By 1news.co.nz and is republished with permission.
President Joe Biden announced the US was ordering heavy financial sanctions against Russian banks and oligarchs on Wednesday, declaring that Moscow had flagrantly violated international law in what he called the “beginning of a Russian invasion of Ukraine.”
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“None of us will be fooled” by Russian President Vladimir Putin’s claims about Ukraine, the US President said. And he said more sanctions could be on the way if Putin proceeds further.
Biden said he was also moving additional US troops to the Baltic states on NATO’s eastern flank bordering Russia.
Biden joined the 27 European Union members who unanimously agreed on Wednesday to levy their own initial set of sanctions targeting Russian officials over their actions in Ukraine.
The Russian president has ordered “peace keeping” troops into Donetsk and Luhansk regions. (Source: BBC)
It comes as Russian lawmakers authorised President Vladimir Putin to use military force outside the country — a move that could presage a broader attack on Ukraine after the US said an invasion was already underway there.
Several European leaders said Russian troops rolled into rebel-held areas in eastern Ukraine after Putin recognised their independence.
It comes after Vladimir Putin ordered “peace keeping” troops into two regions of Ukraine. (Source: 1News)
But it was unclear how large the deployment was, and Ukraine and its Western allies have long said Russian troops were fighting in the region, allegations that Moscow always denied.
