BREAKING White House now calling Russian moves on Ukraine an invasion, sets stage for strong sanctions
MOSCOW -- The White House on Tuesday began referring to Russian troop deployments in eastern Ukraine as an"invasion" after initially hesitating to use the term - a red line that President Joe Biden has said would result in the U.S. levying severe sanctions against Moscow.
For weeks, Western powers have been bracing for an invasion as Russia massed an estimated 150,000 troops on three sides of neighboring Ukraine. They warned an attack would cause massive casualties, energy shortages in Europe and economic chaos around the globe - and promised swift and severe sanctions if it materialized. The European Union and Britain announced Tuesday that some of those measures were coming.
Condemnation from around the world was quick. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he would consider breaking diplomatic ties with Russia and Kyiv recalled its ambassador in Moscow. Poland's Defense Ministry and British Health Secretary Sajid Javid also said Russian forces had entered Ukraine's east, with Javid telling Sky News that"the invasion of Ukraine has begun."
EU foreign ministers are meeting later Tuesday to discuss the measures - but they did not appear to include the massive punishment repeatedly promised in case of a full-fledged invasion. The Russian moves also pushed Germany to suspend the certification process for Nord Stream 2 pipeline that was to bring natural gas from Russia. The pipeline was built to help Germany meet its energy needs, particularly as it switches off its last three nuclear power plants and phases out the use of coal, and it has resisted calls by the U.S. and others to halt the project.
His foreign minister, Dmytro Kuleba, will be in Washington on Tuesday to meet with Secretary of State Antony Blinken, the State Department said.
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