Biden: Putin has chosen a premeditated war
US President Joe Biden says Russia alone is responsible for the death and destruction that will result from Russia's military operation in Donbass.
US President Joe Biden said in a statement that Russia's President Vladimir Putin has chosen a war that will lead to a catastrophic loss of life.
Biden said that the "prayers of the entire world are with the people of Ukraine tonight as they suffer an unprovoked and unjustified attack by Russian military forces."
The US had been sending lethal weapons to Ukraine in the past months, and had been assuring Ukraine that the US would interfere if Russia moves to invade Ukraine.
Russia alone is responsible for the death and destruction this attack will bring, and the United States and its Allies and partners will respond in a united and decisive way.
— President Biden (@POTUS) February 24, 2022
The world will hold Russia accountable.
Biden further targeted Putin in his statement, saying the Russian president "has chosen a premeditated war that will bring a catastrophic loss of life and human suffering. Russia alone is responsible for the death and destruction this attack will bring."
The US President further warned Russia, declaring that the US "and its allies and partners will respond in a united and decisive way. The world will hold Russia accountable. We will also coordinate with our NATO Allies to ensure a strong, united response that deters any aggression against the Alliance."
Biden declared that the G7 will have a meeting tomorrow, and will impose more severe sanctions on Russia.
Tomorrow, I will be meeting with the Leaders of the G7, and the United States and our Allies and partners will be imposing severe sanctions on Russia.
— President Biden (@POTUS) February 24, 2022
We will continue to provide support and assistance to Ukraine and the Ukrainian people.
Blinken and Austin discuss a coordinated NATO response with Stoltenberg
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken also announced that he and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin had a conversation with NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg to condemn Russia's attack on Ukraine and discuss a coordinated NATO response.
Furthermore, the strengthening of NATO's "Eastern Flank" was already discussed.
.@SecDef and I spoke with @JensStoltenberg to condemn Russia’s attack on Ukraine and discuss the Alliance’s coordinated response. We are united in responding to Russia and strengthening NATO’s Eastern Flank.
— Secretary Antony Blinken (@SecBlinken) February 24, 2022
Russian President Vladimir Putin had a televised address on Thursday morning, in which he said that he made a decision to carry out a special military operation in response to a request by the heads of the Donbass republics.
"Leading NATO countries pursue their own goal by fully supporting Ukraine's extreme Nazis and neo-Nazis, who, in turn, will never forgive the people of Crimea and Sevastopol for their free choice to reunify with Russia", said the Russian president.
"They will, of course, go to Crimea, like to Donbass, the way they do it, to kill, like executioners from the bands of Ukrainian Nazi supporters of Hitler were killing innocent people during World War II".