Since the first Russian bombings in Ukraine this Thursday morning, it is a speech that was extremely expected all over the planet. Joe Biden announced this Thursday evening, during a press conference, a series of new sanctions targeting Russian banks, elites and exports in response to the invasion of Ukraine, which according to him will make Putin “an outcast on the international scene “.
The United States will impose economic sanctions and export restrictions on Russia, the American president said, assuring that they would impose a “severe cost on the Russian economy, both immediately and in the long term”.
Four additional Russian banks will also be sanctioned and more than half of Russia’s technology imports cut, he said in a speech from the White House. “We are also adding names to the list of Russian (elites) and their family members who are sanctioned,” said the tenant of the White House.
Sanctioning Vladimir Putin personally is also “on the table”, Joe Biden said once more, without wanting to give more details. Cutting Russia from the Swift interbank network, an essential cog in global finance, also remains “an option” according to the American president.
No military intervention from the United States, reaffirms Biden
He stressed, however, “that this was not currently (a) position” shared by the Europeans, and assured that the other financial sanctions announced Thursday by the United States and their allies had “as much impact or even more impact” than this option, requested by Ukraine itself.
Joe Biden reaffirms that “our forces are not and will not be engaged” in Ukraine. On the other hand, he announces a greater deployment of American forces in certain European countries, citing for example Germany.
He also insisted once once more on repeating that the United States was not acting alone on this issue. “We will limit Russia’s ability to do business in dollars, euros, pounds and yen,” he warned. “This is a dangerous moment for Europe, for freedom for the world. Today the whole world sees very clearly what Putin is doing, with his allies, “said Donald Trump’s successor.
US President Joe Biden also promised on Thursday to tap into the strategic oil reserves of the United States in order to relieve Americans, worried regarding rising fuel prices. Washington “will release additional barrels of crude if conditions allow,” said Joe Biden, stressing that Americans “are already suffering” from rising gasoline prices at the pump.
