“The United States is imposing swift and severe costs on Russia.”
The United States of America has announced imposition of new “severe” sanctions on Russia over what President Joe Biden described as Moscow’s “fraudulent” annexation of four Ukrainian regions.
Reuters reports quoted the White House statement as stating that “The United States is imposing swift and severe costs on Russia,” adding that G7 allies support imposing “costs” on any country that backs the Kremlin’s attempt to incorporate the Ukrainian regions.
According to the statement, President Biden said that “The United States condemns Russia’s fraudulent attempt today to annex sovereign Ukrainian territory. Russia is violating international law, trampling on the United Nations Charter, and showing its contempt for peaceful nations everywhere.
“The United States will always honor Ukraine’s internationally recognized borders. We will continue to support Ukraine’s efforts to regain control of its territory by strengthening its hand militarily and diplomatically, including through the $1.1 billion in additional security assistance the United States announced this week.”
Similarly, Secretary of State, Antony Blinken was also quoted as saying that “The United States unequivocally rejects Russia’s fraudulent attempt to change Ukraine’s internationally recognised borders.
“In response, the United States and our allies and partners are imposing swift and severe costs.”
The US government said the sanctions will target scores of Russian parliament members, government officials, family members and also industries supplying the Russian military, “including international suppliers.”
Furthermore, in a warning to the small number of countries potentially willing to recognize Russia’s self-declared sovereignty over the four invaded regions, the US government said the G7 including Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and the United States had agreed to punish any such support.
Blinken said, “We are also issuing a clear warning supported by G7 Leaders: We will hold to account any individual, entity, or country that provides political or economic support for Russia’s illegal attempts to change the status of Ukrainian territory.”
Recall also that in 2014, the Russian President, Putin annexed another region, Crimea, where Russian troops faced almost no opposition from the then badly organized Ukrainian military.
In February this year, he launched a full-scale invasion of eastern, southern and northern Ukraine in a bid to topple the pro-Western government, but the revamped Ukrainian military has since partly repelled the invaders and continues to push Russian lines back.