Biden reveals sanctions on Russia and claims that Moscow has launched an “invasion”

(CNN) –– On Tuesday, US President Joe Biden announced new sanctions against Russia, calling the events in Ukraine “the beginning of the Russian invasion.” Measurement then occurs Russian President Vladimir Putin recognized the independence of the Donetsk and Lukansk regions. And order the entry of Russian troops.

The president presented what he called the “first installment” of US sanctions against Russia, which included two financial institutions, the Russian sovereign debt and – beginning Wednesday – the Russian elite and their families.

Biden also announced that he would move additional troops and equipment to “strengthen” US allies in Europe. However he acknowledged that their numbers were not enough to defeat Russia.

The president noted that diplomacy still has the potential to alleviate the crisis. In that sense, he said, the United States would be open to talking to Russia and its allies to avoid a full-blown war. “The United States and our allies and allies will remain open if diplomacy is serious,” he said. “After all, we value Russia not by its actions, but by its words.”

However he acknowledged that their numbers were not enough to defeat Putin’s legitimacy.

“What does Putin think in the name of God of the right to declare new countries in the territory of his neighbors? This is a blatant violation of international law and demands a strong response from the international community,” he said. Biden said.

He further added that Putin’s remarks the previous day “in my opinion established a justification for the forcible occupation of many territories”.

Biden’s explanation of the Russian invasion of Ukraine immediately raises the stakes of his response. He and other top officials have vowed to inflict severe economic consequences if Russian troops enter Ukraine. This includes members of Putin’s inner circle and members of Russian financial institutions.

US officials had already expected sanctions against Putin’s circle and the continued attack on Ukraine by Russia’s financial system.

But Biden is expected to book some of his strongest moves, and Putin is expected to use them if the bloody and prolonged offensive that U.S. officials have been warning of for weeks begins.

“The beginning of an invasion”

When Biden’s comments began to use the term “invasion” on Tuesday morning, the White House’s language about Russia’s actions came amid tightness.

The White House has refused to provide specific intelligence that could better explain the change in tone.

“We think this is the beginning of an invasion. Russia’s recent invasion of Ukraine,” senior US Deputy National Security Adviser John Finer told CNN in an interview.

He further added that sanctions imposed on Monday were the “beginning” of the US response.

“An invasion is an invasion and that’s what happens,” Finer said. “I call it an invasion,” he insisted.

Wendy Sherman, another senior US official and Undersecretary of State for Foreign Affairs, Wendy Sherman, described the activities of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) as “the beginning of Russia’s recent invasion of Ukraine.”

“They are completely unprovoked and unnecessary,” Sherman said. “Moscow calls these troops ‘peace guards’, but we all know that it’s a lie.”

It went even further than US officials were prepared to go on Monday night and reflected a growing sentiment among Piton’s group that a full-scale offensive on Ukrainian territory would soon begin. Officials said the persistent signs of Russian occupation overnight led to a change in tone.

However, Finer noted that Russian troops have been operating in two separate areas since Russia began its incursions into Ukraine in 2014. In that sense, he suggested that the latest measures taken by Moscow were an extension of that.

“I think‘ recent ’is important here,” Finer said. “An invasion is an invasion, that’s what’s happening. But Russia has been occupying Ukraine since 2014.”

There are a significant number of Russian soldiers near the borders of the newly recognized republics. But CNN did not find any social media videos or satellite images of newly arrived Russian units in the separatist-controlled areas of Luhansk and Donetsk.