Joe Biden warns Vladimir Putin of 'severe consequences' if Russia invades Ukraine

Stressing that Washignton is preparing "strong economic and other measures", US President Joe Biden on Wednesday warned that there will be "severe consequences" if the Russian President Vladimir Putin invades Kyiv. Speaking to US reporters just a day after his virtual meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Biden expressed worry about the concentration of the Russian military troop on the frontier with Ukraine, stating that his administration is drafting a set of initiatives and retaliatory measures that will make it “very, very difficult” for Russia to escalate the conflict.

When asked if he will be sending US troops to defend Ukraine in response to a Russian military buildup, Biden told reporters "that is not on the table," adding that the US would be providing “defensive capabilities” to the Ukrainian armed forces to deter Russia's military invasion. 

Meanwhile at a meeting called this week over the fears of the Russian invasion of Kyiv, NATO foreign ministers and NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg threatened Moscow that any attempts of attack on Ukrainian territory will come at a high price and will have repercussions. US intelligence found that Russia is laying the groundwork for a large-scale military offensive on Ukraine as soon as early 2022. Putin will launch a multifront military offensive to invade Kyiv and has stationed an estimated 175,000 troops, The Washington Post reported citing unclassified US officials and an intelligence document obtained. 

'We do know that he [Putin] is putting in place capacity': Blinken 

Maxar technologies’ satellite imagery shows about 70,000 Russian defense troops amassed at the frontier with Ukraine in at least four locations. CNN also reported, citing its sources that Russia has stationed medical units, fuel, and other supplies near the border with Ukraine to sustain frontline forces. US Secretary of State Tony Blinken told the White House conference, “We do know that he [Putin] is putting in place the capacity to do so [an attack on Ukraine] on short order should he so decide.”

“We are deeply concerned by evidence that Russia has made plans for aggressive actions against Ukraine. As we have said, we continue to support de-escalation in the region and a diplomatic resolution to the conflict in eastern Ukraine,” US Defense Department spokesman Lt. Col. Tony Semelroth told VOA.

The White House, in a statement, informed that President Joe Biden is ready to slap strong economic measures on Russia larger than the ones issued in 2014 when Russia annexed Crimea. "I will look you in the eye and tell you, as President Biden looked Putin in the eye and told him today, that things we did not do in 2014 we are prepared to do now," national security adviser Jake Sullivan told US reporters at a White House press conference, this week. Biden also told US reporters this week that he is preparing to take “initiatives" to make it more difficult for Russian President Vladimir Putin to "do what people are worried he may do” indicating the Ukrainian invasion.