As Russia and Ukraine tensions at the border continue, US President Joe Biden said Putin “has to do something” while adding that “my guess is he will move in”.
“What I’m concerned about is this could get out of hand, very easily get out of hand because of the borders of Ukraine and what Russia may or may not do,” the US president said.
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Biden expressed fears that if Russia attacked Ukraine there could be “short of a full-blown nuclear war”.
“He’s not in a very good position to dominate the world,” Biden said referring to Putin. The US president added that a summit to defuse the Ukraine crisis could be a “possibility” while also warning of heavy human casualties in case of a war.
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Thousands of Russian troops have massed at the border worrying the US and Ukraine. Putin had dismissed reports that his troops are set to attack Ukraine asserting that soldiers can move around anywhere inside the border.
“It’s one thing if it’s a minor incursion, and then we end up having a fight about what to do and not do,” Biden said.
However, the White House warned that Russia could launch an attack on Ukraine between mid-January and mid-February as
White House press secretary Jen Psaki said an attack on Ukraine “will be met with a swift, severe, and united response from the United States and our allies.”
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“If they actually do what they’re capable of doing with the force they’ve massed on the border, it is going to be a disaster for Russia,” Biden said, adding that his administration was ready to impose “severe costs” and that there would be “significant damage” to the Russian economy.
(With inputs from Agencies)
