WAR IN UKRAINE AND JOE BIDEN
President Joe Biden predicted Wednesday that Russia will invade Ukraine, just as the United States launched a fresh effort to resolve the standoff and Moscow continued to mass troops on its neighbor’s doorstep.
“My guess is he will move in, he has to do something,” said Biden during a news conference marking his first year in office, referring to Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukraine.
The declaration from Biden was striking given the escalating tensions there and the continued efforts by America and its allies to find a diplomatic solution.
Biden said Putin “will be held accountable” and has “never have seen sanctions like the ones I promised will be imposed” if Russia makes further moves against Ukraine. He added the U.S. would increase its troop levels in the region, including in Poland, keeping with obligations under the NATO treaty.
But Biden appeared to hedge his threats, distinguishing between a “minor incursion” and a full-blown attack.
“And it depends on what it does. It’s one thing if it’s a minor incursion and we end up having to fight about what to do and not do,” Biden added.
Jan. 19, 2022, 6:32 AM EST / Updated Jan. 20, 2022, 10:01 AM EST By Yuliya Talmazan, Tatyana Chistikova and Teaganne Finn
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba warned that Biden’s comments could invite Putin to act. “We should not give Putin the slightest chance to play with quasi-aggression or small incursion operations,” he told The Wall Street Journal, adding that there was “no doubt that President Biden is committed to Ukraine.”
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/biden-minor-incursion-ukraine-putin-russia-invasion-nato-rcna12886
https://www.nbcnews.com/video/biden-warns-russia-of-consequences-if-they-invade-ukraine-131229765941
