Biden: Defensive assistance to Ukraine will continue

Biden said the United States has no intention of fighting Russia but the US will continue to provide defensive assistance to Ukraine.

Biden: 'Putin poised to go much further'

President Joe Biden said Putin is poised to go much further, which would mean more sanctions.

Biden addresses rising costs

Biden said defending freedom will have costs "for us as well, and here at home."

He addressed the risk of rising costs as the conflict with Russia escalates.

"I'm going to take robust action to make sure the pain of our sanctions is targeted to the Russian economy, not our's," Biden said.

Biden warns of Russia taking more territory

President Joe Biden called Putin's move of claiming two territories are no longer part of Ukraine "bizarre."

Biden on Russia stockpiling blood supplies

Biden said in his news conference that "You don’t need blood unless you plan on starting a war."

The comment came in response to Russia reportedly stockpiling blood supplies at the Ukrainian border.

'First tranche' of US sanctions

President Joe Biden said US sanctions against Russia will affect two financial institutions, Russian sovereign debt, and Russian elites and their family members.

Biden says US moves are 'totally defensive'

Biden made it clear in his news conference that he wants to de-escalate any conflict with Russia.

"Let me be clear, these are totally defensive moves on our part," the US president said when announcing troops already in Europe would strengthen forces in Baltic ally countries.

"We have no intention of fighting Russia."

More sanctions possible

President Biden said more sanctions could be on the way if Putin descends further in Ukraine.

He declared in his news conference that Moscow flagrantly violated international law by invading Ukraine.

Biden: We'll judge Russia 'on actions not words'

President Biden is hoping diplomacy is still an option when it comes to Russia's aggression toward Ukraine, but he warned of challenges associated with that.

"We're clear about the challenges we're facing. Nonetheless, we're still trying to avert the worst case scenario that will bring untold suffering to millions of people if they move as suggested," Biden said.

"The United States and our allies and partners remain open to diplomacy. It is serious. When all is said and done, we're going to judge Russia by its actions, not its words.

"And whatever Russia does next we're ready to respond with Unity, clarity and conviction, and hoping diplomacy is still available."

PRESIDENT Joe Biden has announced new sanctions against Russia after President Vladimir Putin sent troops into Ukraine.

Biden said more US troops will head to Baltic ally states as new financial sanctions against Russia will affect two financial institutions, Russian sovereign debt, and Russian elites.

Biden detailed the sanctions on Tuesday in his third news conference within a week.

It came after Putin ordered troops over the Russian border in a dramatic escalation of tensions.

In a further chilling development today, Russia's parliament voted to allow Putin to use armed forces abroad.

The much-feared Russian advance began in the early hours, soon after Putin announced he recognized Luhansk and Donetsk as independent states in a bombastic TV address.

Pentagon chief calls on Putin to avoid full-blown "war of choice"

Russian President Vladimir Putin can still avoid a full-blown war of choice, U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said on Tuesday at the start of talks at the Pentagon with Ukraine's Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba.

"Mr. Putin can still avoid a full-blown, tragic war of choice," Austin told Kuleba, adding: "We will continue to work closely with you."

Before reporters were escorted from the room, Kuleba said: "My message is simple: (a) strong Ukraine is the best deterrence of Russia."

Russia establishes diplomatic relations with Ukraine separatist regions

Russia has said it had established diplomatic relations with Ukraine's separatist-controlled regions recognised by President Vladimir Putin as independent this week.

"An agreement was drawn up on the establishment from that date (February 22) of diplomatic relations between the Russian Federation and the Donetsk People's Republic, as well as the Russian Federation and Lugansk People's Republic at the level of embassies," the foreign ministry in Moscow said.

Ukraine soldier killed, six wounded in war-torn east, army says

A Ukrainian soldier died Tuesday and six received injuries in clashes with Moscow-backed rebels in the separatist east, the army said, as fears grow that Russia is preparing to invade.

"One soldier was killed" as a result of shelling from separatist-held areas in the Lugansk region, military spokesman Pavlo Kovalchuk told AFP.

Karnice600:


Can you please summarize all of these in a sentence? Cos the 'all caps' thing in this comment is doing more harm to its meaning, if it has any.

Biden and Johnson condemn Russia's actions as an 'invasion'

The much feared Russian advance began in the early hours, soon after Putin announced he recognised Luhansk and Donetsk as independent states in a bombastic TV address.

Joe Biden and Boris Johnson condemned the move as an "invasion" and slapped sanctions on Russian banks and Putin's billionaire cronies.

Meanwhile, Russia announced it was pulling its diplomats out of Ukraine, claiming staff have 'received threats'.

The move came as European Union countries unanimously agreed a package of sanctions against the country, with EU foreign affairs policy chief, Josep Borrell, warning of a "particularly dangerous moment for Europe".

Biden says the world 'is open to democracy'

President Joe Biden has said the world has heard "the full extent of Vladimir Putin's twisted rewrite of history" but added the US is still "open to diplomacy".

Speaking at a White House briefing on the Ukraine crisis, said he had been in "constant contact" with European leaders on how to respond "in unison" to any threat from Russia.

"Yesterday the world heard clearly the full extent of Vladimir Putin's twisted rewrite of history," he said.

"Nothing in Putin's remarks indicate any interest in pursuing real dialogue in European dialogue in the year 2022. He directly attacked Ukraine's right to exist."

However, Mr Biden added that there was still a chance to "avert the worst-case scenario" which would "bring untold suffering to millions of people".

"The United States and our allies remain open to diplomacy, if it is serious," Mr Biden said. "But when all is said and done, we're going to judge Russia by its actions, not its words, and whatever Russia does next we're ready to respond with unity, clarity and conviction."

President Biden: Russia has begun to invade Ukraine

US President Joe Biden said Tuesday that Russia has begun to invade Ukraine and plans to go much further than he had previously indicated.

"This is the beginning of a Russian invasion of Ukraine," the US leader said, referring to Russian President Vladimir Putin's stated plans to send troops deep into the Donbas region.

"He's setting up a rationale to take more territory by force," Biden said in an address from the White House.

West takes aim at Russia

Britain and its western allies have retaliated to what Boris Johnson has deemed an "invasion" of Ukraine with the threat of tougher sanctions to rain down if Russian aggression continues.

The Prime Minister announced on Tuesday that three billionaire allies of Vladimir Putin and five Russian banks would face punitive measures as he warned the Kremlin appeared to be "establishing the pretext for a full-scale offensive" by sending troops in the Donbas region under the guise of being "peacekeepers".

It follows weeks of tensions on the eastern border of Ukraine, which Mr Putin claimed, in a national address, never "had a tradition of genuine statehood" following the fall of the USSR.

The West reacted with outrage at the incursion, and US president Joe Biden said he expected the Kremlin to start a war as he announced his own plans to punish Russia.

But in the Commons, MPs said the sanctions announced by Downing Street had not gone far enough, although Mr Johnson insisted this was only the "first barrage".

Mr Johnson told the Commons that immediate sanctions were being deployed against three "very high net wealth individuals", Gennady Timchenko, Boris Rotenberg and Igor Rotenberg - who he described as "cronies" of the Russian president.

The sanctions, which include UK asset freezes, a travel ban and prohibition on British individuals and businesses dealing with them, were also tabled against Russian banks Rossiya, IS Bank, General Bank, Promsvyazbank and the Black Sea Bank.

Russia v Ukraine: What we know so far

°President Vladimir Putin launched an effective invasion of eastern Ukraine

°He ordered tanks across the border into the newly-recognised Donetsk and Luhansk regions

°He's claimed his tanks are carrying out "peacekeeping functions"

°But the actions could trigger bloodiest conflict since WW2

°The US, UK and EU have vowed to hit Russia with sanctions today

°Boris Johnson is holding a dawn Cobra meeting to discuss the UK's response

Canada imposes economic sanctions on Russia

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Tuesday announced a first round of economic sanctions on Russia.

It comes a day after Moscow recognised the separatist regions of Donetsk and Luhansk as independent.

The United States, the European Union, Germany and Britain also announced ways they will hit Russia financially as they fear a further incursion is to come, a move Moscow has consistently denied for months.

Biden says 'none of us should be fooled'

Joe Biden said he expected the Kremlin to start a war and that "none of us should be fooled".

The US President told reporters: "We still believe that Russia is poised to go much further in launching a massive military attack against Ukraine."

He said: "There are still well over 150,000 Russian troops surrounding Ukraine, and as I said, Russian forces remain positioned to Belarus to attack Ukraine from the north, including warplanes and offensive missile systems.

"Russia's moved troops closer to Ukraine's border with Russia.

"Russia's naval vessels are manoeuvring in the Black Sea to Ukraine's south including amphibious assault ships, missile cruisers, and submarines.

Russia has moved supplies of blood and medical equipment into position on their border. You don't need blood unless you plan on starting a war."

Russian banks sanctioned

Three uber-rich oligarchs close to the Kremlin - Gennady Timchenko, Boris Rotenberg and Igor Rotenberg - will be sanctioned.

The PM said: "Any assets they hold in the UK will be frozen, the individuals concerned will be banned from travelling here, and we will prohibit all UK individuals and entities from having any dealings with them.

The Foreign Office said the sanctions regime will hit "oligarchs at the heart of Putin’s inner circle and banks which have bankrolled the Russian occupation of Crimea".

Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline

Putin was dealt a further gut punch as Germany pulled the plug on the multi-billion-pound Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline.

The undersea pipeline, meant to ferry natural gas directly from Russia to northern Germany, is owned by a subsidiary of Russia’s state-owned Gazprom.

Berlin has previously been reluctant to impose sanctions that would affect Nord Stream 2.

But at a press conference, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said that “the situation today is fundamentally different and therefore, in light of recent events, we must also reassess this situation … also with regard to Nord Stream 2.”

Severing banking ties
In the case of an invasion, among the US's load of sanctions, President Biden announced that the US banks will cut relationships with Russian banks, Reuters reported.

Russian companies' access to US dollars and British pounds if the Kremlin orders an invasion would also be stopped

EU to help fight off cyberattacks from Russia

The European Union will mobilize a team of cybersecurity experts to help Ukraine fight off cyberattacks from Russia, officials told POLITICO.

The EU’s Cyber Rapid Response Team includes around 10 national cybersecurity officials of six European countries — Croatia, Estonia, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Poland and Romania.

These countries can provide assistance to countries under cyberattack.

The move comes following the warning from Ukrainian cybersecurity services that there were incoming cyberattacks and threats on Monday.

Sanctions must go ‘much further’

Foreign Affairs Committee chairman Tom Tugendhat said UK sanctions against Russia should go “much further, much faster”.

Mr Tugendhat told the BBC: “I’d like to see this go much further, much faster. As my former boss, the chief of the defence staff, General Lord Richards, put it: clout, don’t dribble.

“You allow people to think that you’re not serious if you don’t respond seriously quickly, and it can lead to worse confusion in the future.”

Later, he added that the UK “shouldn’t be waiting for Russia to attack others to clean up corruption in our country”.

EU brands the Russian action as an ‘act of war’

The first indication Russian forces were moving cam in footage of Terminator-style Russian forces taken from Makiivka, in the so-called Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR), and the neighbouring Luhansk People’s Republic (LPR).

The rest of Ukraine is now braced for a massive attack from the north, south and east “at any moment” after Putin declared the besieged nation was “part of Russia.”

It emerged today that Moscow is urgently seeking medics to go to work in makeshift hospitals in Rostov, close to the republics.

A doctor said: “Today we have been offered to go work at a temporary hospital in Rostov.

“This is how they said it: ‘The salary will be high, your patients will be the wounded’.”

The EU branded the Russian action as an “act of war” as the bloc was preparing to hit the Kremlin with sanctions.

Why is Russia invading Ukraine?

Putin had previously stated that Russia had no plans to attack Ukraine, and, in December 2021, armed forces chief Valery Gerasimov even denounced reports of an impending invasion as a lie.

He said that more than 95 per cent of Moscow's ground-based strategic nuclear forces are "kept in constant readiness for combat use".

However, the US says Russia has offered no explanation for the mobilisation of troops posted close in the months before the suspected invasion began.

Western experts believe Russia has mobilised more than 130,000 troops along its northern, eastern and southern borders with Ukraine.

Russia has also sent troops into Belarus, a close ally, for what are described as joint military exercises although it is believed this is just a cover to send forces to the Ukraine border.

On February 22, 2022, a UK minister confirmed that "invasion of Ukraine had begun" as Putin ordered Russian troops into Ukraine on "peacekeeping mission."

Why Russia is invading Ukraine (continued...)

At the time, it was reported that there were 200,000 troops ringing the eastern European nation.

It came after the House of Commons Defence Committee chairman Tobias Ellwood MP described the potential invasion as "inevitable" after Kyiv blamed Russia for a massive cyber attack earlier in January 2022.

The attack left much of the country without heat, light and access to cash, which is feared to act as a prelude to an invasion.

Mr Ellwood wrote on Twitter: "RUSSIA is on the brink of an invasion. And once again will try to re-draw the map of Eastern Europe. History will ask - why did we not learn from history?"

Putin is believed to want to reclaim many territories lost at the fall of the Soviet Union.

He first made inroads into Ukraine back in 2014 when Russian troops illegally annexed the Crimea peninsula - sparking international condemnation.

Conflict has raged in Eastern Ukraine ever since as Putin backed-rebels fight against the government in the disputed Donbas region.

And on February 21, 2022, Putin signed a decree recognising the Donetsk and Luhansk rebel republic.

Military experts believe it was used as a pretext for Russian troops to cross the border into those areas.

Weeks earlier, British nationals were told to leave Ukraine while commercial routes were still open as tensions in the region rose.

The warning from the Foreign Office came as the US said Russia could invade "any day now" and told its own citizens to leave in the next 48 hours.

Armed forces Minister James Heappey said the advice to Britons in Ukraine had changed because Russia was at a stage where it could attack "at no notice".

He warned that the Royal Air Force would not be "in a position" to go and fly people out at a later date if they stayed in the country.

Liz Truss: 'Nothing is off the table'

Foreign Secretary Liz Truss said Britain will "use every lever at our disposal to stop (Vladimir Putin) in his tracks":

Writing in The Times, Ms Truss said: "Time after time, we and our allies have said that any further invasion would have severe consequences. Now Russia has chosen to abandon diplomacy, we have a moral duty to stand with Ukraine and demonstrate that we mean what we say.

"We have put in place our toughest sanctions regime against Russia. Nothing is off the table."

Ms Truss said she had held a call with G7 allies to "agree the next package".

"We are looking at sanctioning members of the Russian Duma and Federation Council. And we will extend the territorial sanctions imposed on Crimea to the separatist-controlled territories in the Donbas," she said.

We have a long list of those complicit in the actions of the Russian leadership. Should Russia refuse to pull back its troops we can keep turning up the heat, targeting more banks, elites and companies of significance."

She added: "In time, even those close to President Putin will come to see his decisions this week as a self-inflicted wound."

'Champions League shouldn't go ahead in St Petersburg'

The Foreign Secretary, Liz Truss, says she 'doesn't believe the Champions League should go ahead in St Petersburg'.

Teaser4:
i wonder how you take sabi say ppl for that side dey regret ni, wey you never enter airplane for your life…. No go find better thing do