The White House signaled Tuesday that it considers Russia’s actions in Ukraine to be an invasion, and said a “severe response” is in the works.
“I am calling it an invasion,” deputy national security adviser Jon Finer told CNN. He said, “sanctions on Russia will be rolling out in a matter of hours.”
Other Western allies joined the pushback on Moscow, with world leaders denouncing President Vladimir Putin’s recognition of two Ukrainian provinces as independent and ordering of troops there to “maintain peace.”
Here’s what you need to know on the crisis between Russia and Ukraine:
A US national security official called Putin’s actions ‘the beginning’ of ‘Russia’s latest invasion’ into Ukraine, adding that diplomacy is now more difficult.
The White House is expecting to lay out new sanctions on Wednesday in response to Putin’s actions, following a ban on investment in Russian-backed separatist regions Donetsk and Luhansk.
Russian lawmakers have approved President Vladimir Putin’s recognition of the independence of two eastern Ukraine provinces.
In a significant move, Germany will stop certification of the Russian-owned Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline.
The UN Security Council met late Monday in an emergency session, with many members condemning the Kremlin’s actions.
As the Kremlin laid the groundwork to roll the military into two breakaway regions, Germany announced it was preparing to bring the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline to a grinding halt, a move it had previously been reluctant to make.
World leaders condemned Putin’s actions, and consequences from the U.S. were swift.
President Joe Biden signed an executive order in short order on Monday to sanction any Americans who invest in the eastern Ukraine regions, with a promise of more to come.
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced new sanctions against five Russian banks and three wealthy individuals in the latest international backlash to Putin’s decision to send troops into eastern Ukraine.
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In a speech to lawmakers Tuesday in the House of Commons, Johnson said Moscow’s actions “amount to a renewed invasion of that country.” The prime minister described the measures as “the first tranche, the first barrage of what we are prepared to do,” adding the British government is prepared to impose more sanctions if the situation escalates further.
The measures target Rossiya, IS Bank, General Bank, Promsvyazbank and the Black Sea Bank.
Three “very high net worth” individuals were also hit: Gennady Timchenko, Boris Rotenberg and Igor Rotenberg. Any assets the individuals hold in the U.K. will be frozen, and they will be banned from traveling to the country, while all U.K. individuals and entities will be prohibited from having dealings with them, according to Johnson.
He added Western allies would continue to seek a diplomatic solution “until the last possible moment, but we have to face the possibility that none of our messages have been heeded and that Putin is implacably determined to go further in subjugating and tormenting Ukraine.”
