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Biden calls for direct sanctions against Putin in case of invasion of Ukraine heightened sense of crisis

picture explanationUS President Joe Biden (left) and Russian President Vladimir Putin. [사진출처 = 연합뉴스]

U.S. President Joe Biden has threatened to move his troops soon amid escalating military tensions between Ukraine and Russia. He also hinted at the possibility of direct sanctions against Russian President Vladimir Putin.

When asked about the timing of the deployment of his troops to Eastern Europe, President Biden met with reporters at a store in Washington on the 25th (local time) and said, “It depends on what President Putin does. (Standby) Some of the troops may be moved in the near future. “He said.

However, President Biden said, “This is not a provocation,” adding that “the situation at the border between Russia and Belarus is creating a reasonable concern in Eastern Europe.”

“We have no intention of having US or NATO forces in Ukraine,” he added.

It also hinted at the possibility of imposing sanctions on Putin if Russia actually invades Ukraine. When asked if he had considered personal sanctions against Putin during the invasion of Ukraine, Biden answered “yes”.

When asked if the possibility of aggression in the future increased, he said, “It all comes down to Putin’s decision.” He also said that “the world will change”, referring to “the largest invasion since World War II” about the possibility of a Russian invasion.

As the threat of war in Ukraine heightens, many countries are considering evacuating their own citizens.

Earlier on the 23rd, the US State Department issued a statement ordering the family members of the embassy in Ukraine to withdraw. The next day, British foreign affairs also announced that some embassy staff and their families would be recalled from Kiev, Ukraine, as the threat from Russia was growing, and Japan is also reportedly considering the same.

Following the United States and the United Kingdom, Japan is also considering evacuation of its own citizens because the local situation in Ukraine is judged to be unstable. In particular, as it is known that Russia, which is a threat to Ukraine, has already evacuated its diplomats and families dispatched there, warnings that ‘war is really imminent’ are coming.

Another factor is the fact that Ukraine will inevitably suffer a heavy blow if Russia actually invades. Ukraine is inferior to Russia’s mighty military power in terms of overall force. Dr. Robert Lee of King’s College London, UK, said, “If Russia uses all of its conventional weapons, it can inflict huge damage in a short time.

Meanwhile, 12 provinces in the south, east and north of Ukraine have already been upgraded to a travel advisory level 3, which is a departure advisory. As a result, 15 out of 25 Ukrainian provinces, including the three provinces of Crimea, Lugansk, and Donetsk, which were previously at Level 3 travel advisory, became the recommended departure area.

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