President Joe Biden is warning of “enormous consequences” if Russia invades Ukraine.
The president was asked on Tuesday if he thinks “the risk of an invasion is increasing, or decreasing, or steady.”
“I’ll be completely honest with you; it’s a little bit like reading tea leaves,” Biden began. “Ordinarily, if it were a different leader, the fact that he continues to build forces along Ukraine’s border from Belarus all the way around, you’d say, well, that means that [Russian President Vladimir Putin] is looking like he’s going to do something.”
He continued, “But then you look at what his past behavior is and what everyone is saying on his team, as well as everyone else, as to what is likely to happen. It all comes down to his decision.”
“There will be enormous consequences if he were to go and invade, as he could, the entire country, or a lot less than that as well, for Russia. Not only in terms of economic consequences and political consequences, but there would be enormous consequences worldwide. If he were to move in with all those forces, it would be the largest invasion since World War II. It would change the world,” he added.
Watch the video below:
“There will be enormous consequences. It would be the largest invasion since World War II. It would change the world.” President Biden gets very, very serious speaking about the possibility of Putin invading Ukraine. pic.twitter.com/veHxIzAwqn
— Mike Sington (@MikeSington) January 25, 2022
During a press conference on Wednesday, Biden predicted that Russia, which has amassed around 100,000 troops on Ukraine’s borders, would “move in” to the European nation.
“I’m not so sure he is certain what he is going to do. My guess is he will move in. He has to do something,” he told reporters. “He is trying to find his place in the world between China and the West.”
The Biden administration is preparing a “range of severe economic measures” to hit Russia with if it invades Ukraine.
Additionally, the president is reportedly considering sending U.S. troops to Eastern Europe to bolster NATO allies’ defenses and deter Russian aggression.
Russian President Vladimir Putin reportedly has not decided whether he wants to invade Ukraine.
Still, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said on Monday that an invasion could occur soon and that Russia is “prepared at any moment to take military action.”
Russia has repeatedly denied that it is preparing to invade Ukraine.
