Ukraine, Biden to Putin: “If he attacks, sanctions never seen before”

Joe Biden returns to warn Vladimir Putin about Ukraine, in the aftermath of the videoconference that the two leaders had. The American president warned the Russian president that if the attacked Ukraine comes, “sanctions never seen before” will be launched. “The meeting with Putin was very direct – said Biden, referring to yesterday’s videoconference with the Russian president -. I clearly told him that if he invades Russia there will be serious consequences, economic consequences such as have never been seen before. . I made it clear that we will give Ukraine defensive capabilities. ” “I am absolutely confident that Putin has got the message”, Biden said, adding: “He knows, his immediate answer is that he understood – the American president argued again -. And I told him that I know he will answer. but beyond this, we will probably also have to strengthen our presence in NATO countries to reassure those on the eastern front in particular “. “The option of sending American troops to Ukraine in the event of a Russian attack is not on the table,” said the American president. “We have a moral obligation and a legal obligation with our NATO allies, if one of them is attacked, according to Article 5 – said Biden – It is a sacred obligation, which does not go beyond NATO, I mean the ‘Ukraine. But it also depends on what the other Alliance countries want to do. But the idea that the United States will unilaterally use force to counter the Russian if it invades Ukraine is not on the table, it is not an option now. . What there will be are serious consequences. “” It would be criminal inaction on our part, observing without backbone everything that is happening, “said Russian President Vladimir Putin, speaking at a press conference in Sochi after a meeting with the Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, in a reference to Ukraine’s possible entry into NATO. Vladimir Putin called the question of those who asked him about the possibility of a Russian invasion of Ukraine a “provocation”. Moscow, the Russian president said, would only act for defensive purposes. “Of course, we are concerned about Ukraine’s potential accession to NATO, as this would result in military bases and troops placed on Ukrainian territory,” Putin argued. “Russia has a peaceful foreign policy, but it has the right to defend its security. “, Putin then claimed, who recalled that the eastward enlargement of NATO is a” very delicate “issue for Russia,” it is one of the key issues for preserving Russian security “.