Tensions between Russia and Ukraine escalated dramatically on Monday, with Russian President Vladimir Putin taking steps that could be seen as the basis for a military strike on the country of more than 40 million people.
The Biden administration and its allies have been pursuing a diplomatic blockade for weeks to avoid a Russian attack that could spark war in Europe.
But the window seemed to close on Monday when Putin signed decrees recognizing the so-called Donetsk People's Republic and the Luhansk People's Republic as autonomous, two areas of Ukraine's Donbass where Russian-backed separatist Ukrainian forces have been fighting for years. Are fighting
Within hours, the Russian leader instructed Russian troops to operate in those areas. Experts warn that by doing so, the Russian military could launch a full-scale operation in Ukrainian territory and pave the way for further attacks.
"It's like a building," Rose Gottemoeller, a former NATO deputy secretary general, told The Hill in an interview.
In an hour-long commentary on recognizing the two territories as independent, Putin rewrote the history of what Western experts say called into question Ukraine's independence and presented the nation as historically and culturally Russian. ۔ He claimed that Ukraine was being used by the West and targeted the government of Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky.
A senior Biden administration official told reporters Monday that it was a "speech to the Russian people to justify war."
"We will continue our diplomacy until the tanks are ready, but we have no illusions about what will happen next," the official added.
Michael Carpenter, the US ambassador to the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), on Monday described Putin's move as a "complete Russian war against Ukraine."
Carpenter said in a statement to the OSCE in Vienna that "despite Russia's allegations, the hard truth is that Russia is currently trying to justify military action."
Shortly after Putin's remarks, Biden signed an executive order barring US investment, trade and financing from entering the Donetsk and Luhansk regions and authorizing sanctions on those working in those areas. Given.
A senior administration official indicated on Monday that further sanctions would be imposed on Tuesday, without elaborating. The European Union has also promised to impose sanctions on Putin's decision.
The White House has promised for weeks that Russia would impose economic sanctions if it launches another military strike on Ukraine, and pressure to do so will only increase after Monday's developments.
Top administration officials will not directly answer questions about what Russia's new invasion of Ukraine will mean, only that the United States will review Russia's actions in the coming hours and days and respond accordingly. ۔
"We are going to observe and review what Russia does next and overnight," the official said. "We are going to respond to any action that Russia takes in a way that we think is appropriate."
At one point, the official noted that Russia has had troops in Donbass for eight years, but suggested that on Monday, under Putin's command, the forces would work more clearly.
The announcement of the US sanctions, along with US Ambassador to the United Nations Linda Thomas Greenfield, said she supported Ukraine's demand for an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council on Russia's threats against Ukraine.
This will be the third such meeting in less than a month that the Security Council will focus on the crisis with Russia, and will take place at a time when Russia has a rotating presidency of the Security Council in February.
Every member state of the United Nations has a stake in the future," Thomas Greenfield said in a statement. "Russia's actions pose a threat to the international system, which has been based on the principle since World War II that one country cannot unilaterally redraw another's borders. This principle is enshrined in the UN Charter, which all Member States pledge to maintain.
A senior administration official said on Monday that the United States values the convening of another Security Council meeting, as Russia is "one of the most important international bodies in the world in maintaining peace and stability." It is forced to respond to the actions taken today.
The White House signaled late Sunday night that it was leaving the door open for diplomacy, even hours before its own officials raised the possibility of a violent and devastating attack on Ukraine. Was warned
Press Secretary Jane Sickie said Biden had agreed to meet with Putin "in principle" until Russia temporarily invaded Ukraine. But with the steps taken by Moscow on Monday, such a meeting appeared out of the table.
"Our strong sense, based on what we see on the ground in the surrounding areas in the north, east and south of Ukraine, is that Russia is continuing to prepare for military action that could take place in the coming hours. This is the day, "said a senior Biden administration official.
Secretary of State Anthony Blinken is scheduled to meet with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lvov in Europe on Thursday. Lvov appeared to be hinting at a meeting with the secretary general on Monday, but the Biden administration appears to be debating whether to move the meeting forward in light of Russia's latest move.
David Kramer, who spent three years as Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs during George W. Bush's administration, warned that Russia's next steps could take different forms. Moscow could launch major cyberattacks, try to disrupt the pipeline passing through Ukraine, or send more troops into Ukrainian territory.
"There is a lot at stake here," said Kramer, who serves as a member of the advisory board of the Vandenberg Coalition, which focuses on foreign policy. "But doing nothing in response to Russia's forcible occupation of the region since World War II is not a viable position because Putin's appetite will only increase."
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