The situation on the Russian-Ukrainian border is tense, and US President Joe Biden said on January 19 local time that if Putin invades Ukraine, he will pay a "heavy price."
However, Biden's subsequent "small invasion" remarks caused a storm, Ukraine was shocked, the US government and its Western allies quickly opened the "damage control" mode, some clarified, some "extinguished", and others showed their "unity" on the Russian-Ukrainian issue.
On January 20, Biden personally clarified his position, saying that if any assembled Russian troops crossed the Ukrainian border, it would be aggression, "I have made it very clear to President Putin, he has no misunderstandings."
Screenshot of CNN report
Ukraine: Aggression is not "small-scale", only existent and non-existent
On January 19, local time, Biden warned at a press conference on the anniversary of his inauguration that if Putin invaded Ukraine, he would pay a "heavy price."
Biden said that a "minor incursion" could elicit a smaller reaction compared to a full-scale invasion of Ukraine, "if it were a small invasion, we would eventually have to struggle over what to do and what not to do."
Asked to explain what he called a "small-scale invasion," Biden said the line he drew was "Russian troops crossing the border and killing Ukrainian fighters."
Biden's remarks immediately caused uneasiness in Ukraine, and CNN quoted a Ukrainian official as saying that he was "shocked that US President Biden would distinguish between incursion and invasion", believing that it was a hint that a small invasion would not trigger sanctions, and that the remarks were "green light" for Putin to enter Ukraine at will.
The official also said he had never heard such a distinction from the U.S. government before and was "stunned by Kiev."
On January 20, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy tweeted that "great powers" and "small-scale invasions" do not exist, just as there is no insignificant sadness when a loved one is lost.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Demitro Kuleba told the Wall Street Journal on the 20th that aggression only exists or does not exist, a country cannot be "half invaded" or "half invaded", and "we cannot give Putin any opportunity for similar aggression or small-scale invasion." He also said Russia's "aggression" against Ukraine has been ongoing since 2014.
Biden "gaffes" again?
Reuters said Biden's remarks quickly put the U.S. government and its allies into "control mode" mode and chanted "unity."
On January 20, U.S. Secretary of State Blinken, who was visiting Berlin, said at a joint press conference with German Foreign Minister Berberk: "We have been very clear from beginning to end that if Russian troops cross the Russian-Ukrainian border and take new acts of aggression against Ukraine, "No matter which path Russia chooses, it will find that the United States, Germany, and our allies are united." ”
NATO Secretary-General Stoltenberg said in an interview with CNN on the 20th that Biden's remarks of "small-scale invasion" are "completely not" to "give the green light" for a possible invasion of Russia. He also said NATO members are stepping up their support for Ukraine, considering imposing sanctions on Russia and increasing the deployment of NATO troops in eastern member states.
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said: "If Russia carries out any kind of invasion of Ukraine, or any scale of invasion, I think it will be a disaster, not only for Ukraine, but also for Russia." This will be a disaster for the world. ”
Reuters said that given that Western countries have long emphasized their unified position in public, some officials privately expressed disappointment at Biden's remarks, calling it a "gaffe" by Biden.
A Western national security source told Reuters: "This (Biden's words) is not very helpful, in fact it is a gift to Putin." But we shouldn't read too much about it, biden didn't give the green light for Moscow to attack Ukraine. This is just a slip of the tongue, and the official position of the West will prevail. ”
On the EU side, European Commission President von der Leyen said on the 20th: "If the situation deteriorates, if there is any further attack on Ukraine's territorial integrity (Russia), we will respond with large-scale economic and financial sanctions." The Transatlantic Community is firm in this regard. ”
On January 19, local time, US President Biden held a press conference on the first anniversary of his inauguration Image source: IC Photo
In the White House, various people are eager to help Biden "extinguish the fire.".
White House spokesman Psaki issued a statement clarifying Biden's remarks on the evening of the 19th, and explained again in an interview with Fox News on the morning of the 20th: "Let me explain very clearly what President (Biden) conveyed to President Putin: If any army crosses the border into Ukraine, if they invade Ukraine, it is aggression, which will lead to serious economic consequences." ”
On the same day, U.S. Vice President Harris said on NBC's "Today" that the U.S. position was already very clear and that if Putin took radical action, he was prepared to make them pay a heavy price.
When the moderator questioned the White House's position as "not clear enough," Harris responded slightly disapprovingly: "I'll make it clear to you now, and if you're interested, I'll continue to clarify." ”
At noon on the 20th, Biden first clarified his position on the possible "invasion" of Ukraine by Russia when speaking before meeting with the Infrastructure Promotion Working Group: "I have made it very clear to President Putin, and he has no misunderstanding. If any of the assembled Russian forces cross the Ukrainian border, it is aggression, and he (Russia) will face a harsh, coordinated economic response, which I have discussed in detail with our allies and made clear to President Putin. ”
"There is no doubt that if Putin makes such a choice, Russia will pay a heavy price." Biden said.
But in fact, NATO is clearly divided on the so-called Russian "invasion" of Ukraine. The British "Guardian" commented that France and Germany, the two major EU countries, have their own ideas.
On January 19, French President Emmanuel Macron stressed that the EU should not only pursue an independent security policy, but also establish an independent EU policy towards Russia.
Germany has never agreed with Britain and the United States on whether to supply weapons to Ukraine, but on the issue of Nord Stream 2, it has continued its agreement with the United States, declaring that if Russia "invades" Ukraine, Germany will call off the gas project.
Last week, as Russia's "three consecutive talks" with Western countries fell into a dead end, the United States claimed that "the drums of war have been sounded." At the same time, THE United Kingdom, Canada and other NATO countries have been exposed to have shipped defensive weapons and military training personnel to Ukraine.
The Ukrainian State News Agency said on the 19th that Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has invited Zelenskiy and Putin to hold talks in Turkey to resolve differences. Russian Satellite News Agency reported on the 21st that the russian presidential press secretary Peskov said that there is no preparation for this meeting in progress, and some are just that Ukraine is filling up with weapons and has not fulfilled the Minsk agreement.
U.S. Secretary of State Blinken will meet with Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov in Geneva on January 21 local time, and a U.S. State Department spokesman said Blinken would "continue diplomatic discussions and call for de-escalation of the situation (in the Ukrainian region)" during his meeting with Lavrov.
In this regard, Vladimir Zakharov, a senior lecturer at Russia's Higher University of Economics, told the Russian Satellite News Agency that Russia is waiting for the United States and NATO to explain its position and the implementation of the Minsk agreement. "Mr. Blinken, when talking about the build-up of Russian troops, is expected to put pressure on the Russian side. Russia has responded to this many times — our troops are deployed on our own territory. ”
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