U.S. President Joe Biden stated that he is convinced that Russian President Vladimir Putin has decided to invade Ukraine, and although there is still room for diplomacy, he expects Russia to move in the coming days. Biden said, "We have reason to believe that Russian forces are planning and intending to attack Ukraine next week, in the coming days," adding that the U.S. believes Russia will target the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv.
A senior White House official warned on Friday that the sanctions imposed by the U.S. and its partners on Moscow if President Putin decides to invade Ukraine will make Russia a "pariah" state. White House Deputy National Security Advisor for International Economics Daleep Singh told reporters that Russia "will become a pariah state to the international community. It will be isolated from international financial markets and deprived of the most advanced technological inputs."
The U.S. official emphasized that the sanctions that the country intends to impose on Russia if it invades its pro-Western neighbor have been prepared in a "responsible" manner to "avoid targeting the Russian people and limit collateral damage to the U.S. and the global economy." Singh explained that these sanctions "will expose Russia to the risk of significant capital flight, increased pressure on its currency, rising inflation rates, high borrowing costs, economic contraction, and erosion of its productive capacity."
The U.S. official confirmed that the country is "prepared" in case Russia attempts to use energy resources as a "weapon" and a means of pressure. He stated, "We have taken steps (...) to coordinate with the largest energy consumers and producers to ensure that we have a continuous energy supply and stable energy markets."
Washington has previously confirmed that the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline connecting Russia to Germany via the sea will not start operation if Ukraine is invaded. During the same press conference, Anne Neuberger, the White House cybersecurity advisor, said, "We see that the Russian state is responsible for the cyberattacks targeting Ukrainian banks this week," as tensions with Moscow escalate over the crisis surrounding Ukraine.
