‘Putin chose this war,’ Biden says as he announces new sanctions against Russia – US politics live | US news

After his speech on the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Joe Biden was asked by a reporter why the US and its allies are not moving to block Russia out of Swift (the Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication).

“The sanctions that we have proposed on all of their banks are of equal consequence, maybe more consequence, than Swift,” Biden said.

He added, “It is always an option, but right now that’s not the position that the rest of Europe wishes to take.”

The West’s refusal to crack down on Russia’s use of Swift has outraged the Ukrainian government. The Guardian’s Daniel Boffey and Jessica Elgot report:

Ukraine’s foreign minister, Dmytro Kuleba, voiced his anger as EU heads of state and government appeared likely to decide against blocking Russia from an international payments system through which it receives foreign currency.

With casualties mounting, Kuleba warned that European and US politicians would have ‘blood on their hands’ if they failed to impose the heaviest toll on Moscow by cutting Russia from the so-called Swift payments system.

‘I will not be diplomatic on this,’ he tweeted. ‘Everyone who now doubts whether Russia should be banned from Swift has to understand that the blood of innocent Ukrainian men, women and children will be on their hands too. BAN RUSSIA FROM SWIFT.’

The US Treasury noted that the latest sanctions against Russia will impact nearly 80% of all banking assets in the country, fundamentally threatening the Russian economy and weakening the Kremlin’s geopolitical posture.

“Treasury is taking serious and unprecedented action to deliver swift and severe consequences to the Kremlin and significantly impair their ability to use the Russian economy and financial system to further their malign activity,” Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said.

“Our actions, taken in coordination with partners and allies, will degrade Russia’s ability to project power and threaten the peace and stability of Europe.”

Yellen said the US is also “prepared to impose further costs on Russia in response to its egregious actions” if Vladimir Putin pursues further aggression against Ukraine.

“We are united in our efforts to hold Russia accountable for its further invasion of Ukraine while mitigating impacts to Americans and our partners,” Yellen said.

The White House has released a fact sheet on the latest round of sanctions against Russia in response to Vladimir Putin launching a fuller-scale invasion of Ukraine.

The sanctions call for Sberbank, Russia’s largest bank, to be severed from the US financial system, restricting the bank’s access to transactions made in the American dollar.

Meanwhile, full sanctions will be imposed on four other financial institutions, including Russia’s second-largest bank of VTB. That measure will freeze any of the banks’ assets touching the US financial system and prohibit Americans from dealing with them.

Joe Biden was asked whether Vladimir Putin’s latest military actions in Ukraine and the resulting sanctions on Russia represent a complete rupture in US-Russian relations.

“There is a complete rupture right now in US-Russian relations if they continue on this path that they’re on,” Biden said.

Addressing the possibility of another Cold War starting, Biden said the vast majority of the world does not support Putin’s invasion of Ukraine.

“So it’s going to be a cold day for Russia,” Biden said. “You don’t see a whole lot of people coming to his defense.”

After taking several questions from reporters, Biden concluded the event and walked away from his podium in the East Room.

Another reporter pressed Joe Biden on the fact that Vladimir Putin has so far been undeterred by the threat of sanctions, asking what might be effective at stopping the Russian leader.

“No one expected the sanctions to prevent anything from happening. This could take time, and we have to show resolve so he knows what’s coming, and so the people of Russia know what he’s brought on them. That’s what this is all about,” Biden said.

“He’s going to test the resolve of the West to see if we stay together, and we will. We will, and it will impose significant costs on him.”

Joe Biden warned that Vladimir Putin is likely looking far beyond Ukraine as Russia launches a full-scale invasion of its neighboring country.

“He has much larger ambitions than Ukraine. He wants to, in fact, re-establish the former Soviet Union. That’s what this is about,” Biden said.

“And I think that his ambitions are completely contrary to the place where the rest of the world has arrived.”

Joe Biden took several questions from reporters after finishing his prepared remarks on the Russian invasion of Ukraine, which included an announcement of additional sanctions on Russia.

Asked whether he intends to speak to Vladimir Putin in the near future, Biden said, “I have no plans to talk with Putin.”

Another reporter asked Biden whether the US is urging China, which has traditionally aligned itself with Russia, to help the West isolate Putin.

“I’m not prepared to comment on that at the moment,” Biden said.

Joe Biden pledged that Vladimir Putin’s decision to invade Ukraine would cost Russia “dearly, economically and strategically,” as the US and its allies announce new sanctions against the country.

“Putin will be a pariah on the international stage,” Biden said, warning that any countries affiliating themselves with Russia would be “stained by association”.

“When the history of this era is written, Putin’s choice to make a totally unjustifiable war on Ukraine will have left Russia weaker and the rest of the world stronger,” Biden said.

Joe Biden emphasized the importance of the US and its allies standing up to Russian aggression, arguing that Vladimir Putin’s military maneuvers in Ukraine threaten freedom everywhere.

“This aggression cannot go unanswered. If it did, the consequences for America would be much worse,” Biden said. “America stands up to bullies. We stand up for freedom. This is who we are.”

Joe Biden said he was deploying more US troops to Germany in response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, but he emphasized that US troops would not be sent to Ukraine itself.

“Our forces are not, and will not be, engaged in the conflict with Russia in Ukraine,” Biden said.

“Our forces are not going to Europe to fight in Ukraine, but to defend our Nato allies and reassure those allies in the east.”

Biden reiterated that the US will fight to protect every inch of Nato territory and live up to its Article 5 commitments to defend its allies in the face of escalating Russian aggression.

Joe Biden said US oil and gas companies “should not exploit this moment,” amid concerns that the Russian invasion of Ukraine will cause sharply higher gas prices.

The president said he would release additional barrels of oil from the strategic petroleum reserve if necessary, as his administration closely monitors the energy industry.

“I will do everything in my power to limit the pain the American people are feeling at the gas pump,” Biden said. “But this aggression cannot go unanswered.”

Joe Biden said Vladimir Putin bears sole responsibility for the attack on Ukraine, and he announced his administration will impose more severe sanctions on Russia in response to the expanded invasion.

“Putin is the aggressor. Putin chose this war. And now he and his country will bear the consequences,” Biden said.

The US president said the sanctions will target four more Russian banks that were not included in the first tranche of sanctions, including VTB, the country’s second-largest bank.

“This will impose severe costs on the Russian economy both immediately and over time,” Biden said of the new sanctions.

Joe Biden has now appeared in the East Room of the White House to deliver a national address on the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

The US president condemned Vladimir Putin’s “brutal assault on the people of Ukraine,” accusing the Russian leader of rejecting every diplomatic opportunity presented to him.

“This is a premeditated attack,” Biden said. “Vladimir Putin has been planning this for months.”

As we await Joe Biden’s remarks on the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the secretary-general of the United Nations has weighed in on the crisis.

António Guterres reiterated that Vladimir Putin’s military actions in Ukraine directly violate the UN charter, which prohibits members from using force to threaten the territorial integrity or political independence of another country.

“It is wrong. It is against the charter. It is unacceptable, but it is not irreversible,” Guterres said, repeating his plea to Putin to withdraw his troops from Ukraine.

“The decisions of the coming days will shape our world,” Guterres added. “It’s not too late to save this generation from the scourge of war. We need peace.”