Biden warns Russians over Ukraine invasion
WASHINGTON: US President Joe Biden on Wednesday said he expected Russia to “move in” on Ukraine but warned Moscow would pay a stiff price for a full-blown invasion.
Mr Biden said he did not believe that President Vladimir Putin wanted a war, but said the Russian leader had created a situation that was proving extremely difficult to defuse – and that could easily “get out of hand” in the region.
“My guess is he will move in. He has to do something,” Mr Biden said during a press conference marking his first year in office, predicting a “minor incursion” to test the US.
With more than 100,000 troops and war-making machinery poised on Ukraine’s borders, Moscow has sent alarms through the West.
Mr Biden warned Moscow against a full invasion, saying: “Our allies and partners are ready to impose severe costs and significant harm on Russia and the Russian economy.”
“If they actually do what they’re capable of doing with the force they’ve massed on the border, it is going to be a disaster for Russia,” he said.
“The cost of going into Ukraine in terms of physical loss of life, for the Russians... it’s going to be heavy.”
The US leader sparked controversy however when he suggested that “something significantly short of a significant invasion” would be met with a lesser pushback from NATO.
“It’s one thing if it’s a minor incursion, and then we end up having a fight about what to do and not do, etcetera,” he said.
The White House moved swiftly to clarify Mr Biden’s comments, with press secretary Jen Psaki vowing: “If any Russian military forces move across the Ukrainian border, that’s a renewed invasion, and it will be met with a swift, severe, and united response from the United States and our allies.”
Ms Psaki further stressed in a statement that the Russians “have an extensive playbook of aggression short of military action, including cyberattacks and paramilitary tactics.
Mr Biden “affirmed today that those acts of Russian aggression will be met with a decisive, reciprocal, and united response”, she said.
Asked directly if Mr Biden was giving tacit approval for a limited Russian move against Ukraine, White House National Security Council spokeswoman Emily Horne said Mr Biden was speaking of non-military interference.