WASHINGTON. Russia’s decision send troops to Ukraine On Monday, the US and Europe were faced with the task of deciding how quickly to impose tough sanctions on Moscow, seeking to strike a balance between punishment, deterrence and maintaining unity among allies.
President Biden’s initial response was cautious and limited to a narrow set of sanctions targeting two regions in eastern Ukraine that are partly controlled by Russia-backed separatists and that Russian President Vladimir Putin recognized as independent on Monday.
The targeted nature of the sanctions appears to have been intended to allow the United States and its European allies to hold back the most aggressive sanctions they have threatened to impose on Moscow if Mr. Putin launches a full-scale attack to overthrow the democratically elected government. Ukraine. .
Privately, administration officials have acknowledged that Mr. Putin appears uninterested in further talks that did not address his core demands for a halt to NATO’s eastward expansion, and suggested that he was tolerating diplomatic initiatives largely to buy time. to concentrate their forces.
White House officials said further Western response would almost certainly be announced on Tuesday, and by then, several of Mr. Biden’s aides said they expected to see Russian troops cross the border into Ukraine, crossing the line set by Mr. Biden. . the imposition of “quick and hard” sanctions against Moscow.
That the most severe of those include the disconnection of Russia’s largest banks from the global economic system, the starvation of Russian heavy industry with semiconductors and other advanced technologies, and – if it comes to that – insurgent weapons how Ukrainians fight for their freedom.
But it was not clear whether Mr. Biden or his more reluctant allies, especially Germany and Italy, which depend on Russian gas imports, were ready to impose a full package of sanctions.
Mr Putin stepwise approach increased pressure on Ukraine appears to be designed to exploit any cracks in what unified position of NATO and Europe. Some countries may be reluctant to resort to the harshest sanctions if Mr. Putin’s forces remain in Russian-speaking eastern Ukraine, where Russia wielded a lot of influence during the eight-year conflict.
However, the limited geographic scope of Mr Putin’s initial claim to Ukrainian territory contrasted sharply with the conclusion from his long hour-long speech on Monday that the entire country is part of Russia.
He made it clear that his broader goal was to take back Ukraine and continue rebuilding the empire that collapsed with the fall of the Soviet Union three decades ago. At one point, he said bluntly: “Modern Ukraine was entirely created by Russia—Bolshevik, communist Russia, to be precise.”
At a press briefing on condition of anonymity Monday night, a senior administration official called Mr. Putin’s speech an appeal to the Russian people to justify the war and said the administration had no illusions about what might happen next.
But it’s unclear whether Mr. Putin cares about the next round of sanctions, believing his economy can withstand whatever Mr. Biden and other Western leaders throw at him. In his speech, he called Mr. Biden’s threats of sanctions “blackmail,” saying they “would have been applied to Russia no matter what happens in Ukraine.”
Updated
February 21, 2022 9:27 pm ET
“The goal,” he argued, “is to keep Russia behind, to prevent it from developing. And they will do it even without a formal pretext. Just because we exist.”
Mr. Putin’s tortuous, disgruntled speech was filled with accusations that Ukraine was seeking to develop its own nuclear arsenal – there is no evidence that this is true – and that NATO was plotting to place Tomahawk missiles on Ukrainian soil, from where they could strike strike on Russia in a matter of minutes. .
“I have no doubt that they are already considering how to implement these plans,” Mr. Putin said.
US officials have been saying for months that there are no such plans, and Mr. Biden told a January press conference that Ukraine still has many years to go to qualify for NATO membership. But he is unwilling to bow to Mr. Putin’s demand that NATO stop accepting new members and that he provide binding written assurances that Ukraine will never become part of the Western alliance.
Mr. Biden’s ability to counter any military action in Ukraine in the coming days is limited. He has repeatedly stated that he will not allow American troops to fight in Ukraine. But there are no guarantees that the conflict will not go beyond Ukraine.
Europe was support for refugees a flight from a modern, albeit corrupt, democracy whose president, Volodymyr Zelensky, was in Munich on Saturday, defending his case that NATO should open its doors to his country—and thereby protect it. Biden’s own national security officials have been warning U.S. utilities, banks and other businesses to harden their networks against what they fear will be a wave of Russian-origin cyberattacks and ransomware they have publicly warned could be released in response to the sanctions. .
While Mr. Biden’s actions Monday night were restrained, his administration denounced Russia’s decision as a violation of the rules that govern world order.
In a statement, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki called Putin’s actions “a flagrant violation of Russia’s international obligations.”
UN Secretary-General António Guterres called this action a violation of the charter of his organization. The UN Security Council was holding an emergency meeting late on Monday, in which the United States and its allies condemned Moscow’s actions, but Russia has a veto in this body, saying it can block any action.
In a joint statement, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President Charles Michel wrote that the European Union “will respond with sanctions against those involved in this illegal act” and that it “reaffirms its unwavering support for the independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine”. within its internationally recognized boundaries.”
White House officials said Mr. Biden spoke with Mr. Zelensky for about 35 minutes after Mr. Putin’s speech. Ms Psaki did not provide any details about the call, but said the United States “continues to consult closely with allies and partners, including Ukraine.”
Mr. Biden’s decision to withhold full sanctions — for now — came as voices across the political spectrum called on Monday for the United States and its European allies to take threatening economic action against Moscow now before Mr. Putin extends his control beyond the country. Donbass region in eastern Ukraine.
“Mr. Putin’s decision must be immediately met with strong sanctions to destroy the ruble and crush the Russian oil and gas sector,” Senator Lindsey Graham, a South Carolina Republican and longtime Russia hawk, said. tweeted shortly after the Russian President concluded his speech.
Even close allies of Mr. Biden, such as Senator Chris Koons, a Delaware Democrat who often consults with the president on foreign policy, said Monday night that it was time to bring economic sanctions on Russia.
“Now is the time to take measures that impose significant costs on President Putin and the Kremlin,” he said in a statement released during his tour of Eastern European NATO countries. He said Mr. Putin “made it clear that he intends to continue invading Ukraine in a clear attempt to redraw the borders of Eastern Europe to Moscow’s whims.”
Michael A. McFaul, who was President Barack Obama’s ambassador to Russia, also urged Mr. Biden and United States allies not to wait.
“Let’s be clear, this act is an invasion of the sovereign country of Ukraine,” he said. tweeted. “The West must respond with force, not ‘proportionately’, and apply the full range of sanctions they have promised.”