Vice president: ‘Real possibility of war’ in Europe
Acknowledging “the real possibility of war,” Vice President Kamala Harris wrapped up a weekend of outreach to European allies with a push to bolster the West’s resolve in confront- ing Moscow with crippling sanctions as increasingly dire signs suggest Russia’s Vladi- mir Putin plans to order an invasion of Ukraine.
In a burst of diplomacy at the annual Munich Security Conference, Harris tried to make the case to American allies that rapidly escalating tensions on the Ukraine-Russian border meant European security was under “direct threat” and there should be unified support for eco- nomic penalties if the Kremlin invades its neighbor. “We’re talking about the potential for war in Europe. I mean, let’s really take a moment to understand the significance of what we’re talking about,” Harris told reporters before her return to Washington on Sunday evening. Europe, she said, might be at its most perilous moment since World WarII.
“It’s been over 70 years, and through those 70 years ... there has been peace and security,” she said. “We are talking about the real possibility of war in Europe.”
U.S. President Joe Biden convened the National Security Council on Sunday at the White House on Russia’s military buildup around Ukraine. Harris participated while flying back from Germany. Before leaving Munich, Harris and her team briefed them about her meetings and exchanges at the conference.
Biden is scheduled to hold a virtual meeting with Group of Seven leaders on Thursday to discuss Ukraine, and his top diplomat, Secretary of State Antony Blinken, intends to meet with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov this week — talks the American says will be scrapped if Moscow has invaded.
In Ukraine, shelling escalated Sunday in and around territory held by Russia-backed rebels, separatists evacuated thousands of women and children and Putin oversaw tests of nuclear-capable missiles. Putin has massed more than 150,000 Russia forces at the border.
During a series of choreographed meetings and a major address, Harris told global leaders they were at a “defining” and “decisive” moment for the world.