Putin is invading and will go much further, says Biden
◆ US President warns of ‘untold suffering’ in Ukraine conflict ◆ Germany halts gas pipeline deal as West ramps up sanctions ◆ Kremlin lays claim to more territory in separatist regions
JOE BIDEN said last night that Vladimir Putin had begun to invade Ukraine and was preparing to advance deeper into the country, potentially bringing “untold suffering to millions of people” in an all-out war.
The US president said: “This is the beginning of a Russian invasion of Ukraine. He’s setting up a rationale to go much further.”
Mr Biden announced plans to sanction Russian banks and oligarchs, and to “cut off ” the Russian government from Western financing.
Mr Putin escalated the prospects of a devastating conflict as he backed the territorial claims of pro-russian separatists over the entire regions of Donetsk and Luhansk in eastern Ukraine.
His recognition of the expanded borders of Donetsk and Luhansk, not just the one third of those regions the separatists control, increased the risk as he laid claim to more Ukrainian territory.
Western officials increasingly believe Mr Putin wants to launch a full invasion, a move that could lead to thousands of casualties.
Boris Johnson was briefed by senior military and intelligence figures on the crisis at a Cobra meeting yesterday morning. Mr Johnson also unveiled sanctions against five Russian banks and three Russian oligarchs.
Mr Putin said it was “impossible to predict” how far into Ukraine his troops would go and it would “depend on the specific situation on the ground”.
It came as a wave of new sanctions was announced by the US, Britain and the EU, including a decision by Germany to halt certification of the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline from Russia.
Mr Biden called Mr Putin’s assertion that Donetsk and Luhansk were no longer part of Ukraine “bizarre”. He accused the Russian president of offering a “twisted” version of history.
He said: “If Russia goes further with its invasion, we stand prepared to go further with sanctions. Russia will pay an even steeper price if it continues its aggression.”
Gas prices jumped after Germany said it would not proceed with Nord Stream 2, threatening steeper bills for consumers and higher petrol prices.
Mr Biden said Americans may face higher energy prices. He said: “Defending freedom will have costs.”
Mr Putin said the only way for Ukraine to end the crisis was to give up ambitions to join Nato, to declare neutrality, “demilitarise” and surrender any claim to Crimea.
He said: “We expect, and I want to underline this, that all the difficult questions will be solved during negotiations” between Kyiv and the separatist leadership.
Footage online purported to show Russian diplomats burning dossiers outside the embassy in Odessa as Mos- cow ordered its remaining consular staff to leave Ukraine and its legislature voted to approve the deployment of troops outside Russia.
Mr Putin refused to confirm that Russian troops were in Donetsk and Luhansk, but Nato said it was the case and put jets on high alert.
Convoys of military vehicles – including “Rosgvardia”, national guard units that analysts believe would be used to occupy territory held against the will of local people – were seen heading towards the Ukrainian border.
Oleksiy Reznikov, the Ukrainian defence minister, said the country’s troops should prepare for war.
Volodymyr Zelensky, the country’s president, last night ordered the call-up of army reservists but stopped short of ordering a full mobilisation.
He accused Russia of destroying the chance for peace. He said that Ukraine would make no territorial concessions.
In an address to the nation, he said: “We are committed to the peaceful and diplomatic path, we will follow it and only it. But we are on our own land, we are not afraid of anything and we will give nothing to no one.”
In the southern coastal city of Mariupol last night, hundreds of Ukrainians protested against Russia’s territorial grab. The city sits inside the expanded borders recognised by Mr Putin.
Citizens of the Ukrainian-held parts of Donetsk and Luhansk yesterday told The Daily Telegraph they were buying weapons in anticipation of a Russian attempt to capture their homes.
One Ukrainian television channel reported unverified rumours that separatists were given an order to advance.
The US initially declined to call Mr Putin’s decision to send in “peacekeeping” forces an “invasion”. But Mr Biden later said: “Russia has now undeniably moved against Ukraine.
“Who in the Lord’s name does Putin think gives him the right to declare new
so-called countries on territory that belongs to his neighbours? This is a flagrant violation of international law.”
He said Mr Putin was “carving out a chunk of Ukraine”.
He added: “We believe Russia is poised to go much further and launch a massive military attack against Ukraine.”
Antony Blinken, the US secretary of state, announced he would no longer meet Sergei Lavrov, the Russian foreign secretary, as planned tomorrow, saying now that the invasion had begun “it doesn’t make sense”.
Mr Biden also announced sanctions against Russian banks, expected to be the first of a “wave” of measures.
He said he was imposing “full blocking” on two large Russian financial institutions and “comprehensive sanctions” on Russian debt and that he would soon impose sanctions on “Russia’s elites and their family members” because they should “share the pain”.
The White House later listed some individuals to face sanctions. They are: Sergey Kiriyenko, a chief of staff to Mr Putin; his son Vladimir; Alexander Bortnikov, the head of the Federal Security Service (FSB); his son Dennis; and Petr Fradkov, CEO of Promsvyazbank.
Mr Biden said: “I have authorised additional movements of US forces and equipment, already stationed in Europe, to strengthen our Baltic allies, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania.
“There is still time to avert the worstcase scenario that will bring untold suffering to millions of people,” he said.
The Pentagon said last night that it was moving “up to eight” F-35 fighter jets “to several operating locations along Nato’s eastern flank.”
It was also sending 20 Apache attack helicopters “to the Baltic region” and 12 Apaches to Poland. A Ukrainian soldier died yesterday and six suffered injuries in clashes with Moscow-backed rebels in the separatist east, the army said. The Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe said there has been an increase in hostilities, particularly in the Luhansk region.
Mr Johnson earlier unveiled sanctions against five Russian banks and three Russian oligarchs. A much longer list of oligarchs was under consideration, The Telegraph understands, with officials keen to keep some measures in reserve to apply if Russia indeed pushes further into Ukraine.
The three “very high net wealth individuals” were Gennady Timchenko, Boris Rotenberg and Igor Rotenberg, whom Mr Johnson described as “cronies” of the Russian president.
Sanctions were also imposed against Russian banks Rossiya, IS Bank, General Bank, Promsvyazbank and the Black Sea Bank. Andrei Kelin, Russia’s ambassador to the UK, was told his country would “pay the price for its actions” after he was summoned to the Foreign Office.
Critics urged Mr Johnson to do more immediately. Sir Iain Duncan Smith, the former Conservative leader, said: “If we are going to hit them with sanctions, we need to hit them hard and hit them now. They need to feel the pain of the first part of this decision.”
Mr Johnson also insisted the Champions League final should be moved from St Petersburg.
Sir Keir Starmer, the Labour leader, welcomed sanctions but said the UK “must be prepared to go further”.
‘We believe Russia is poised to go much further and launch a massive military attack against Ukraine’