USA: 'It's going to be a disaster for Russia if they further invade Ukraine' - Biden

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US President Joe Biden warned of ‘disaster’ for Russia ‘if they further invade Ukraine,’ in comments made at a media briefing in Washington DC on Wednesday.

“Our allies and partners are ready to impose severe costs and significant harm on Russia and the Russian economy,” he said.

Biden stressed that the US had already shipped over $600 million (€529 million) worth of military equipment to Ukraine.

“The cost of going into Ukraine, in terms of physical loss of life, for the Russians, they’ll — they’ll be able to prevail over time, but it’s going to be heavy, it’s going to be real, and it’s going to be consequential,” Biden stated.

Russia has said it has not intention of undertaking military action against Ukraine, with Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov reiterating that message on Wednesday.

Ryabkov stressed that Ukraine’s close ties with NATO pose a threat to Russia even without Kiev becoming a member of the military alliance, but emphasised diplomacy as the means for resolving the issue.

“This is something that goes right to the centre of Russia’s national security interest. And we will do our utmost to reverse this situation, to rebalance this situation through diplomatic means. And we think drafts that we’ve presented to the US are exactly the way to go to find a diplomatic solution,” he stressed.

Last month, Russia’s Foreign Ministry published draft security proposals between Moscow and Washington on ensuring the security of Russia and NATO member states.

SOUNDBITES

SOT, Joe Biden, President of United States: “It is going to be a disaster for Russia if they further ingra- — invade Ukraine, and that our allies and partners are ready to impose severe costs and significant harm on Russia and the Russian economy. And, you know, we’re going to fortify our NATO Allies, I told him, on the eastern flank — if, in fact, he does invade. We’re going to — I’ve already shipped over $600 million worth of sophisticated equipment, defensive equipment to the Ukrainians. The cost of going into Ukraine, in terms of physical loss of life, for the Russians, they’ll — they’ll be able to prevail over time, but it’s going to be heavy, it’s going to be real, and it’s going to be consequential. ”

SOT, Joe Biden, President of United States: “We’re finding ourselves in a position where I believe you will see that there’ll be severe economic consequences. For example, anything that involves dollar denominations, if they make — if they invade, they’re going to pay; they’re not going — their banks will not be able to deal in dollars.”

SOT, Joe Biden, President of United States: “Militarily, they have overwhelming superiority, and on — as it relates to Ukraine. But they’ll pay a stiff price — immediately, near term, medium term, and long term — if they do it.”

SOT, Joe Biden, President of United States: “I think he still does not want any full-blown war, number one. Number two, do I think he’ll test the West, test the United States and NATO as significantly as he can? Yes, I think he will. But I think he’ll pay a serious and dear price for it that he doesn’t think now will cost him what it’s going to cost him. And I think he will regret having done it.”

SOT, Joe Biden, President of United States: “The two things he said to me that he wants guarantees of it: One is, Ukraine will never be part of NATO. And two, that NATO, or the — there will not be strategic weapons stationed in Ukraine. Well, we could work out something on the second piece (inaudible) what he does along the Russian line as well — or the Russian border, in the European area of Russia. On the first piece, we have a number of treaties internationally and in Europe that suggest that you get to choose who you want to be with. But the likelihood that Ukraine is going to join NATO in the near term is not very likely, based on much more work they have to do in terms of democracy and a few other things.”

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