Russia Ukraine Updates: President Joe Biden announces fiscal sanctions on Russia
Russia Ukraine news: Biden has already announced heavy financial sanctions against Russian banks and oligarchs and said more would be imposed if Putin extends his invasion. Global reaction against Putin’s moves in Ukraine has been swift, with a little argument about the legality.
When Russian President Vladimir Putin authorized troops to cross Ukraine’s border into regions controlled by Russian-backed separatists, the White House initially stopped short of calling it an invasion. That changed on Tuesday, and key allies in Europe joined in saying Putin had crossed a red line. Putin on Monday said Russia recognized the rebel regions’ independence “in borders that existed when they proclaimed” their independence in 2014. That constitutes territory held by the Ukrainian army. Putin also issued a decree authorizing the use of what he termed peacekeepers in that region, although Russian officials had not confirmed that troops had crossed the border in response to the decree. After stating publicly that Russia has again invaded Ukraine, the question is how far Biden will go in responding. He has made clear that he would not send US troops into Ukraine, but on Tuesday said he has ordered shifting of Europe-based US troops to three NATO members who feel most vulnerable to potential Russian attack: Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania.
Australia sets sanctions on Russia over Ukraine
Australia has announced additional sanctions on Russia and is warning businesses to prepare for retaliation through Russian cyberattacks. Prime Minister Scott Morrison said Wednesday that targeted financial sanctions and travel bans will be a first batch of measures in response to Russian aggression toward Ukraine. Australia and Russia have imposed sanctions on each other since 2014. The sanctions were initiated by Australia in protest of Russian involvement in the Ukraine conflict. The National Security Committee of Morrison’s Cabinet approved sanctions and travel bans that target eight members of the Russian Security Council. They also agreed to expand previous sanctions and to align with the United States and Britain by targeting two Russian banks.
Biden announces fiscal sanctions on Russia
US President Joe Biden on Tuesday cut off Moscow from wester financing and imposed unspecified sanctions on Russian elites in the first tranche of punitive measures in response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Speaking at the White House, Biden said there would be more sanctions if Russia moved further into Ukraine, as he expected it would. “If they move further, we have further sanctions ready,” he warned, saying everything Russia was doing pointed to a fuller invasion of Ukraine.
Italy’s PM calls for dialogue on Ukraine crisis
Italy’s Prime Minister Mario Draghi has said dialogue was key to solving the Ukrainian crisis, warning that the European Union (EU) was preparing sanctions against Russia.
His remarks came on Tuesday after Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday announced the recognition of the “Lugansk People’s Republic” and the “Donetsk People’s Republic” in east Ukraine’s Donbass region as independent and sovereign states.
“Dialogue remains crucial,” Draghi stressed as he addressed the official opening ceremony of the Council of State’s judicial year in Rome, Xinhua news agency reported.
NATO Chief urges Russia to choose diplomacy in Ukraine crisis
The Chief of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) has urged Russia to “choose the path of diplomacy” in the conflict with Ukraine.
“This is the most dangerous moment in European security for a generation,” NATO Secretary General, Jens Stoltenberg said at the conclusion of an extraordinary meeting of the NATO-Ukraine Commission in Brussels on Tuesday.
“Europe and North America continue to stand strong together in NATO, committed to defend and protect each other,” he added.
Ukrainian President expects no conflict with Russia
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has said he expects no conflict with Russia.
“We believe that there will be no large-scale war against Ukraine, and there won’t be a wide escalation from the side of the Russian Federation,” Zelensky said on Tuesday, adding that Kiev stands ready to impose a martial law if there is aggression against Ukraine.
Earlier on Tuesday, Zelensky said he was weighing a request from the Foreign Ministry to sever diplomatic ties with Russia, Xinhua news agency reported.
