President Joe Biden warned on Thursday Vladimir Putin which American forces will defend NATO territory if he extended his attack beyond Ukraine, and said he was ordering more troops for Europe.
Shortly after he spoke, the Pentagon said 7,000 additional staff and hardware were stationed in Germany.
In a White House speech, Biden imposed a new round of sanctions on Russia and promised that Putin’s country would bear the consequences of his aggression against Ukraine.
He said US forces would not clash with Russian troops in Ukraine.
“Our forces are not going to Europe to fight in Ukraine, but to protect our NATO allies and reassure those allies in the east,” he said.
“As I said crystal clear, the United States will defend every inch of NATO territory with the full force of American power.”
President Joe Biden ordered more troops in Europe on Thursday and warned Russia that US forces would defend NATO territory
Kiev’s Krajina government says growing casualties as Russian forces attack from east, north and south
Russian tanks pass through the city of Armyansk, northern Crimea, after Putin ordered an invasion of Ukraine
A Russian T-72 tank is depicted sitting in front of the main reactor at Chernobyl after Putin’s troops captured it in a “fierce” battle with the state of nuclear storage “unknown”
In a question-and-answer session with reporters, he was asked if that meant US troops would fight if Russia attacked NATO territory.
“If he moves to NATO countries, we will participate,” he said. – We will participate.
He was speaking when the Ukrainian government in Kiev announced growing casualties as Russian forces attacked from the east, north and south.
Ukrainian authorities say their forces have lost control of the decommissioned Chernobyl nuclear power plant, the scene of the world’s worst nuclear disaster.
“Russia is on the path of evil, but Ukraine is defending itself and will not give up its freedom,” tweeted Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky.
Biden also held a virtual meeting with the leaders of Britain, Canada, France, Italy and Japan, as well as figures from the European Union and NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg.
In other important events in the hours following Putin’s attack:
- Russian troops capture Chernobyl after fierce battle, raising fears of radioactive disruption
- Global markets fell behind the invasion, with the Russian ruble falling to its lowest level so far and oil prices rising to more than $ 100 a barrel
- The EU will freeze Russian assets, cut off access to the financial market and focus on “Kremlin interests”
- Central European countries begin preparations to receive potentially hundreds of thousands of refugees fleeing fighting in Ukraine
- The UN Security Council will discuss a resolution condemning the invasion
- Ukraine has asked the world to expel Russia from the SWIFT banking system
- At least 40 Ukrainian soldiers have been killed, the Ukrainian government said
- French President Emmanuel Macron said Russia’s aggression against Ukraine was “the most serious attack on peace, stability in Europe in decades.”
Russian Ka-52 combat helicopter seen in the field after forced landing Kiev, Ukraine
In the Glukhov region, the Ukrainian military collided with an armored column of 15 T-72 tanks with American Javelin missiles
Ukrainian military tank takes up defensive position near Potemkin Stairs in downtown Odessa
World leaders are reacting to Russia’s war against Ukraine
RUSSIAN PRESIDENT VLADIMIR PUTIN
“I decided to conduct a special military operation … to protect people who have been subjected to harassment and genocide … for the last eight years.
“And for this we will strive for demilitarization and denazification of Ukraine. And to bring to justice those who have committed many bloody crimes against civilians, including citizens of the Russian Federation. “
UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT VOLODYMYR ZELINSKI
“Russia insidiously attacked our country in the morning, as Nazi Germany did during World War II.
“As of today, our countries are from different parts of world history. Russia has taken the path of evil, but Ukraine is defending itself and will not give up its freedom, no matter what Moscow thinks.
NATO Secretary General JENS STOLTENBERG
“This is a deliberate, cold-blooded and long-planned invasion …
… The peace of our continent has been broken, Russia is using force to try to rewrite history and deny Ukraine the free and independent path …
“We have no plans to send NATO troops to Ukraine. What we are doing is defensive.
US PRESIDENT JOE BIDEN
“President Putin has chosen a deliberate war that will bring catastrophic loss of life and human suffering …
“I will meet with G7 leaders, and the United States and our allies and partners will impose severe sanctions on Russia.”
PRESIDENT OF THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION URSULA VON DER LAYEN
“President Putin is responsible for bringing the war back to Europe …
“We will focus on strategic sectors of the Russian economy by blocking their access to key technologies and markets. We will weaken Russia’s economic base and its capacity to modernize. “
In addition, we will freeze Russian assets in the EU and stop Russian banks from accessing the European financial market. “
HEAD OF FOREIGN POLICY OF THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION JOSEPH BORELL
“These are among the darkest hours in Europe since World War II.
“The EU will respond as emphatically as possible and agree on the most severe package of sanctions we have ever applied.”
German Chancellor OLAF SCHOLZ
“Putin is suffering and destroying his immediate neighbors, he is violating Ukraine’s sovereignty and borders.
“It threatens the lives of countless innocent people (and) … the peaceful order of our continent. There is no excuse for all this. This is Putin’s war.
FRENCH PRESIDENT EMMANUEL MACRON
“France strongly condemns Russia’s decision to start a war with Ukraine. Russia must end its military operations immediately. “
BRITISH PRIME MINISTER BORIS JOHNSON
“President Putin has chosen the path of bloodshed and destruction by launching this unprovoked attack on Ukraine …
This is a catastrophe for our continent.
“I am now allowing additional US forces to be stationed in Germany as part of NATO’s response, including some US-based forces that the Department of Defense put on alert weeks ago,” Biden said.
A moment later, a Pentagon official told reporters that the Secretary of Defense had ordered the deployment of 7,000 US troops to Europe. It will include an armored brigade, the official said.
Biden also said the United States is working with other nations to release oil from global strategic reserves to control prices.
The price of a barrel of Brent international crude oil exceeded $ 105 after Russia, one of the world’s largest oil producers, launched its attack.
“We are working actively with countries around the world to increase the collective release of strategic oil reserves of major energy-intensive countries,” Biden said.
“The United States will release additional barrels of oil if conditions require it.”
Biden acknowledged that Americans are already suffering from inflation.
“I will do my best to reduce the pain that the American people are experiencing at the gas station,” he said.
“It’s critical for me.
“But this aggression cannot continue with an answer. If that were the case, the consequences for America would be much worse.
“America opposes tyrants, we stand for freedom. This is us.
The invasion – a naked attempt to redraw the map of Europe by force – marks the most coherent attempt to overthrow the post-Cold War world order and risks provoking the bloodiest conflict in Europe since the end of World War II.
Emphasizing the seriousness of the moment, the adviser of the Ukrainian Ministry of Internal Affairs Anton Herashchenko said: “As of today, the world has a new geopolitical reality. Either Ukraine and the world will stop the new Hitler now, or there will be a third world war.
Western leaders lined up to condemn Russia’s actions in the early hours as security councils convened around the world to respond. Severe sanctions have followed, and more shipments of military equipment to Ukraine are expected, provided they can find a route.
But NATO and the United States have made it clear that no troops will be sent, leaving Ukraine’s army – far lower than Russia’s – to sustain the attack alone.
Few expect him to emerge victorious from what is almost certain to be a protracted, bloody and brutal war.
NATO is expected to focus its efforts on halting the spread of war in neighboring countries. Poland, a member of the alliance, shares a vast land border with Ukraine. The Baltic states of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, also members of NATO, will now fear a Russian attack.
The alliance began moving its forces early Thursday, bringing 100 combat-ready aircraft to Europe, all moving more troops to the Baltic states.
Moldova, where some Russian ground forces are already based, is also at risk of falling to Putin. From there, he could strike at Romania, another former Soviet state.
Unconfirmed reports say that Russian forces have destroyed or rendered useless the Ukrainian fleet and hit Borispol airport in Kiev. Access to the Black and Azov Seas has been cut off.
Putin justified all this in a televised address, saying the attack was necessary to protect civilians in eastern Ukraine – a false claim that the United States predicted it would make as a pretext for invasion.
He accused the United States and its allies of ignoring Russia’s demands to prevent Ukraine from joining NATO and about security guarantees. He also said that Russia does not intend to occupy Ukraine, but will take action to “demilitarize” it and bring to justice those who have committed crimes.
Russia’s Defense Ministry said it was not targeting cities but using precision weapons, and said “there is no threat to the civilian population.”