Photo: EPA/Leigh Vogel / EFE
For: EFE Updated 20 Jan 2022, 13: 38 pm EST
The president of the United States, Joe Biden, clarified this Thursday that any type of Russian incursion into territory Ukrainian will be considered “an invasion” and will have a “severe response”, after the confusion it generated by insinuating that Washington would qualify the consequences of an occupation of smaller scale.
Speaking to the press at an event at the White House, Biden assured that there is “no misunderstanding” and that “if any Russian unit crosses the border with Ukraine, that is an invasion ”.
If this happens, he warned the Russian president, Vladimir Putin, that “he will encounter a severe and coordinated economic response” from the United States. United States, the European Union (EU) and NATO.
“ There is no doubt, that there is no no doubt, that if Putin makes this decision, Russia will pay a heavy price“, reiterated the president.
The day before, during a press conference on the occasion of his first anniversary in the White House, Biden created confusion about the Ukrainian crisis by suggesting that the response of The West might not be so tough if Moscow opts for some measure that does not involve a full-scale invasion.
White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki, was forced to clarify later in a statement that “if any Russian military force crosses the border with Ukraine”, Washington will consider it “a new invasion” and impose “swift and serious” retaliation in coordination with its European allies.
Despite the rectification, the president of Ukraine, Volodímir Zelenski, responded Thursday to Biden that “there are no minor incursions”.
In parallel, the United States Department of the Treasury announced this Thursday sanctions against four or Ukrainians, including two members of the country’s parliament, accused of being involved in activities to “destabilize” Ukraine “under the direction” of the security services Russian intelligence.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who traveled to Ukraine this week to show his support, has scheduled to meet on Friday in Geneva (Switzerland) with his Russian counterpart, Sergey Lavrov.
The objective of the meeting is to lower the high tension that exists around Ukraine, due to the strong fear of the West that Russia will invade that country at any moment.
The Kremlin has repeatedly denied that it has planned such an invasion, but the significant presence of Russian troops on the Ukrainian border, with some 100.000 troops, and the new military maneuvers announced by Moscow for the coming weeks. have increased the nervousness of the United States and NATO.
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