President Joe Biden said Wednesday it would be a ‘disaster’ for Russia if President Vladimir Putin orders an invasion of neighboring Ukraine – as he said he did not know Putin’s intentions but said his counterpart doesn’t want a ‘full-blown war.’
Biden said he wasn’t certain of Putin’s intentions – saying it may be based on ‘which side of the bed he gets up on in the morning as to exactly what he’s going to do.’
“I don’t think he’s sure what he’s going to do. My prediction is that he will go in. Biden stated that he must do something because Russia has intelligence agents inside the country.
He speculated about the questions Putin might be considering, given the fall of the Soviet Empire.
Biden stated that he is looking for a place between China and Western Europe.
He expressed concern about the current situation that could lead to a’very easy get out of control’. This was one of the most consequential situations in war- and peacetime history, according to him.
Biden stated that he believed he did not wish to go into war and warned of the long-term implications.
After having deployed more than 100,000 soldiers at the Ukrainian border, President Putin said Russia will pay a “dear price” through sanctions. But he also spelled an area for possible talks on one of Russia’s demands – and even provided a reassurance on the issue of NATO expansion.
Biden stated that Russia had not seen the sanctions I promised to impose if it moves. This was after the U.S. seized Crimea in 2014.
He stated, “It’s okay if it is a minor intrusion and then we wind up having to debate about what and how to proceed, et cetera.”
According to him, Russia would face a disaster if it invades Ukraine.
Russia will suffer if they do not act as they are capable with their border forces, and if Russia invades Ukraine further. He also stated that Russia’s partners and allies are willing to do serious damage and cost to Russia as well as the Russian economy.
President Joe Biden said said Russia would pay a ‘dear price’ through sanctions if it invades Ukraine
He also spoke about his conversations with Putin – which included a summit in Geneva as well as calls and a zoom session.
He said he told Russia it has occupied nations before but ‘the price has been extremely high.’
He wondered how Russia could continue such an effort for so long, which would result in great economic losses.
Biden asked: “How many years?” One? Three? Five? Ten? “What is the cost of that? It’s real. It’s consequential.’
He said that Russia isn’t going to be able to do this on its own. ‘They’ll pay a stiff price immediately’ and in the medium and long term ‘if they do it,’ Biden said.
Biden stated that he was not certain of Vladimir Putin’s motives and suggested it could depend on ‘which side of bed’ Biden wakes up.
Biden spoke out about the difficulties of Russia invading Ukraine via the North
Two Russian demands were also made by him: NATO’s assurance that Ukraine will not join its alliance and the promise not to place strategic weapons in Ukraine.
Biden said, “We can do something with the second piece.”
However, on the pledge to accept Ukraine into NATO, he stated that each country has the freedom to form their own alliances. After he said it wasn’t likely that Ukraine was admitted in the short term, citing their need to work on other issues and democracy.
Also, he did not answer a questioner who said that Ukrainian admission was possible in decades.