With over 100k Russian troops sitting on the Ukrainian border, Biden was trying to leave his options open when it came to the very possible conflict between Ukraine and Russia. So during a recent news conference, he gave a weak answer claiming we were not really behind Ukraine unless Russia goes all out. But the Ukrainian President saw this and demanded an answer, clearly concerned we were going to let Russia take them over. So Biden was forced to make a more supportive statement condemning Russia.
“At his Wednesday news conference, Biden said he expected Putin to launch some kind of action, and appeared to suggest Washington and its allies might disagree over the response if Moscow stopped short of a major invasion.
“It’s one thing if it’s a minor incursion and we end up having to fight about what to do and what to not do, et cetera,” the president said, adding that an invasion would be a “disaster” for Russia.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy responded sharply to that on Thursday, tweeting in English and Ukrainian:
“We want to remind the great powers that there are no minor incursions and small nations. Just as there are no minor casualties and little grief from the loss of loved ones.”
This forced Biden to make the following statement, which tells Russia we are now 100% behind Ukraine as opposed to before when it was only if NATO calls on us as it is our obligation.
“I’ve been absolutely clear with President Putin. He has no misunderstanding. If any — any — assembled Russian units move across the Ukrainian border, that is an invasion. But — and it would be met with a severe and coordinated economic response that I’ve discussed in detail with our allies, as well as laid out very clearly for President Putin.
But there is no doubt — let there be no doubt at all that if Putin makes this choice, Russia will pay a heavy price.
It is also not the only scenario we need to be prepared for: Russia has a long history of using measures other than overt military action to carry out aggression in paramilitary tactics, so-called “gray-zone” attacks, and actions by Russian soldiers not wearing Russian uniforms.
Remember when they moved into the Donbas with “Little Green Men”? They weren’t — they were dealing with those who were Russian sympathizers and said that Russia had no — nobody in there.
Well, that includes “Little Green Men” in uniforms, as well as cyberattacks.
We have to be ready to respond to these as well — and decisively — in a united way, with a range of tools at our disposal.
The Ukrainian Foreign Minister said this morning that he’s confident of our support and resolve. And he has a right to be.”
We are in a wait-and-see position right now, and with the way, Biden worded that, we may just end up sending Ukraine supplies and money they need instead of taking a more active role in the upcoming conflict.
dan