Today in US Politics
That’s it from us today in the nation’s capital.
Here’s how the day unfolded in Washington, as the world offered its prayers to Ukraine in the face of a full-scale Russian invasion:
- Biden denounced Vladimir Putin’s decision to move forward with the invasion. In a speech at the White House this afternoon, Biden told the nation:“Putin is the aggressor. Putin chose this war. And now he and his country will bear the consequences.”
- Biden announced a new round of sanctions targeting Russian financial institutions and elite families. 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. Full sanctions will also be imposed on four other financial institutions, including Russia’s second-largest bank of VTB, freezing all of their US-based assets.
- But Biden did not call for Russia to be banned from the Swift banking system, and he is not issuing direct sanctions on Putin, as some lawmakers have called for. Biden said some European leaders do not support cutting off Russia’s access to Swift, and he claimed direct sanctions on Putin were still possible, although he did not explain why he is not taking that step now.
- The US is deploying additional troops to Germany, although Biden made clear that he would not send service members to Ukraine. “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.”
- During her evening press briefing, Jen Psaki said the US was prepared to take Ukrainian refugees, though she expected the vast majority would prefer to remain in Europe. Asked about Putin’s references to Russia’s nuclear arsenal, Psaki said: “We don’t see any increased threat in that regard at the present time.”
For more updates on the situation in Ukraine, make sure to follow the Guardian’s other live blog, which is still going:
Updated
Asked when Biden would impose more severe sanctions, the president told reporters earlier that the penalties they had already announced were severe and were having an impact, but would take time.
“Let’s have a conversation in another month or so to see if they’re working,” he said.
Assuming Ukraine doesn’t have a month, is the US effectively conceding Ukraine to Russia, a reporter asked?
Psaki roundly rejected that notion. “There’s nothing about the president’s strategy or approach or leadership in the world ... that suggests that he is ceding anything,” she said.
At the end of the briefing, after she signaled it was over by putting on her mask, a reporter asked if the US believed Russia was preparing to invade other countries beyond Ukraine.
“We certainly think he has grander ambitions,” Psaki said of Putin.
Updated
Asked in real time to respond to comments from Republican Senator Ted Cruz, who reportedly called Psaki “peppermint patty” during a speech at CPAC, the White House press secretary laughed and said she did not view that as an insult.
“Senator Cruz, I like peppermint patty,” she said. “I’m a little tougher than that.”
Psaki said Biden is still planning to announce his nominee for the supreme court before the end of the month. It’s the 24th, the month ends on the 28th.
“We are still on track to make an announcement before the end of the month,” she said. She added that “no job offer has been made”.
In the midst of coordinating a response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and interviewing potential supreme court nominees, Psaki said Biden is also preparing to give his State of the Union address on 1 March. She said he is working with his Covid team to offer an update to the American people on the state of the pandemic.
Psaki also said the US was “outraged” by reports that Russian troops have taken some staff hostage at the Chernobyl nuclear site. She called for their immediate release.
Pressed on when sanctions may start to take effect, Psaki said they already are. “Look at where the ruble’s at,” she said.
Updated
Psaki is speaking now, and began by outlining Biden’s movements over the last several hours since Russia launched its pre-dawn invasion of Ukraine.
She said he “closely monitored” the events on the ground from the Oval Office and later from the residence into the “wee hours” of the morning. Last night, he spoke repeatedly with his national security advisor, Jake Sullivan and also to UN ambassador, Linda Thomas-Greenfield, before she delivered a rousing call-to-arms at the UN security council emergency meeting on Ukraine. He also spoke to Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskiy, his only phone call with the leader since the Russian invasion.
After a round of meetings with Nato leaders and his security council, Biden also spent time briefing Democratic and Republican leaders in Congress by phone.
Psaki wouldn’t comment on a question about Zelenskiy’s whereabouts but said administration officials continues to be in touch with him.
She said the US is working with European countries to prepare for an influx of Ukrainian refugees, but said the US is also prepared to welcome them here.
Asked whether the US interpreted Putin’s verbal warning to adversaries as a threat of nuclear war, Psaki said she wasn’t sure what he intended to convey, but added, “we don’t see any increased threat in that regard at this time”.
Updated
“Today was a demonstration that we mean what we say,” Singh said when asked why the US didn’t take even more severe actions such as removing Russia from the Swift international banking system.
With the measures, he said the US wanted to be careful not to target the average Russian citizen and mitigate the economic consequences for Americans.
He stressed that energy is the “one area” where Russia has a strategic advantage, and that it wouldn’t be wise to do disrupt the flow of energy.
Singh is acknowledging that the measures will take time to take hold.
Asked about a comment Biden made earlier, that “no one” expected sanctions to deter an invasion, Singh defended the administration’s course of action and said imposing steeper penalties could have pre-empted diplomatic efforts or signaled to Putin that he had little left to lose. “The goal of our sanctions is to make this a strategic failure for Russia,” he said.
“So when we say all options are on the table ... it would be a mistake to doubt that resolve,” he said.
Updated
Psaki has arrived, joined by Daleep Singh, the deputy national security advisor for international economics and the deputy national economic council director.
“This is a briefing I never wanted to give,” Singh said.
“Putin has made his choice,” he said. “He rejected diplomacy and chose war.”
Singh said the US had followed through on its threat to impose the “most severe” sanctions ever levied against Russia. He is outlining in details the economic penalties and export restrictions now being placed on Russia’s largest banks, companies and oligarchs.
“Working in tandem, these financial sanctions and export controls will undercut Putin’s aspirations,” he said.
He said the impacts would be felt across Russia over time, resulting in “higher inflation, higher interest rates, lower purchasing power ... lower living standards”. He added that the intentionally exempted Russia’s energy sector to avoid disruptions to the current flow of energy from Russia to the world.
Updated
Hello. I’m Lauren Gambino in Washington, specifically, in the back row of the James Brady press room at the White House, where we’re expecting Jen Psaki to take questions shortly.
While we wait, the Department of Defense confirmed earlier today that the US is sending 7,000 troops to Germany to “reassure Nato allies”.
“We expect them to depart in the coming days,” according to a senior defense official, as reported by Task and Purpose.
7,000 more US troops heading to Germany, senior defense official says.
— Haley Britzky (@halbritz) February 24, 2022
"This would comprise an armored brigade combat team with associated capabilities." pic.twitter.com/B2zsDTlHch
Updated
Joe Biden briefed the top four congressional leaders on the situation in Ukraine earlier today, Senate minority leader Mitch McConnell told reporters in Kentucky.
All four leaders -- McConnell, Senate majority leader Chuck Schumer, House speaker Nancy Pelosi and House minority leader Kevin McCarthy -- attended the classified discussion.
Pelosi has said that members of Congress will also receive a classified, in-person briefing from the administration next week.
Biden briefed the top four Congressional leaders this afternoon on the situation in Ukraine, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell said at a press conference in Kentucky.
— Daniella Diaz (@DaniellaMicaela) February 24, 2022
McConnell, Pelosi, McCarthy and Schumer all attended the classified discussion.
Dmytro Kuleba, the Ukrainian foreign minister, spoke to US Secretary of State Antony Blinken today to discuss the latest round of US sanctions against Russia in response to the invasion.
“Call with @SecBlinken on ways to stop Russia’s brutal war of aggression against Ukraine,” Kuleba said on Twitter.
“Secretary informed me on the new U.S. sanctions on Russia, as well as plans to deliver new defensive weapons to help Ukraine defend itself. Ukraine holds ground. We need the world to help us.”
Call with @SecBlinken on ways to stop Russia’s brutal war of aggression against Ukraine. Secretary informed me on the new U.S. sanctions on Russia, as well as plans to deliver new defensive weapons to help Ukraine defend itself. Ukraine holds ground. We need the world to help us.
— Dmytro Kuleba (@DmytroKuleba) February 24, 2022
Senator Lindsey Graham, a Republican of South Carolina, sharply criticized Joe Biden for not issuing direct sanctions on Vladimir Putin in response to his invasion of Ukraine.
“We should not be seeking permission from allies to go after Putin and his cronies. We should move ahead forcefully against Putin, a war criminal, and demand our allies join us,” Graham said.
“When it comes to sanctions against Putin: If we are not doing everything possible, we are not doing enough. Time is not on our side.”
Biden said today that his administration is not eliminating the possibility of issuing direct sanctions against Putin, but he ignored questions about why he was not taking that step now.
Graham also reiterated that he would work with his congressional colleagues in both parties to quickly pass a bill providing emergency supplemental aid to Ukraine in response to the invasion.
“How we deal with Putin determines what happens in other regions like Asia and the Middle East,” Graham said. “We need to get this done in the Senate next week.”
Obama condemns Russia's 'brutal onslaught' against Ukraine
Barack Obama has released a new statement condemning the Russian invasion of Ukraine, arguing that Vladimir Putin’s military actions represent a threat to democracies around the world.
“Last night, Russia launched a brazen attack on the people of Ukraine, in violation of international law and basic principles of human decency,” the former president said.
“For exercising rights that should be available to all people and nations, Ukrainians now face a brutal onslaught that is killing innocents and displacing untold numbers of men, women and children.”
Last night, Russia launched a brazen attack on the people of Ukraine, in violation of international law and basic principles of human decency. Here’s my statement on what it means, and what should happen next. pic.twitter.com/Wa0C8XGwvK
— Barack Obama (@BarackObama) February 24, 2022
Obama warned that the invasion of Ukraine “threatens the foundation of the international order and security,” underscoring how the “forces of division and authoritarianism” are mounting an assault on global democratic values.
“Russia’s invasion of Ukraine shows where these dangerous trends can lead -- and why they cannot be left unchallenged,” Obama said. “People of conscience around the world need to loudly and clearly condemn Russia’s actions and offer support for the Ukrainian people.”
Obama called on “every American, regardless of party” to support Joe Biden’s latest sanctions against Russia, which target some of the country’s largest banks and more elite Russian families.
“There may be some economic consequences to such sanctions, given Russia’s significant role in world energy markets,” Obama acknowledged. “But that’s a price we should be willing to pay to take a stand on the side of freedom.”
House speaker Nancy Pelosi applauded Joe Biden’s latest round of sanctions against Russia in response to Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine, expressing support for the Ukrainian people.
“The leadership of President Biden and our allies to demonstrate overwhelming resolve is crucial in this moment of heartbreak and suffering for the Ukrainian people,” Pelosi said in a statement.
“We are united with unprecedented strength and coordination in our commitment to Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.”
Pelosi noted that House members received a briefing from the Biden administration on the Ukraine crisis today and will receive a classified, in-person briefing next week.
“President Biden has made clear throughout Russia’s escalation that we will continue to impose costs on Russia that will leave it weakened in every way,” Pelosi said. “The United States Congress joins President Biden and all Americans in praying for the Ukrainian people.”
Adam Schiff, the House intelligence committee chairman, said the US sanctions against Russia need to go even further than those announced by Joe Biden today.
“I think the package of sanctions that the president announced is the most severe we’ve ever levied against Russia and many times more devastating than anything that was implemented after their last invasion in 2014,” Schiff told MSNBC.
“Nevertheless, I favor going further. I favor expelling them from Swift. I favor imposing sanctions directly on Vladimir Putin. This is an unprecedent situation, and even though we don’t generally sanction heads of state, on occasion we do, and I think it’s merited here.”
Biden said during his event this afternoon that direct sanctions on Putin were one possibility the US may explore, but he ignored a question about why he is not authorizing those sanctions now.
Updated
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.
In response to President Putin's unprovoked aggression against Ukraine, the United States, along with Allies and partners, is imposing severe and immediate economic costs on Russia.
— The White House (@WhiteHouse) February 24, 2022
Read more: https://t.co/L83Q2uFwKx pic.twitter.com/kpxfNmQvxM
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.
President Biden: "There is a complete rupture right now in U.S.-Russian relations...It's going to be a cold day for Russia." pic.twitter.com/GbVF9jW81f
— CSPAN (@cspan) February 24, 2022
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.”
President Biden: "I have no plans to talk with Putin." pic.twitter.com/ZicZMrsRyS
— CSPAN (@cspan) February 24, 2022
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.”
President Biden: "This aggression cannot go unanswered. If it did, the consequences for America would be much worse. America stands up to bullies. We stand up for freedom. This is who we are." pic.twitter.com/cXTN5Xltah
— CSPAN (@cspan) February 24, 2022
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.”
'Putin chose this war,' Biden says as he announces new sanctions against Russia
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.
BREAKING: Pres. Biden: "Putin is the aggressor. Putin chose this war. And now he and his country will bear the consequences." https://t.co/1c4zPiKUga pic.twitter.com/mQQZIJaICC
— ABC News (@ABC) February 24, 2022
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.
Biden delivers national address on Russian invasion of Ukraine
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.
.@UN Secretary-General @antonioguterres on Russian Invasion of Ukraine "It is wrong. It is against the Charter. It is unacceptable, but it is not irreversible...It's not too late to save this generation from the scourge of war. We need peace." pic.twitter.com/c2s8oaEQtU
— CSPAN (@cspan) February 24, 2022
“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.”
My colleague Leyland Cecco is talking to the huge Ukrainian diaspora community in Canada.
I have a knot in my stomach. I can only imagine what it’s like for people in Ukraine who are living with the shelling,” said Taras Kulish, a Toronto-based charity lawyer and member of the Ukrainian-Canadian Congress and Ukrainian Canadian Social Services. “We’re all concerned and there’s a definitely a shock factor in processing it.”
A number of organizations across Canada are quickly raising funds for relief projects. Kulish, who works closely with humanitarian organizations in Ukraine, says colleagues on the ground have described the surreal experience of shelling near their homes and the constant worry of loved ones:
I’ve been checking in with colleagues telling them we’re here. We’re praying for you. We’re looking to see what we can do in response. We’re trying to give them that knowledge that people are concerned about them and who love them. But you can’t imagine what it’s like. It’s almost unfathomable.”
He adds that since 2014 he has worked for trauma therapy clinics in the country’s eastern region. “We’ve been living this for the last seven years, so in one way, we’re terribly prepared for it.”
Cecco adds:
In addition to solidarity rallies across Canada condemning the invasion by Russia, the prairie province of Alberta announced it would donate C$1m to the Ukrainian Canadian Congress, a recognition of the large diaspora population in the region – and the long history Ukrainian residents have farming the area.
Updated
Is Putin unwell?
My colleagues Julian Borger in Washington and Angelique Chrisafis in Paris have reported on new questions being raised about the mental status of the leader of a country with 6,000 nuclear warheads.
His decision to voluntarily start a land war, and the “sheer weirdness” of his recent public appearances, has worried leaders and Russia watchers in western capitals, they say:
They worry about a 70 year-old man whose tendency towards insularity has been amplified by his precautions against Covid, leaving him surrounded by an ever-shrinking coterie of fearful obedient courtiers. He appears increasingly uncoupled from the contemporary world, preferring to burrow deep into history and a personal quest for greatness.
The French president Emmanuel Macron is well-placed to analyse changes to Putin’s demeanour. Macron once drove a cooperative, if self-conscious, Putin round the gardens of the palace of Versailles in a tiny electric golf cart in the summer of 2017 and welcomed him to his holiday residence at a fortress on the Mediterranean coast the following summer, where Putin descended from a helicopter carrying a bunch of flowers and complemented the Macrons on their tans.
After Macron held five hours of talks with the Russian leader in Moscow at opposite ends of a 15-metre table, he told reporters on the return flight that “the tension was palpable”. This was not the same Putin he had last met at the Elysée palace in December 2019, Macron said. He was “more rigid, more isolated” and was off on an “ideological and security drift”.
Following Putin’s speech on Monday, an Elysée official made an unusually bold assessment that the speech was “paranoid”. Bernard Guetta, a member of the European parliament for Macron’s grouping, told France Inter radio on Thursday morning, after military invasion began: “I think this man is losing his sense of reality, to say it politely.” Asked by the interviewer if that meant he thought Putin had gone mad, he said “yes”.
Stay tuned for their full report.
Bernie Sanders has responded to the recent praise of Vladimir Putin’s naked aggression toward Ukraine expressed by a former US president.
It is outrageous, if unsurprising, that Trump would praise Putin’s murderous invasion of Ukraine as an act of “genius.” It should concern us all that Putin is exactly the kind of leader Trump would like to be, and that so few Republicans have the courage to say this out loud.
— Bernie Sanders (@SenSanders) February 24, 2022
The Democratic senator said:
It is outrageous, if unsurprising, that Trump would praise Putin’s murderous invasion of Ukraine as an act of “genius.” It should concern us all that Putin is exactly the kind of leader Trump would like to be, and that so few Republicans have the courage to say this out loud.
The former president in question had described the supposed “peacekeeping force” entering eastern Ukraine as “the strongest peace force I’ve ever seen”, adding: “There were more army tanks than I’ve ever seen. They’re gonna keep peace all right.”
He had also become confused on the Laura Ingraham show last night, appearing to believe that US troops were landing in Ukraine (rather than Russian ones) – and saying he thought that that news should be kept secret.
Updated
Congressman Adam Schiff, the chairman of the House intelligence committee, said after a National Security Council briefing on Capitol Hill that he wanted to see Russia removed from the SWIFT international banking system in response to its invasion of Ukraine.
“Russia has begun an unprovoked, unjustified and brutal campaign against Ukraine,” Schiff said. “We must provide Ukraine with support to defend itself. We are also going to need to dramatically escalate the sanctions we place on Russia for this act of naked aggression.”
The chairman of the House intelligence committee said he believed the US needed to cut off Russia from the international banking system and its ability to access western capital, its ability to gather technology for weapons systems, and sanction the country’s oligarchs.
Schiff said the US needed to take additional steps to end Europe’s reliance on Russian oil and gas to prevent Putin from using energy as a geopolitical weapon. He added that Russia’s attack on Ukraine “ought to spell, at a minimum, the final death of Nord Stream 2.”
The unclassified NSC briefing that took place shortly before midday on Thursday indicated that Russia had the military capability to overwhelm Ukraine’s forces, Schiff told reporters, and that he anticipated Russia would very quickly overrun the country.
Schiff said that NSC officials were concerned about the possibility of a Russian cyber attack against not only Ukraine, but US and NATO allies. He added that he had not seen evidence of a cyber attack directed at the US, but noted it was still early in the conflict.
Updated
NBC reports that Joe Biden has been given various options for American cyberattacks to disrupt Russia’s military action in Ukraine. According to the news network:
Two US intelligence officials, one Western intelligence official and another person briefed on the matter say no final decisions have been made, but they say U.S. intelligence and military cyber warriors are proposing the use of American cyber weapons on a scale never before contemplated. Among the options: Disrupting internet connectivity across Russia, shutting off electric power, and tampering with railroad switches to hamper Russia’s ability to re-supply its forces, three of the sources said.
“You could do everything from slow the trains down to have them fall off the tracks,” one person briefed on the matter said.
A cyberattack would be something of a turning point for the US, given its cyber efforts have prioritised counterterrorism – mainly information and intelligence gathering – though it did also attack the Iranian nuclear program a little over a decade ago.
Russia and China have used much more extensive cyberattacks against American infrastructure, however, and experts say the US has been quietly preparing to fight fire with fire.
The White House has released a statement from Joe Biden saying the G7 leaders have agreed to move forward on “devastating packages of sanctions”.
This morning, I met with my G7 counterparts to discuss President Putin’s unjustified attack on Ukraine and we agreed to move forward on devastating packages of sanctions and other economic measures to hold Russia to account. We stand with the brave people of Ukraine. pic.twitter.com/dzvYxj7J9w
— President Biden (@POTUS) February 24, 2022
The tweeted statement from the president said:
This morning, I met with my G7 counterparts to discuss President Putin’s unjustified attack on Ukraine and we agreed to move forward on devastating packages of sanctions and other economic measures to hold Russia to account. We stand with the brave people of Ukraine.
Biden will be delivering an address to the American people from the White House in less than an hour, at 1:30pm ET.
McConnell: withdrawal from Afghanistan was an invitation to autocrats to make a move
Senate minority leader Mitch McConnell weighed in on the Ukraine invasion with some criticism for Joe Biden.
#NOW: @LeaderMcConnell on Russian invasion of Ukraine: Make sanctions as significant as possible @WLKY pic.twitter.com/IkmnVqJa3s
— Gladys Bautista WLKY 🏁 (@GladysMBautista) February 24, 2022
“What we have in Europe now is the first shooting war since world war 2,” the Republican from Kentucky said, continuing:
“I have earlier criticised the president and I will repeat some of that. I think the precipitous withdrawal from Afghanistan in August was a signal, to Putin and maybe to Chinese president Xi as well, that America was in retreat - that America could not be depended upon - and was an invitation to the autocrats of the world that maybe this was a good time to make a move.”
Despite his words, McConnell nevertheless claimed to be united with Biden in response.
“We are where we are. The president will be addressing this issue again shortly. We’re all together at this point and we need to be together about what should be done.
“But I have some advice. Ratchet the sanctions all the way up, don’t hold any back. Every single available tough sanction should be employed and should be employed now. There’s no such thing as a little invasion.”
Updated
Today so far
Here’s where the day stands so far:
- Joe Biden will deliver a national address on the Russian invasion of Ukraine in about an hour. The US president’s speech comes as Russian forces launched a fuller-scale invasion of Ukraine, attacking major cities, including the capital of Kyiv.
- Biden held a virtual meeting with other G7 leaders this morning to discuss the invasion. The president also met with his National Security Council in the Situation Room to assess the Russian attack and outline potential responses to the invasion.
- The House intelligence committee chairman is calling for tougher US sanctions against Russia in response to the latest developments. Two days after Biden announced the first tranche of sanctions against Russia, Democrat Adam Schiff called on the US to sanction the largest Russian banks and cut off the country from the international financing system to deprive it of access to Western capital.
The blog will have more coming up, so stay tuned.
Schedule update: Joe Biden’s speech on the Russian invasion of Ukraine is now expected to start at 1.30pm ET, instead of 12.30pm ET, so it will get underway in about an hour.
The White House press secretary, Jen Psaki, is also scheduled to hold a briefing with reporters at 3pm ET and will take questions about the likely escalation of US sanctions against Russia in response to the invasion.
Stay tuned.
Oksana Markarova, the Ukrainian ambassador to the US, delivered a defiant message on behalf of her country in response to the Russian invasion.
“Ukraine has activated our right to self-defense in accordance with international law,” Markarova told reporters at the Ukrainian Embassy in Washington.
“The combat spirit of Ukrainian military is high. We are fighting, we will be fighting -- not only our brave and motivated military but all Ukrainians. We are protecting our home, and we will not stop.”
“The combat spirit of Ukrainian military is high ... We are protecting our home, and we will not stop.”
— The Recount (@therecount) February 24, 2022
— Ukraine’s Ambassador to the U.S. Oksana Markarova announces that Ukraine has activated their right to self defense pic.twitter.com/3DqxFeWMM7
House intelligence chairman calls for tougher sanctions against Russia
Adam Schiff, the Democratic chairman of the House intelligence committee, said US sanctions on Russia need to be “dramatically” escalated in response to the invasion of Ukraine.
“Russia has begun an unprovoked, unjustified campaign against Ukraine with a full-on invasion,” Schiff told reporters on Capitol Hill.
“Civilians are being killed. Ukraine is mobilizing its opposition to the Russian invasion, and we must provide Ukraine with support to defend itself.”
NEW: Rep. Adam Schiff says sanctions need to be "dramatically" escalated in response to Russian invasion of Ukraine, including sanctioning Russia's largest banks, cutting off Russia's access to financial systems, and targeting oligarchs. https://t.co/jAHxHy8kA4 pic.twitter.com/rf7jpi80DG
— ABC News Politics (@ABCPolitics) February 24, 2022
Attacking Vladimir Putin as a “Kremlin dictator,” Schiff called on the US to sanction the largest Russian banks and cut off Russia from the international financing system, depriving the country of access to Western capital.
“We need to attack its ability to gather sophisticated technology for its weapons systems,” Schiff said. “We have to go after more of its oligarchs, and we need to continue to strengthen our Nato defenses in the region to protect our Nato allies.”
Joe Biden is scheduled to deliver a speech on the invasion in about 30 minutes, and he is expected to outline tougher sanctions against Russia. Stay tuned.
Updated
Senator Lindsey Graham, a Republican of South Carolina, said he just spoke to Wendy Sherman, the deputy secretary of state, about the US response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Graham, who criticized Joe Biden’s first tranche of sanctions against Russia as insufficient, told Sherman there is “broad bipartisan support for an emergency supplemental to include aid to the Ukrainian people and Ukrainian military”.
Just spoke with Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman about the Biden Administration’s plans to push back against the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
— Lindsey Graham (@LindseyGrahamSC) February 24, 2022
“It is important Congress unite to punish and crush Putin and his cronies. Not only will this help prevent further damage in Europe, but it will discourage other bad actors from going down the same road,” Graham said on Twitter.
“If we do not treat Putin and his cronies as the war criminals they are, we will be making a huge mistake and sending the wrong message to other bad actors around the world.”
Marco Rubio, the Republican vice chairman of the Senate intelligence committee, has been sending tweets about Vladimir Putin’s expected strategy in Ukraine.
Rubio said that Russian forces plan to encircle the capital city of Kyiv, forcing the legitimate Ukrainian government to flee, and then install a pro-Putin puppet government in its place.
Airstrikes are expected to be a crucial part of that plan, and Russia may begin to follow through on that strategy “within a matter of hours,” Rubio said.
#Russia plans to encircle #Kyiv, force the legitimate govt of #Ukraine to flee & install “Vichy Ukranian”puppets
— Marco Rubio (@marcorubio) February 24, 2022
Key to this plan is a large #Russian Airborne Forces operation
We may see an attempt to execute on that operation within a matter of hours #UkraineRussiaConflict
The White House has shared a photo of Joe Biden’s meeting with his National Security Council in the Situation Room this morning to discuss the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Biden’s meeting with his national security team came just before the president participated in a virtual discussion about the invasion with other G7 leaders.
The US president is scheduled to deliver a national address about the invasion in about an hour, so stay tuned.
Earlier this morning, President Biden convened a meeting of the National Security Council in the White House Situation Room to discuss the unprovoked and unjustified attack on Ukraine. pic.twitter.com/QcZ5N2fcAa
— The White House (@WhiteHouse) February 24, 2022
Joe Biden’s virtual meeting with other G7 leaders to discuss the Russian invasion of Ukraine concluded after an hour and 10 minutes, the White House said.
The leaders who participated in the meeting were German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, French President Emmanuel Macron, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi, Japanese Prime Minister Kishida Fumio, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, European Council President Charles Michel and Nato Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg.
The White House will likely soon release a readout of the meeting, so stay tuned.
Some congressional Republicans have attempted to blame Joe Biden’s foreign policy for enabling Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine.
“These developments were not inevitable,” congressman Andy Barr said. “The Biden Administration’s weak and feckless foreign policy not only failed to deter this aggression, it invited this outcome.”
“Biden allowed Putin to cross his red line without severe consequences. This weak foreign policy has emboldened Putin to act aggressively,” congressman Dan Meuser added. “It’s time for the full force of sanctions from the U.S. and our allies.”
But a number of commentators have noted that Republicans were generally quiet as Donald Trump praised Putin and threatened to withhold security assistance from Ukraine during his presidency.
“Lord, the gaslighting by Republicans this morning with hawkish BS after literally enabling a pro-Putin President for four years and refusing to stop him even when he literally blackmailed Ukraine with millions in security aid to help Ukraine fight Russia,” said Susan Glasser, a New Yorker writer who co-wrote a book about Putin’s rise to power.
Lord, the gaslighting by Republicans this morning with hawkish BS after literally enabling a pro-Putin President for four years and refusing to stop him even when he literally blackmailed Ukraine with millions in security aid to help Ukraine fight Russia…
— Susan Glasser (@sbg1) February 24, 2022
A dark, sombre mood filled the Moscow air on Thursday morning as Russians were coming to terms with the fact that their president had launched a broad military offensive targeting Ukraine.
“I am embarrassed for my country. To be honest with you, I am speechless. War is always scary. We don’t want this,” said Nikita Golubev, a 30-year old teacher.
“Why are we doing this?” he added, expressing a sentiment of anger and hopelessness that was shared by many commuting to work down central Arbat Street.
At the Ukrainian culture centre just down the road, the mood was even grimmer.
The Ukrainian administrator said the centre, which aims to promote the language, traditions and identity of a country Vladimir Putin denied the legitimacy of as a modern state in his speech on Monday, would be shut for the “coming period”.
“We are being bombed as we speak. Of course we are closed! Jesus, what is happening?” the administrator, who did not want to give his name, shouted.
Read the Guardian’s full report:
Updated
House minority leader Kevin McCarthy attacked Russia’s invasion of Ukraine as “reckless and evil,” saying Vladimir Putin must be held accountable for his actions.
“The United States stands with the people of Ukraine and prays for their safety and resolve,” the Republican leader said in a new statement.
“Putin’s actions must be met with serious consequence. This act of war is intended to rewrite history and more concerning, upend the balance of power in Europe. Putin must be held accountable for his actions.”
Interestingly, McCarthy did not criticize Joe Biden’s response to the Ukraine crisis in his statement, although many other Republicans have been doing so this morning.
My statement on Russia's invasion of Ukraine: pic.twitter.com/EWa0i6I74Q
— Kevin McCarthy (@GOPLeader) February 24, 2022
The invasion is causing turmoil in financial markets. The oil price has soared to over $100 a barrel and US stock markets opened sharply lower this morning. In Europe, all the major stock markets are falling.
Gas prices have jumped 40% today in the UK and Europe and the price of gold - seen as a safe haven in times of trouble - is rising.
As we await Joe Biden’s speech this afternoon, you can follow all the latest financial developments on our business live blog here.
Biden to address nation as Russia invades Ukraine
Joe Biden will deliver a national address this afternoon, as Russia invades Ukraine and attacks some of the country’s major cities, including Kyiv.
According to the updated schedule just released by the White House, Biden will speak about “Russia’s unprovoked and unjustified attack on Ukraine” at 12.30pm ET.
Earlier this week, Biden outlined his administration’s first tranche of sanctions against Russia in response to its attacks on Ukraine, and the White House has warned that more severe sanctions would be issued if Vladimir Putin moved forward with a fuller-scale invasion.
However, Biden has remained adamant that he will not send US troops to Ukraine, despite Russia’s escalating aggression.
“The president has been crystal clear and consistent: he is not sending US troops to fight in Ukraine. That has not changed,” press secretary Jen Psaki said yesterday.
Joe Biden’s virtual meeting with other G7 leaders, which was scheduled to begin at 9am ET, is underway, the White House confirmed.
The White House said the meeting began about 45 minutes ago, and the leaders are “discussing their joint response to President Putin’s unprovoked and unjustified attack on Ukraine”.
The White House will likely release a readout of the meeting after it concludes, so stay tuned.
As the world reacts with horror to Russia’s massive attack on Ukraine, Donald Trump once again praised the strategy of Vladimir Putin.
“He’s taking over a country for $2 worth of sanctions. I’d say that’s pretty smart,” Trump said last night, according to footage captured at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida.
At Mar-a-Lago event, Trump says "Trump said Putin is smart. He's taken over a country for $2 worth of sanctions. I'd say that's pretty smart." pic.twitter.com/v4RkhqvCd3
— danny (@dabbs346) February 24, 2022
Earlier this week, Trump similarly described Putin’s widely criticized decision to recognize two self-proclaimed republics in east Ukraine as “genius”.
Trump’s latest comments were swiftly condemned by many, including deputy White House press secretary Andrew Bates, who attacked the former president as anti-American.
“Two nauseating, fearful pigs who hate what America stands for and whose every action is driven by their their own weakness and insecurity, rubbing their snouts together and celebrating as innocent people lose their lives,” Bates said in a tweet.
Two nauseating, fearful pigs who hate what America stands for and whose every action is driven by their their own weakness and insecurity, rubbing their snouts together and celebrating as innocent people lose their lives. https://t.co/GrZcOzXJ8g
— Andrew Bates (@AndrewJBates46) February 24, 2022
The Guardian’s Daniel Boffey and Elias Visontay report:
Western leaders have responded with fury to Russia’s “barbaric” military attacks on Ukrainian cities and vowed to hold the Kremlin to account for the invasion with a barrage of crippling sanctions.
A joint statement issued by the 27 heads of state and government of the EU warned Russia that they would later on Thursday agree on “further restrictive measures that will impose massive and severe consequences on Russia for its action, in close coordination with our transatlantic partners.”
I am appalled by the horrific events in Ukraine and I have spoken to President Zelenskyy to discuss next steps.
— Boris Johnson (@BorisJohnson) February 24, 2022
President Putin has chosen a path of bloodshed and destruction by launching this unprovoked attack on Ukraine.
The UK and our allies will respond decisively.
The UK prime minister, Boris Johnson, told the House of Commons that the UK and its allies would respond with “a massive package of sanctions” that will “hobble the Russian economy”.
He said: “Ukraine is a country that for decades has enjoyed freedom and democracy and the right to choose its own destiny. We and the world cannot allow that freedom just to be snuffed out. We cannot and will not just look away.”
France’s president, Emmanuel Macron, who had made a last ditch effort to broker peace through a summit between Putin and Biden, was in contact with Zelenskiy on his mobile phone early on Thursday.
He said: “France strongly condemns Russia’s decision to wage war on Ukraine. Russia must end its military operations immediately.”
Joe Biden convened a meeting of the National Security Council this morning in the Situation Room, a White House official told the press pool.
The US president spoke to his top national security advisers just before the virtual meeting with other G7 leaders to discuss the latest developments in Ukraine.
Biden also spoke to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy overnight, as explosions went off near Kyiv and other major cities in the country.
“I condemned this unprovoked and unjustified attack by Russian military forces,” Biden said in a statement about the call.
“He asked me to call on the leaders of the world to speak out clearly against President Putin’s flagrant aggression, and to stand with the people of Ukraine.”
Biden meets with G7 leaders as Russia launches invasion of Ukraine
Greetings from Washington, live blog readers.
Joe Biden is holding a virtual meeting with other G7 leaders this morning to discuss the latest alarming developments in Ukraine.
Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a “special military operation” this morning, days after ordering troops into east Ukraine.
The Guardian’s Luke Harding, Emma Graham-Harrison, Andrew Roth, Pjotr Sauer and Julian Borger report:
Within minutes of Putin’s short televised address, at about 5am Ukrainian time, explosions were heard near major Ukrainian cities, including the capital, Kyiv.
The scope of the Russian attack appears to be massive. Ukraine’s interior ministry reported that the country was under attack from cruise and ballistic missiles, with Russia appearing to target infrastructure near major cities such as Kyiv, Kharkiv, Mariupol and Dnipro.
Explosions from artillery rockets lit up the night sky as shelling began near Mariupol, video showed. A senior adviser to Ukraine’s interior ministry said that it appeared Russian troops may soon move on Kharkiv, which is about 20 miles from the border. Locals in Kyiv sought safety in bomb shelters as explosions were heard outside the city.
The blog will be following all the latest developments out of Washington today, so stay tuned.
