USA: "It is not just words" - Psaki on Russia's "threat" amid Ukraine tensions

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White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki commented on the situation at the Ukrainian-Russian border after the UN Security Council meeting in Washington DC on Monday.
After Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky decried the West’s ‘panic’ due to the ‘build-up’ of the Russian troops at the border, Psaki said that she “can not speak to the motivation or the reasoning for the comments of the Ukrainian leadership.”

SOT, Jen Psaki, White House press secretary: “Well, I can only speak for our intention and our responsibility, and we feel it is important to be open and candid about the threat from Russia. It is not just words, of course. You are seeing specifics that we have been laying out here, including over 100,000 troops on Ukraine’s borders, amassed on the border with more troops and weaponry on the way. They have also been surging troops into Belarus, which our U.N. ambassador spoke about this morning, seeing about five, a surge of 5,000 troops in Belarus, with plans for more in the coming weeks. We are also seeing Russia undertake efforts to destabilize Ukraine, including through a possible false flag operation. It is dangerous, we have been saying for more than a week that Russia could invade at any time. I would note, though, that our effort is to ensure we are informing the American public and the global community of the seriousness of this threat, even as we work with the Ukrainians, with the Europeans to ensure we are not only preparing them and providing them supplies that they need, but standing up and making clear to the Russians what the consequences will be. So I can not speak to the motivation or the reasoning for the comments of Ukrainian leadership. I can only speak to what our efforts are here.”

SOT, Journalist: “Russia’s ambassador at that meeting said that the West’s assertion that Russia has amassed 100,000 troops on the border has not been confirmed. And China at that meeting also said that it did not view Russia’s troops as a threat to Ukraine. I’m wondering about your, the White House’s response to those tweets?”

SOT, Jen Psaki, White House press secretary: “Well, those are also the two countries that voted against the meeting proceeding. The only two, right? I would note that we have based the information we have provided to all of you on substantive reports out there. Our own assessments, our own a coordinated intelligence gathering with our, with our partners on the ground. So and those are assessments that are, as you know, Jeff, are also made by the Europeans. Now again, Russia has the power, they are the aggressor here. They have the power and ability to de-escalate, to pull their troops back from the border, to not push more troops to Belarus to take steps to de-escalate the situation on the ground. But we know what we have seen with our own eyes. You have heard members of our defense team, our secretary of defense, as well as General Milley speak to this in very specific detail as well as our U.N. ambassador this morning. It is not our preference to be having these conversations. We’d prefer there to be deescalatory actions by the Russians.”

SOT, Jen Psaki, White House press secretary: “I can confirm we have developed specific sanctions packages for both Russian elites and their family members if Russia further invades Ukraine. These efforts are being pursued in coordination with allies and partners. The individuals we have identified are in or near the inner circle of the Kremlin and play a role in government decision making or at a minimum, complicit in the Kremlin’s destabilizing behavior. Many of these individuals are particularly vulnerable targets because of their deep and financial ties with the West, meaning they would be hurt by sanctions that are tying them to Western financial systems. I would also note that this is just one piece of our effort to hit Russia from all angles.”

SOT, Jen Psaki, White House press secretary: “As the president and other members of our national security team are conveying that very clearly, privately and publicly, that is also sending a message to other countries around the world. If you look at what President Putin’s stated objectives are or his spokespeople, I guess I should say, he wants to divide the West. He wants to divide NATO. The opposite is happening. There has been more than 200 engagements with NATO countries. We are united, fiercely united, and standing up to what we see as aggressive behavior, bellicose rhetoric, even as we’re leaving the door to diplomacy open.”

#Ukraine #US #Psaki #Russia

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