President Biden authorizes troop movement in Baltic nations after Russian troops move into separatist-controlled Ukrainian regions
Russian troops have gone into eastern Ukrainian regions that separatists have controlled since 2014.
Russia has invaded Ukraine, raising concerns about the possible start of a new Cold War.
After Russia sent troops into eastern Ukrainian areas controlled by Russian-backed separatists, President Joe Biden responded Tuesday by moving more troops and F-35 Joint Strike Fighters to Europe.
At the same time, President Biden stressed he has no plans to send U.S. troops into combat with Russia and that the military buildup in Europe was strictly defensive.
President Biden said he authorized the movement of U.S. forces and equipment to help Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania in face of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s refusal to withdraw forces from Belarus.
Earlier on Tuesday, national media sources reported that President Biden announced sanctions against Russia in response to Mr. Putin’s decision to order troops into separatist-controlled regions of eastern Ukraine. Those troops have gone into those areas.
President Biden said President Putin’s deployment of troops signals the beginning of an invasion of Ukraine, which President Biden said would be met with sanctions. On Tuesday, he made that official with sanctions targeting the Russian financial institutions, and President Biden said more sanctions could follow.
But Tuesday’s sanctions fall short of curtailing oil and gas exports out of Russia, said a senior State Department official quoted by the Wall Street Journal. The official explained the goal is to impact the Russian economy without damaging the one in America.
The Russian invasion comes after President Putin’s decision Monday to officially recognize the newly proclaimed Donetsk People’s Republic and Luhansk People’s Republic, two eastern Ukrainian regions that Russian-backed separatists have controlled since 2014.
So far, Russia has not unleashed the force of its 150,000 troops on three sides of Ukraine, according to The Associated Press.
In other developments Tuesday:
— Secretary of State Antony Blinken canceled his plans to meet with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov because of the Russian invasion, NBC News reported.
— Germany stopped its work on certifying the Nord Stream gas pipeline from Russia. Olaf Scholz, the nation’s new chancellor, said the decision was made in response to Russia’s actions regarding Ukraine.
— Two Ukrainian soldiers died because of shrapnel wounds that resulted from shelling by Russian forces in eastern Ukraine, according to Ukraine’s Defense Ministry.
— NBC News reported that Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., has asked for an all-senators briefing on Ukraine.
On Monday, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-California, sent a similar request for her chamber to the White House.
— U.S. Sen. Jack Reed, D-R.I., the chair of the Senate Armed Services Committee, and Sen. Jim Inhofe, R-Okla., the committee’s ranking member, issued a joint statement condemning the Russian invasion. They said President Putin “trampled on Ukraine’s sovereignty and jeopardized the peace that was forged in the aftermath of the Cold War.”
— U.S. Rep. Salud Carbajal, D-Santa Barbara, issued a statement Tuesday evening condemning the Russian invasion.
“Two months ago, I visited Ukraine with a bipartisan Congressional delegation and heard firsthand their growing concerns about Russia’s attempts to destabilize Ukraine’s democracy and divide the U.S. and its allies. Now, we have seen an unprovoked and illegal escalation of those efforts with Russia’s invasion of eastern regions of Ukraine,” Rep. Carbajal said.
“I join President Biden, our NATO partners, and the entire free world in condemning this blatant act of aggression and clear violation of international law.
“The Biden Administration and my colleagues and I in Congress will continue to maintain unwavering support for the Ukrainian people and their sovereignty by imposing crippling sanctions on Russian individuals and institutions who are responsible for this unprovoked invasion.
“The time for diplomacy is not over, but clear and painful consequences for Vladimir Putin are necessary to respond to this aggression. While I do not want to see American combat troops directly involved in this conflict, targeted sanctions and continued security assistance for Ukraine will enable the international community to send a clear message that Russia must reverse course and Ukraine must remain free to make its own decision and choose its own future.”
email: dmason@newspress.com
