This month, the United States expelled Washington’s second-highest-ranking Russian diplomat in the United States, Prime Minister Sergei Trepelkov, a State Department official told the Associated Press on Thursday.
The expulsion is not linked to Russia’s overnight invasion of Ukraine and is part of a long-running dispute between Washington and Moscow over embassy staff. However, the move comes amid tensions between the two nations after Vladimir Putin ignored Western warnings and launched a full-scale attack on Ukraine.
Trepelkov is No. 2 with Ambassador Anatoly Antonov. His expulsion comes after Russia expelled Deputy Chief of Mission Bart Gorman from Moscow earlier this month.
The State Department official said the expulsion was “a direct response to the unprovoked Russian expulsion of our deputy chief of mission” and said the move could not “go unanswered”.
No official expulsion notice has been issued.
The battle between the two countries comes when diplomacy between the two countries is low after the Cold War.
Tensions among embassy staff began in January 2017, when the Obama administration ordered the suspension of several Russian diplomatic missions in the United States and expelled many diplomats over Moscow’s interference in the 2016 presidential election.
Russia has responded with reciprocal measures and the situation has escalated since then.
Relations with the enemy are also high, as Russia has refused to heed Western warnings about sanctions if it invades Ukraine overnight.
According to a State Department official, the United States is still committed to maintaining diplomatic contacts in Russia and the United States to “facilitate communication between our governments.”
Biden also announced sanctions against Russia’s financial institutions, saying it would have a “severe” effect on the nation’s economy.
“Putin is the aggressor. Putin chose this war. And now he and his country will suffer the consequences, “Biden said in a White House speech Thursday afternoon.
“He has much bigger ambitions than Ukraine. He wants to restore the former Soviet Union. That’s what it’s about, “he said, accusing Putin of building an empire.
He said he had no plans to talk to Putin and said he did not underestimate the leader.
Biden’s speech was postponed twice Thursday afternoon as Russian forces made their way quickly through Ukraine.
“Now the whole world sees clearly what Putin and his Kremlin allies are all about. This has never been a real security concern for them. It was always a matter of naked aggression, “the president continued.
He said imposing sanctions on Putin himself was “on the table”, but declined to say why he had no longer imposed direct sanctions on the aggressor.
The United States has ousted Russia’s No. 2 diplomat in Washington, a State Department spokesman said Thursday after Russia expelled the deputy head of the US mission in Moscow earlier this month.
The expulsion of Prime Minister Sergei Trepelkov comes amid a dispute between Washington and Moscow over embassy staff and is not linked to the recent Russian invasion of Ukraine – but comes at a time when tensions are at their highest since the Cold War.
Deputy Chief of Mission Bart Gorman (pictured front) was deported from Russia earlier this month. Here he left the Russian Foreign Ministry in Moscow on April 21, 2021
Many of Biden’s aides from the outset believed that the sanctions would not scare Russian President Vladimir Putin from changing course and invading Ukraine, even though US officials spent hundreds of hours for five months discussing and drafting sentences.
More than a dozen current and former officials told Bloomberg, according to a report Thursday, that they remain doubtful whether sanctions will change Putin’s behavior when it comes to Ukraine.
However, Biden tied Washington’s hands to every other route after insisting last year that the United States would not send US forces to Ukraine to help protect them from Russian threats.
This prompted the president’s team to try to establish a diplomatic path, until last night Russia finally inevitably launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine – including the capital Kiev.
Russia launched a full-scale war against Ukraine on Wednesday night against Thursday morning, with simultaneous attacks from the south, east and north, by land and air. Rockets and bombs rained down from the sky, tanks rolled across the border, helicopters buzzed and explosions were seen across the country after Putin ordered an attack.
The attack continued on Thursday, with a massive Russian helicopter attack on Hostomel, Ukraine, and its vital air base just 9 miles northwest of Kiev.
The president met with G7 leaders from Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy and Japan on Thursday morning after meeting his National Security Council in the White House Situation Room. The G7 summit was also attended by the President of the European Commission, the President of the European Council and the Secretary General of NATO.
Biden remarked on “Russia’s unprovoked and unjustified attack on Ukraine,” beginning at about 1:45 p.m. Thursday afternoon in his first public appearance since the invasion.
Biden announced on Tuesday the “first tranche” of sanctions, a modest move that has prompted both Democrats and Republicans to criticize the administration for not being tough enough on Russia and Putin in the midst of the war.
This has certainly not stopped Putin from taking action in Ukraine overnight.
Even after further measures, including sanctioning the company behind the Russia-Germany Nord Stream 2 pipeline, there are still internal and congressional insistence that Biden impose more “crippling sanctions”.
Representative Adam Schiff, chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, left the Capitol Hill Center for Sensitive Information (SCIF) to call for more sanctions.
“Russia has launched an unprovoked, unjustified campaign against Ukraine with a complete invasion. “Civilians are being killed, Ukraine is mobilizing its opposition to the Russian invasion,” a congressman from the Democratic Party in California told reporters. “We need to support Ukraine to defend itself.”
“I think we will have to drastically escalate the sanctions we are imposing on Russia for this act of open aggression by the Kremlin dictator,” Schiff added.
Aides to the president continue to parade the impending heavier sentence, but Bloomberg notes that there is skepticism behind the scenes about the White House’s strategy so far.
Excluding military involvement, Biden must now take on the task of proving that sanctions will be enough to deter a major adversary, which has not yet proven effective.
There are already about 90,000 US troops in Europe, many of whom have been relocated or stationed in NATO’s eastern allies to defend themselves against growing Kremlin aggression.
Russia continues its full-scale attack on Ukraine on Thursday after a report emerged showing that presidential aides Joe Biden knew and warned that sanctions would not prevent President Vladimir Putin from continuing the invasion. Photo provided by the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense shows burnt Russian military vehicles near Glukhov, Sumy region, Ukraine on Thursday
President Biden meets with his National Security Council in the White House Situation Hall Thursday morning after Russia waged war in Ukraine at night
There are now approximately 90,000 US troops scattered across Europe, many of them relocating or deploying in the eastern part of the continent to help those counties at risk of Russian invasion of Ukraine – but no US troops located directly in Ukraine
Although U.S. officials spent hundreds of hours five months debating and drafting sanctions, at least a dozen current and former U.S. officials said they knew it wouldn’t do much to deter Putin, but their hands were tied after as Biden ruled out US military action in Ukraine. A man sits in front of his destroyed building after the bombings in the eastern Ukrainian city of Chuguev on Thursday
US troops from the 173rd Army Airborne Brigade arrive in Latvia on Thursday (February 24th) to provide additional assistance to Eastern Europe as Russia launches a full-scale attack on Ukraine.
Evidence has shown in the past that sanctions often fail to meet deterrence targets, and in some cases have even shown that they only increase unwanted behavior on the part of targeted parties.
“The instrument of sanctions has become a tired tool,” former Trump-era Deputy Secretary of State Stephen Beegan told Bloomberg.
Bigham, a veteran of the Republican administration who helped shape U.S. policy toward North Korea, added that Biden’s team did not have a good chance of countering Putin, given that he had ruled out military action in Ukraine and sanctions were not working.
He argues that the use of sanctions “does not seem to have significantly changed the behavior of any foreign country whose actions are relevant to the United States.”
A man familiar with the administration’s thinking said the prospect of a full-scale Russian invasion over the past few months was “beyond inevitability”.
They added that despite this air, the thinking is still “We are sure we will try” to oppose Putin’s plans with sanctions.
Another senior official administration was less pessimistic, arguing that the sanctions were only part of Biden’s efforts to deter the invasion. Although he claimed that the administration remained “clear” about the prospect of a complete invasion, the aim was to try to convince Putin that this would lead to a united opposition from Western nations.
U.S. lawmakers of all political persuasions have attacked Putin for ignoring Western warnings and moving forward with a full-scale invasion of Ukraine overnight, calling for more action from Washington against Moscow.
Democratic Sen. Chris Murphy called the Russian president’s decision “an evil, panicked move of weakness and will be his defining mistake.”
Politicians have also warned Moscow that Ukraine will defend their sovereignty, with Murphy tweeting that “the Ukrainian people will fight as long as necessary” and Republican Senator Marco Rubio says Ukraine will NEVER agree to be ruled by Putin. and claims ‘men, women, children, the elderly’ will mutilate and kill many (sic) Russians. ‘
Michigan Republican spokesman Peter Meyer said the “young” response from the West “encouraged” Putin to continue the full-scale invasion, saying Washington’s and NATO’s threat of sanctions was “positive evidence” that Moscow did not see it as real resistance. . He also called for “crippling sanctions”.
“He was ready to pay the bluff in the West,” Meyer told Fox & Friends on Thursday morning about Putin.
“Now is the time to be strong, united and free of crippling economic and sanctions costs for Russia. We can no longer afford to be cold or weak-willed here. ‘
Republican spokesman Mike Gallagher of Wisconsin said Putin was “a KGB thug who understands language other than force,” while criticizing the US and Western response.
The KGB was the main security agency of the Soviet Union from March 1954 to 1991.
!['[Putin] was willing to call the west's bluff,' Representative Peter Meijer told Fox & Friends on Thursday morning. The attack has come to Ukraine on all fronts, with bombs and missiles striking targets across the country, ground forces rolling in from Belarus, Crimea, Donetsk and Luhansk, and paratroopers dropping on Kharkiv](https://www.spamchronicles.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/1645714193_846_Russia-Ukraine-conflict-Democrars-and-Republicans-condemn-Putin-and-demand-Biden.jpg "Biden expels Russian diplomat No. 2 in District of Columbia in revenge for Kremlin's expulsion of the US Deputy Chief 11")
“[Putin] was willing to pay for the bluff in the West,” spokesman Peter Meyer told Fox & Friends on Thursday morning. The attack has reached Ukraine on all fronts, with bombs and missiles hitting targets across the country, ground forces targeting Belarus, Crimea, Donetsk and Luhansk, and paratroopers launching Kharkiv.
Republicans and Democrats condemn Vladimir Putin’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine overnight. An explosion lit up the night sky over Kiev early Thursday as Russia launched a full-scale attack on Ukraine from the north, south and east with bombs, cruise missiles and rockets falling from the sky.
Flames and smoke rise from the wreckage of a house outside the Ukrainian capital Kiev on Thursday after the Russian shelling after a volley of air and missile strikes on Ukrainian facilities across the country
Ukrainian emergency services work at the site of a military plane crash about 12 miles south of Kiev on Thursday, February 24, 2022. A Ukrainian military plane with 14 people on board crashed on Thursday and emergency services are still working to to “determine how many people died”
Senator Marco Rubio tweeted that Ukraine “will NEVER accept to be ruled by Putin” and that “men, women, children, the elderly” will “mutilate and kill many Russians.” Pictured: Injured woman appears on Thursday after air strike damages residential complex outside Kharkiv, Ukraine
Ukrainian troops prepare to defend against attacks on Luhansk on Thursday (February 24th) after Putin’s invasion has already killed dozens, wounded hundreds and forced hundreds more to flee.
Damage to a residential building in Chukhuyev, Kharkiv region can be seen in footage published by the Ukrainian National Guard
Ukrainian citizens carry suitcases after crossing the Ukrainian border in Medica, Poland on Thursday after Russia’s invasion last night. US lawmakers call for “crippling sanctions” on Putin for ignoring Western warnings
Michael McCall, a member of the House of Representatives, told CBS Mornings on Thursday: “We haven’t actually seen anything like this since Hitler invaded Poland during World War II. I just hope this is not the beginning of World War III.
He said invading and ignoring Western warnings was a “clear” sign that Putin “wanted all of Russia’s granary back.”
McCall and other Republican leaders on key House committees said Russia’s latest proves Putin’s “real evil” to the world.
“The last few hours have exposed the world to witness the real evil that is Vladimir Putin,” McCall, a member of the House of Representatives Mike Rodgers and a member of the Standing Committee on Intelligence, Mike Turner, said in a statement Wednesday night. .
“Today, we are determined with the Ukrainian people and we are determined to provide them with the tools they need to withstand and repel this unprovoked attack,” they added. “Every drop of Ukrainian and Russian blood shed in this conflict is in Putin’s hands and his own.”
The group signaled that there should be a much tougher US response to Russia than in 2014, when Putin annexed Crimea.
“We are committed to imposing the strictest possible sanctions and export controls to cripple Russia’s ability to wage war, punish its barbarism and reduce the Putin regime to international pariah status. We cannot respond as we did in 2008 or 2014. The world must never forget or forgive this heinous act.
Biden has been criticized for not doing enough to fight Russian aggression since taking office last year.
Additional US forces landed in Latvia on Thursday morning from the 173rd Airborne Brigade, after thousands of troops have already been sent to Poland and Romania to strengthen defenses in those regions amid the Russian invasion.
Pictured: A Russian Ka-52 combat helicopter was forced to land in a field outside Kiev, Ukraine on Thursday. According to Ukraine, six Russian planes were shot down from the sky over the eastern region of Donbass with 50 killed Russian soldiers
A man standing in front of a Russian Ka-52 combat helicopter is seen in the field after a forced landing outside Kiev on Thursday, February 24, 2022.
Senator Lindsey Graham says Putin is committing a “war crime” and it is [i] imperative that we continue to provide Ukraine with protective weapons as well as good intelligence. ”
“The world must condemn Putin’s destruction of a neighboring democracy as a war crime,” said the South Carolina Republican.
“It’s time to do this for Putin personally,” Graham said, adding that he should be punished by “international law enforcement agencies” for confiscating Putin’s lavish apartments and his “friends,” fine arts, yachts and other tangible goods. purchased by stealing Russian blind people. ‘
Along with clashes on the ground, including confirmation that 40 Ukrainian soldiers were killed and dozens more wounded, Putin and Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky indirectly exchanged a verbal war – any rhetoric accusing the other of being reminiscent of Nazi Germany.
“Russia treacherously attacked our country in the morning, as Nazi Germany did in # 2 years of World War II,” Zelensky tweeted on Thursday morning Eastern Standard Time, but it was already afternoon in Ukraine.
“As of today, our countries are from different parts of world history,” he continued. ‘
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said, according to Russian media: “Ideally, Ukraine should be liberated, cleansed of Nazis, pro-Nazi people and ideologies.”
Ukrainian servicemen load rocket debris on truth after Russian shelling in Kiev, Ukraine on Thursday
Republican spokesman Mike Gallagher of Wisconsin said Putin was “a KGB thug who understands language other than force,” calling for tougher action from the United States and Western allies. Huge explosion at Vinnytsia military base in central Ukraine after being attacked by Russia
Ukrainian military tank seen in downtown Odessa, Ukraine on Thursday (February 24th) after Russia launched its military operation in the country
American paratroopers get off a military plane landing in Latvia on Thursday
The first 40 soldiers of the 173rd arrived in Latvia on the morning of February 24, after Russia launched its military offensive against Ukraine.
How did the invasion of Ukraine develop minute by minute: Russian shells fall over Mariupol at 3:30 am, Putin declares war two hours later and then all hell breaks out in the whole country and the capital Kiev
The Russians launched a total war against Ukraine today with rockets falling from the sky, tanks rolling across the Belarusian border and masses of paratroopers descending to the eastern regions after Vladimir Putin personally ordered an attack.
“Hundreds” of Ukrainian soldiers have already been killed in early clashes, Kiev said, as the battle came to them on all fronts at one time. Cruise missiles, guided bombs and GRAD missiles are destroying targets from east to west – aimed at airports, military bases, ammunition depots and command posts, including in the capital.
The first sign that an invasion was imminent came shortly before 12 noon Ukrainian time (10 pm in Britain), when Russian-backed rebel leaders in eastern Ukraine demanded military assistance from Moscow in what is widely seen as a “fake” flag” . an operation to justify Putin’s decision to attack.
A moment later, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky addressed a provocative message to the nation, promising that his compatriots would “retaliate” in the event of an invasion, telling Moscow: “When you attack us, you will see our faces, not our backs.”
A frantic series of diplomatic maneuvers, including an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council in New York, was not enough to dissuade Putin from announcing a “special military operation” around 3 a.m. Ukrainian time.
Around 6 a.m., Zelensky declared martial law in a video message recorded on his phone, urging his people “not to panic” and promising, “We will all win because we are Ukraine.”
As Europe faces its worst military crisis in decades, this is how dramatic events unfolded this morning, minute by minute. All times are displayed first in Ukrainian time, with the GMT equivalent in parentheses.
12:00 (22h)
“We will fight back”: Ukrainian president delivers emotional televised address
Vladimir Zelensky promises that the Ukrainian people will “strike back” if Putin launches a full-scale invasion.
His comments follow a request from Moscow-backed rebel leaders in the east for military aid to repel Ukrainian “aggression” – considered by the West a “false flag” – to justify the invasion.
Solemn President Zelensky says: “The people of Ukraine and the Government of Ukraine want peace.
“But if we are attacked, if we face an attempt to take away our country, our freedom, our lives and the lives of our children, we will defend ourselves. When you attack us, you will see our faces, not our backs. ‘
The Ukrainian president said he had tried to call Putin earlier in the evening, but there was no answer, only silence, adding that Moscow had about 200,000 troops near Ukraine’s borders.
At the request of Ukraine, the UN Security Council quickly scheduled an extraordinary meeting – the second in three days.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba called the separatists’ demand “further aggravation of the security situation”.
Ukraine reads about the conflict and enters a one-month state of emergency, which takes effect at midnight.
3:30 in the morning (1:30 GMT)
Explosions were heard in the strategically important port city of Mariupol
Residents of the Ukrainian port city of Mariupol were awakened at 3.30 am by explosions.
The videos appear to show clouds of smoke rising in the nearby night sky, but it has not been confirmed whether this was the result of shelling.
Mariupol, located on the Black Sea 50 miles from the Russian border, handles 50% of Ukraine’s steel and mineral exports.
Occupying the strategic location will give the people’s republics of Donbass access to the sea and will stifle a vital economic artery for the legitimate government of Ukraine.
4:30 PM (2:30 AM GMT)
UN summit at which the Ukrainian ambassador tells his Russian counterpart: “war criminals go straight to hell”
The UN Security Council is holding an emergency meeting in New York to try to dissuade Russia from sending troops to Ukraine.
During the accused session, Ukrainian Ambassador Serhiy Kislitsya begged the council, chaired by Russia, to “do everything possible to stop the war.”
He urged the ambassador to step down as chairman.
“There is no purgatory for war criminals. They’re going straight to hell, Ambassador, “said a visibly emotional Kislica.
At an accused UN Security Council meeting, Ukrainian Ambassador Sergei Kislitsya told his Russian counterpart: “There is no purgatory for war criminals. They go straight to hell, Ambassador
Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has called on Putin to stop his tanks.
“If surgery is really being prepared, I have only one thing to say from the bottom of my heart,” he said.
“President Putin, stop your troops from attacking Ukraine. Give peace a chance. Too many people have already died. ‘
Mr Guterres says he is witnessing “the saddest moment of my term as UN Secretary-General” and that Europe is at risk, “the worst war of the century”.
He then warned that Russia’s actions would be “not only” devastating for Ukraine “and” tragic “for Russia,” but also with an impact we cannot even foresee in terms of their consequences for the global economy. ”
“At a time when we are leaving Covid and so many developing countries, there must be room for recovery, which would be very, very difficult with high oil prices, wheat exports from Ukraine and rising interest rates caused by the instability of international markets, he added.
5 am (3 am GMT)
Putin declares a “special military operation” and threatens the West
Putin has declared a “special military operation” in eastern Ukraine, claiming it aims to protect civilians.
In a televised address, Putin said the action came in response to threats coming from Ukraine.
He claims that Russia wants to “denazify, not occupy” Ukraine. Putin says the Ukrainian regime is responsible for the bloodshed.
Putin warns the countries that any attempt to interfere in Russia’s actions will lead to “consequences they have never seen.”
The strong man could be seen wearing the same suit and red tie he wore on Monday to expose his de facto inaccurate version of Ukraine’s history, essentially saying it had always been part of Russia.
Looking back, Putin’s attempts to rewrite history as he sees fit can be interpreted as proof that he has already decided to invade Ukraine and that he believes Western leaders are asking him for diplomacy.
5:30 AM (3:30 AM GMT)
Explosions were heard in Kiev just minutes after Putin’s speech ended
After Putin’s speech, explosions were reported in Kiev, Odessa, Ukraine’s third-largest city, and the city of Kramatorsk in the eastern Donetsk region.
A CNN reporter in Kiev said: “I just heard a big bang right here behind me. I’ve never heard anything like it. ‘
Matthew Chance, a senior international correspondent for the network, said he heard between seven and eight explosions.
Chance quickly put on his bulletproof vest and hat as he continued to report from a balcony in the Ukrainian capital.
A CNN reporter in the Ukrainian capital Kiev puts on a bulletproof vest after hearing explosions shortly after 5.30am
“There are big explosions. I can’t see them or explain what they are. but I will tell you that the United States has warned the Ukrainian authorities that there may be air and ground attacks throughout the country, including in the capital.
“I don’t know if this is happening now, but it is a remarkable coincidence that the explosions came just minutes after Putin delivered his speech,” Chance said.
“It simply came to our notice then. It was absolutely quiet. This is the first time. It must be more than just a coincidence.
“I think it’s safe where I am. “I have a bulletproof vest,” Chance said before bending down to put on his protective gear.
He suggested that the explosions he heard were still some distance from the center.
6 am (4 GMT GMT)
The Ukrainian president declared martial law
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is imposing martial law and urging his people to stay at home and not panic as Russian troops enter the country.
In a video message released shortly after the Kremlin launched its attacks in Ukraine, Zelensky said Russia had launched missile strikes on Ukrainian infrastructure and border guards and that explosions had been heard in many cities.
The Ukrainian president also said that he had talked on the phone with US President Joe Biden.
He pleaded: “Dear Ukrainian citizens, this morning President Putin announced a special military operation in Donbass. Russia has struck at our military infrastructure and our border guards. Explosions were heard in many cities of Ukraine. We are imposing martial law on the entire territory of our country.
“I had a conversation with President Biden a minute ago. The United States has already begun to unite international support. Today, each of you must remain calm. Stay home if you can. We work. The army is working.
“The whole defense and security sector is working. Don’t panic. We are strong. We are ready for anything. We will all win because we are Ukraine. ‘
Paratroopers are descending on Ukraine’s second-largest city as Russians carry out multiple attacks
From about 6 in the morning onwards
The footage appears to show masses of paratroopers landing in Kharkiv, Ukraine’s largest city.
The United States seems to have known there was an invasion, according to ABC’s Martha Radac.
She said she had received a message from a senior Pentagon official three hours before the invasion, which said: “You are probably in the last few hours of peace on the European continent for a long time to come. Be careful. ‘
As the violence spread, Anton Gerashchenko, an adviser to Ukraine’s interior minister, wrote on Facebook that the Russian military had fired missiles at Ukrainian military command posts, air bases and military depots in Kiev, Kharkiv and the Dnieper.
Later in the morning, five Russian planes were reportedly shot down from the skies over Donbass before Moscow boasted that it had removed all air defenses by giving them control of the skies.
Ukrainian border guards say they have come under attack by heavy artillery, tanks and troops from Russia and Belarus – as Belarusian dictator Alexander Lukashenko throws his forces into the fight.
Luhansk, Sumy, Kharkiv and Chernihiv in the east of Ukraine are all reported as coming under attack, but blasts are also reported in the west – in Zhytomyr and Lviv, close to the border with Poland.
Extraordinary video footage shows what appears to be a cruise missile slamming into Ivano-Frankivsk airport, also in the west.
Meanwhile pro-Russian rebel forces push out from the occupied Donbass region, capturing two villages and claiming to have shot two Ukrainian jets out of the skies. The port city of Odessa, where Ukraine’s main naval base is located, also comes under attack.
Western politicians immediately responded Wednesday evening to the announcement of Russia’s ‘special military operation’ in Ukraine with warnings to Putin.
‘The Ukrainian people will fight for as long as it takes to secure their nation from this foreign tyrant, and the United States will stand with them in this fight,’ Senator Murphy from Connecticut posted in a five-part Twitter thread.
‘Tonight, the entire Post World War international order sits on a knife edge,’ he added. ‘If Putin does not pay a devastating price for this transgression, then our own security will soon be at risk.’
‘We must be unceasingly in our assistance to the Ukrainian people. We must levy crippling sanctions on Russia. And we must cut off Putin and his cronies from the global economy. A strong, swift response is vital.’
Biden issued sanctions this week on Russian banks and oligarchs, as well as on the two regions in Eastern Ukraine that Putin declared independent republics on Monday. But Democratic and Republican lawmakers claim this isn’t enough and are urging Biden to get tougher on Putin.
‘[W]e must remember that Putin has plans for us too,’ Murphy warned in his Twitter thread. ‘He and his agents will use this crisis to try to divide Americans from each other and to separate America from our allies. In this, we must remain vigilant and united. This is not a moment for politics to trump security.’
Secretary of State Antony Blinken told NBC’s Lester Holt on Wednesday that ‘if Russia continues to escalate, so will we.’
‘At the end of the day, if that doesn’t stop President Putin, we’ve made very clear along with all of our allies and partners that there will be massive consequences going forward, a price that Russia will have to pay for a long, long time,’ he added.
Biden’s administration, however, has repeatedly said that U.S. troops will not directly engage in combat in Ukraine and has ensured the safety of forces as they deploy to Eastern Europe.
Biden was slammed Wednesday and into Thursday morning for being publicly absent as developments unfolded in Ukraine Wednesday night as Russia launched an all-out war.
Ukrainian border guards say they have been attacked by heavy artillery, tanks and troops from Russia and Belarus – while Belarusian dictator Alexander Lukashenko throws his forces into battle.
Luhansk, Sumy, Kharkiv and Chernihiv were reportedly under attack in eastern Ukraine, but explosions were also reported in the west, in Zhytomyr and Lviv, near the Polish border.
Extraordinary videos show what appears to be a cruise missile hitting Ivano-Frankivsk airport, also in the west.
Meanwhile, pro-Russian rebel forces have been pushed out of the occupied Donbass region, capturing two villages and claiming to have shot down two Ukrainian planes from the sky. The port city of Odessa, home to Ukraine’s main naval base, is also under attack.
Western politicians immediately responded on Wednesday night to the announcement of Russia’s “special military operation” in Ukraine with warnings to Putin.
“The Ukrainian people will fight as long as necessary to protect their nation from this foreign tyrant, and the United States will stand with them in this battle,” Senator Murphy of Connecticut wrote in a five-part Twitter account.
“Tonight, the entire international order after World War II is on the cutting edge,” he added. “If Putin does not pay a devastating price for this crime, then our own security will soon be threatened.”
“We must constantly help the Ukrainian people. We must impose crippling sanctions on Russia. And we need to cut off Putin and his entourage from the global economy. A strong and quick reaction is vital. ‘
Biden imposed sanctions this week on Russian banks and oligarchs, as well as on the two regions in eastern Ukraine that Putin declared independent republics on Monday. But Democrat and Republican lawmakers say that’s not enough, and call for Biden to be tougher on Putin.
“We must remember that Putin also has plans for us,” Murphy warned in his Twitter thread. “He and his agents will use this crisis to try to separate Americans from each other and separate America from our allies. In this we must remain vigilant and united. Now is not the time for politics to prevail over security. ‘
Secretary of State Anthony Blinken told NBC’s Lester Holt on Wednesday that “if Russia continues to escalate, we will continue to escalate.”
“At the end of the day, if this does not stop President Putin, we have made it clear, together with all our allies and partners, that there will be huge consequences in the future, a price that Russia will have to pay for a very, very long time,” he added.
However, the Biden administration has repeatedly said that US troops will not be directly involved in battles in Ukraine and has ensured the safety of forces when stationed in Eastern Europe.
Biden was charged with a public absence on Wednesday and until Thursday morning, as events unfolded in Ukraine on Wednesday night, when Russia launched a total war.
French President Emmanuel Macron showed up in a virtual meeting Thursday morning with G7 leaders from the United States, Britain, France, Germany, Italy and Japan to discuss the situation in Ukraine since Russia’s invasion. The meeting came after Biden convened his National Security Council earlier in the morning and will speak publicly at 12:30 p.m.
Biden condemned Putin’s “unprovoked and unwarranted attack” in a statement released at 10:25 p.m., shortly after the declaration of war. But after being accused of “weakness” in the face of Russian aggression, he was called upon to strike Russia and Vladimir Putin’s inner circle with tougher sanctions “as much as possible”.
The president “monitored the situation” from the White House at night, according to a statement Wednesday night, but has not yet made a public address or appearance and will not do so until noon – 12 hours after the war began.
Former President Donald Trump was sarcastic about Biden’s response, telling Fox News in a wild interview overnight that Biden was “probably in bed right now” instead of watching developments.
Biden was last filmed on Tuesday, February 22, when he announced sanctions against Russia from the Eastern House of the White House.
Addressing the nation on Thursday morning, Zelensky said Ukraine’s history had changed forever and that Russia had “taken the path of evil.”
He compared the Russian attack to Hitler’s forces during World War II, but promised to retaliate, saying the military had already inflicted “serious losses” on Russia.
In the photo: the Ukrainian port of Ochakov in the Nikolaev area was set on fire by conflict after the full-scale invasion of Russia on Thursday
The ruins of a checkpoint at the state border service in the Kiev region were destroyed after it was shelled by Russian forces
The Ukrainian president called on all citizens who want to defend their homeland to move forward, saying that weapons will be distributed to anyone who wants them, and asked civilians to donate blood to help the wounded troops.
He also called on world leaders to impose “the toughest possible sanctions” on Putin.
This came after Putin issued an emergency address to Russia in the early hours of a UN meeting aimed at avoiding war. During his remarks, he declared a “special military operation” to “demilitarize” and “denazify” Ukraine, which is an open declaration of war.
The video appears to have been pre-recorded, at about the same time as Putin’s address on Monday, recognizing Donbass as independent.
Putin also issued a chilling warning to any country that intends to come to Ukraine’s aid, promising “consequences greater than any you have ever encountered in history.”
“I hope I’ve been heard,” he said.
Cruise missiles, guided bombs and GRAD missiles are destroying targets from east to west in Ukraine – aimed at airports, military bases, ammunition depots and command posts, including in the capital Kiev.
Six Russian planes were shot down from the skies over the Eastern Donbass region with 50 Russian soldiers killed, Ukraine claims.
Alexander Lukashenko, the dictatorial ruler of Belarus, was shown speaking to his generals on Thursday morning after his forces allegedly joined the attack on Ukraine – although he denies it.
Ukrainian border guards said they were attacked by heavy artillery, tanks and troops from Russia and Belarus, while Belarusian dictator Alexander Lukashenko threw up his forces in the battle – although he refused to take part.
Luhansk, Sumy and Chernihiv in eastern Ukraine were attacked while tanks were fighting on the outskirts of Kharkiv after paratroopers landed.
Explosions have also been reported in the west, in Zhytomyr and Lviv, near the Polish border, where the United States has sent paratroopers from the 82nd and 18th Airborne Corps.
In the southern city of Kherson, Ukrainian troops were reportedly routed by Russian tanks leaving Crimea, which reached the Dnieper River by mid-Thursday morning.
Extraordinary videos showed what looked like a Kalibur cruise missile hitting Ivano-Frankivsk airport. A block of flats in Kharkov was also hit, leading to civilian casualties, including a young boy. A video has also surfaced confirming that the cruise missiles were fired by Russian troops stationed in Moldova.
Russian helicopters also attacked the Kakhovka hydroelectric plant on the Dnieper River, raising their flag shortly afterwards.
Meanwhile, pro-Russian rebel forces pushed out of the occupied Donbass region, seized two villages and claimed to have shot down two Ukrainian planes from the sky. The port cities of Mariupol and Odessa, where Ukraine’s main naval bases are located, were also attacked. Russian tankers appear to have blocked the Kerch Strait, leading from the hinterland to the Sea of Azov, cutting off Mariupol.