Biden: Russia's actions have begun an invasion of Ukraine
As tensions between Russia and Ukraine escalate, the United States announced new sanctions against Russia. The European Union is also imposing new sanctions against Russia, and Germany has announced that it has suspended a project to transfer Russian gas to the country.
US President Joe Biden warned in a televised address about rising tensions over Ukraine, predicting a major Russian attack on its neighbor.
Biden said that Russian President Vladimir Putin, through his actions in eastern Ukraine, is looking to forcibly seize other territories.
According to him, the United States will strengthen Ukraine's defense capabilities by sending military equipment and troops to the Baltic states. The strengthening of NATO allies will also continue.
The White House announced that the planned meeting between Biden and Putin has been canceled for now. A White House spokesman said that such a meeting is necessary to reduce tensions between Russia and Ukraine.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has also canceled a scheduled meeting with his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov in Geneva. He said after talks with his Ukrainian counterpart Dmytro Kolba that such a meeting made no sense in the current circumstances.
Joe Biden said that the invasion of Ukraine has begun and Russia is apparently rejecting any diplomacy.
The US president, meanwhile, announced new sanctions against Russia for its approach to Ukraine. Blocking sanctions will be imposed on two Russian banks and further measures will be taken in the financial sphere that will affect the repayment of Russian government debt.
Biden threatened that if the situation becomes further aggravated by Russia, more sanctions will be imposed on the country.
The European Union is also imposing sanctions on Russia. Foreign ministers from the 27 member states of the bloc agreed on the sanctions, which are set to take effect immediately, at an extraordinary meeting in Paris.
The European Union's foreign policy chief, Josep Borrell, said the sanctions would put Russia in a difficult position and severely limit its access to financial markets.
The sanctions are imposed, among other things, against 27 individuals and entities that have played a role in undermining Ukraine's territorial integrity.
Germany and Britain have also reached an agreement on sanctions against Russia. German Chancellor Olaf Schulz announced that the Nord Stream 2 pipeline project, which is supposed to bring Russian gas to the country, has been suspended.
Vladimir Putin has recognized the independence of the two self-proclaimed republics of Donetsk and Luhansk in eastern Ukraine and signed a support pact with the separatist militias in these regions.
He also called for the deployment of Russian military units to these areas, which the Russian parliament also announced its agreement with.
Source: DW
