Thu 24 February 2022:
President Joe Biden of the United States delivers a national address on Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
The US president condemned Vladimir Putin’s “brutal assault on the people of Ukraine,” accusing the Russian leader of rejecting every diplomatic opportunity presented to him.
“This is a premeditated attack,” Biden said. “Vladimir Putin has been planning this for months.”
“[Putin] has much larger ambitions in Ukraine. He wants to re-establish the former Soviet Union. That’s what this is about,” Biden has said.
“And I think that his ambitions are completely contrary to the place where the rest of the world has arrived.”
Biden sending more US forces to Germany
Biden has said he is authorising the deployment of additional US forces to Germany.
Biden announces sanctions and export controls against Russia
Biden has announced severe new sanctions on Russia in response to the invasion of Ukraine, including freezing assets of major banks and cutting off high-tech exports to the country.
“This is going to impose severe cost on the Russian economy, both immediately and over time,” Biden said.
He said the steps imposed in coordination with Europe will block top Russian banks from the US financial system and “cut off more than half of Russia’s high-tech imports”.
‘America stands up to bullies’
Biden has said “this cannot go on unanswered.
“If it did, the consequences for America would be much worse. America stands up to the bullies. We stand up for freedom. This is who we are,” Biden said.
“Putin’s actions betray his sinister vision for the future of our world, one where nations take what they want by force.”
Russian attack on Ukraine unfolding largely as predicted
Russia’s military attack on Ukraine is taking place as US officials had predicted, Biden has said, describing the invasion as “unprovoked”.
“For weeks, we have been warning that this would happen, and now it’s unfolding largely as we predicted,” the president said in a statement at the White House.
He said the invasion marked a “flagrant violation of international law”.
US will ‘limit Russia’s ability to do business in dollars, euros, pounds and yen’
Biden has said they will “limit Russia’s ability to do business in dollars, euros, pounds, and to be part of the global economy.
“Between our actions and those of our allies and partners, we estimate it will cut off more than half of Russians’ high tech imports,” Biden said.
“It will strike a blow to their ability to continue to modernise the military, hurt their aerospace industry – including their space program – hurt their ability to build ships reducing their ability to compete economically. [It] will be a major hit to Putin’s long term strategic ambitions.”
Russian assault on Ukraine going as Washington predicted
Biden has said that Russia has made an unprovoked assault on Ukraine and it is going largely as the US predicted.
Biden vowed new sanctions after what he called a flagrant violation of international law and Russia’s rejection of diplomacy.
Russia ‘will bear the consequences’ of new sanctions
Biden has said “Putin chose this war” in Ukraine, and he and Russia “will bear the consequences” of new sanctions.
He said Western sanctions will target four more major Russian banks.
SOURCE: INDEPENDENT PRESS AND NEWS AGENCIES
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