critical Western technology for entire Russian economic sectors.
Additional members…
Read More: Biden condemns ‘Russia’s unprovoked and unjustified attack on Ukraine’