“If an additional Russian force goes aggressively into Ukraine, it will provoke a quick, harsh and united response from us and Europe,” Blinken told CNN’s Dana Bash in the State of the Union. On Sunday.
The Secretary-General’s comments further clarify the US position on Russia’s further aggressive military action after it had mobilized tens of thousands of troops on its border with Ukraine. Despite warnings from US officials to Russia in recent days, President Joe Biden confused the news of the dire consequences last week, saying at a news conference that “small infiltration” would not trigger the same response to NATO’s invasion.
On Sunday, Blingen backed the administration’s unwillingness to impose sanctions against Russia, despite urging Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zhelensky to now impose sanctions on the United States and its allies for amassing large numbers of troops on Ukraine’s borders.
“When it comes to sanctions, those sanctions are aimed at preventing Russian occupation,” he said. “So if they are triggered now, you lose the deterrent effect. Everything we do, including building a united front with Europe and the massive consequences for Russia, is designed to be a factor for President (Vladimir) Putin.
In a separate interview with Iowa’s Republican Sen. Johnny Ernst on Sunday, entitled “State of the Union,” he called on the Biden administration to immediately impose a new round of sanctions on Russian officials to prevent an invasion of Ukraine.
“We have to impose sanctions on Russia now. We have to show them that we are in business. We will be there when Ukraine (Russia) invades,” Ernst Bash, a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, told PTI. . “Once the invasion happens? Lives are lost. You can not go back from it. So those obstacles must be put in place now.”
The story was updated on Sunday with more details.
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