(Photo : (Photo by ANATOLII STEPANOV/AFP via Getty Images))
Ukrainian Military Forces servicemen stand in a trench on the frontline with Russia-backed separatists near Verkhnetoretske village, in the Donetsk region, on January 18, 2022. - Ukrainian President said on January 20, 2022, there could be no guarantees for the security of Europe as long as regions of his country remained under the control of Russia and pro-Moscow separatists. (Photo by Anatolii STEPANOV / AFP)
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, who heads the EU executive, said Europe stands firm that it would respond to a new attack of Russia "with massive economic and financial sanctions."
As per Reuters, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said that if Russia makes any kind of attack on Ukraine, it will result in disaster on both sides. He added, "it would be a disaster for the world."
Biden told the media on Wednesday that he expected Russian President Vladimir Putin to take action. He said Russia "will be held accountable" if it pursues to invade Ukraine, but the actions of The US and its Western allies will depend on how Vladimir Putin's decision.
"It's one thing if it's a minor incursion and we end up having to fight about what to do and what to not do, et cetera," Biden said.
Soon after the two-hour press conference ended, the White House clarified Biden's statement. According to White House press secretary Jen Psaki, If any Russian troops move across the border of Ukraine, it will be considered as "a renewed invasion," and "it will be met with a swift, severe, and united response" from the US and its allies in the West, as per US News.
Russia Not Backing Down
Since Moscow annexed Crimea and supported a separatist revolt in eastern Ukraine in 2014, repeated rounds of economic sanctions have had little impact on Russian policy. But U.S. and European officials say there are still strong financial steps that have not been pushed.
On Tuesday, Germany, Europe's largest national economy, hinted that if Russia initiates an invasion, it will interrupt the new gas pipeline Nord Stream 2 that runs through Ukraine.
On the other hand, Russia denies that it intends to attack Ukraine. Still, it has threatened to use military force if its demands, including the rejection of Kyiv's NATO membership ambition, are not granted.
Last week, Moscow presented its demands to the West during security talks in Geneva that produced "no breakthrough," according to observers.
Russia Conducts Military Exercises Amid Fears Of Invasion
Amid its denial of invasion plans, Russia announced conducting joint military drills with Belarus next month. The participating troops from both sides will rehearse, repelling an external attack.
The "Allied Resolve" drills will be held on Belarus' western border with Poland and Lithuania and near its southern wing with Ukraine.
According to Deputy Russian Defense Minister Alexander Formin, the military exercises aim "to fine-tune the tasks of suppressing and repelling external aggression during a defensive operation, countering terrorism and protecting the interests of the Union State (Russia and Belarus)."
According to a report, Russia would deploy 12 Sukhoi Su-35 fighter jets, two S-400 anti-aircraft missile system units, and a Pantsir missile system deployed to Belarus for the drills.
On Monday, Russian military forces and hardware have begun arriving in Belarus for the drills, according to NBC News.
The West has expressed concern over a potential invasion of Ukraine by tens of thousands of Russian troops massed along the country's border.
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