President of the Chamber Nancy Pelosi condemned the Russian president Vladimir Putin as a “tyrant” on Wednesday, he hinted that no one – not even the authoritarian strongman himself – among the Kremlin’s elites would be spared harsh economic sanctions in return.
She and three other lawmakers held a press conference in the Capitol after returning from a security conference in Munich, where all eyes were on Putin as he gave the green light for Russian troops to enter Ukraine’s eastern region of Donbass.
California democrat he said the russian leader was “probably the richest man in the world” and the president said Joe Biden will continue to “monitor the money” if Kremlin troops do not immediately end what the international community calls an invasion.
Shortly afterwards, the president announced sanctions on the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline between Germany and Russia.
But Pelosi’s hardline message was undermined by points during her speeches in which she began to wander, including two cases that seem to confuse Ukraine and Hungary.
The first happened when she described leaders at the Munich security summit expressing concern about the potential consequences of further Russian military action against the neighbor. She pointed to the Central European nation of Hungary, but went on to describe Ukraine’s borders – before it seems to be adjusted.
“Well, if you look at the map and see Hungary and see how it is surrounded: Russia, Belarus, Crimea – which they took over, but you know that now it is still a danger to Ukraine,” Pelosi said.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi speaks to reporters after returning from a congressional delegation to the Munich Security Conference
She added: “And then you see Poland and Romania and all those countries that are just beginning Russian influence.”
Exposing Putin’s greed a little later, Pelosi again almost confused both sides.
The 81-year-old lawmaker said the Ukrainian people were fundamentally opposed to the Kremlin’s rule because they were pro-democracy. Instead, however, she almost praised the Hungarians.
“Putin is probably the richest man in the world. He has these magnificent residences – it really got people in trouble in Russia because they showed the arrogance of the wealth he lived on, “Pelosi began.
Then she slipped: “So it’s about какво what is it about? Hung’s people – em, many of us have visited Ukraine and seen that they love democracy.
But she went on to speculate that Biden’s sanctions would continue to “follow the money”.
“They do not want to live with Vladimir Putin. He does not want the Russian people to see what democracy looks like, and therefore he wants to put them under his own domain and his own, “Pelosi said.
“So when he and his oligarchs – and it’s all for, follow the money in this and that’s the sanctions. Follow the money.
Pelosi said that all world leaders at the meeting agreed that “the attack on Ukraine by the Russians is an attack on democracy, an attack on democracy.”
Ukraine was the central focus of the global security summit. (pictured: Ukrainian serviceman inspects situation near Katerinovka village, not far from pro-Russian militant city of Luhansk, Ukraine, February 23)
A Russian military truck travels on the road in the southern Rostov region of Russia, which borders the self-proclaimed Donetsk People’s Republic, on February 23
Adam Schiff, chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, who was also in Munich, said Putin was “horrified by the prospect of democracy on his border.”
Putin sparked international outrage earlier this week when Russia officially recognized Ukraine’s Donetsk and Luhansk regions as independent states. The region has been at the center of an ongoing armed conflict between the Ukrainian military and pro-Russian separatists since 2014.
Although a third of the region is under rebel control, Putin said Tuesday that he recognizes them as independent states in their entirety – raising concerns about a possible clash between Kiev and Russian troops if they continue in the region. The key port city of Mariupol, for example, is in Donetsk, but is currently under Ukrainian control.
Putin suggested that Ukraine’s way to end the crisis is either to negotiate with the separatists, which Kiev has refused, or to give up hopes of joining NATO and demilitarize.
Hinting at Russia’s efforts to interfere in the US election, Pelosi accused Putin on Wednesday: “This is the same tyrant who attacked our democracy in 2016.”
Ukrainian serviceman reacts while guarding a position near the village of Katerynovka, not far from the pro-Russian extremist-controlled city of Luhansk
Putin’s recognition of the entire Donetsk and Luhansk regions as independent breeds fears of military clashes between Russian troops in the pro-Russian zone and Kiev forces
“The same tyrant who opposes democracy and wants to belittle it has lowered it in the eyes of the Russian people,” she said.
In his concluding remarks, Pelosi promised that Biden “carries out the sanctions, he has a full picture of all this.”
The president took a step further on Wednesday by imposing sanctions on the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline between Germany and Russia and its corporate employees.
“These steps are another part of our initial tranche of sanctions in response to Russia’s actions in Ukraine. As I have made clear, we will not hesitate to take further steps if Russia continues to escalate, “Biden said in a statement.
“By his actions, President Putin has given the world a huge incentive to move away from Russian gas to other forms of energy. I would like to thank Chancellor Scholz for his close partnership and continued commitment to holding Russia accountable for its actions.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz cut off the pipeline earlier this week in response to Putin’s aggression in Ukraine.
On Tuesday, Biden announced sanctions against two major Russian banks, which the White House said “hold more than $ 80 billion in assets and finance Russia’s defense sector and economic development,” as well as sanctions against Putin’s orbit. He also halted trade in Russian debt to stem the flow of Western dollars.
The president said the sanctions package was only the “first tranche” if Putin did not stop his invasion immediately.
“Who, in God’s name, does Putin think gives him the right to declare new so-called ‘states’ on territory belonging to his neighbors?” Biden said.
During her press conference, Pelosi defended Biden’s sanctions as “appropriate” – although not every member of her assembly agreed that he had gone far enough.
“Sanctions just need to be much stronger and much more personal,” Democrat MP Elisa Slotkin of Michigan told Fox News on Wednesday. “Of course we will make banks. Of course, we will make certain sectors, but we will take those oligarchs who support Putin, their wives, their lovers, their ability for their children to go to foreign universities.
“You can target those people who are holding Putin in a much more serious way that I would like to see in the coming days.”