President Joe Biden could not say Thursday if Russian President Vladimir Putin was threatening a nuclear strike when he warned Western nations not to retaliate militarily for his invasion of Ukraine.
“No one should have any doubts that a direct attack on our country will lead to destruction and horrible consequences for any potential aggressor,” Putin, speaking in televised remarks immediately preceding the invasion, vowed.
“I have no idea what he’s threatening,” Biden responded when answering a question about Putin’s threat Thursday afternoon. “I know what he has done.”
Earlier, Biden announced that he would deploy a second group of U.S. troops to Germany on top of the troops the U.S. dispatched to NATO’s eastern flank earlier in the week. The president said that he would also take part in a NATO summit with 30 other leaders on Friday to discuss defense strategies should Putin decide to invade Poland or other NATO allies.
Russia’s invasion, launched early Thursday morning, has resulted in dozens of casualties among both Russian and Ukrainian forces. Millions of Ukrainians have been displaced within the country or sought refuge in neighboring countries.
The United States and other members of the G-7 announced a host of sanctions Thursday, including placing a full freeze on Russia’s second-largest bank and blocking half of Russia’s technology imports. Biden claimed that the economic action will cause enough domestic pain to force Putin to withdraw from Ukraine.
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You can watch his remarks in full below.
