Russian President Vladimir Putin launched his full-blown assault on Ukraine early Thursday morning, and President Joe Biden finally rolled around to addressing the American people in person in the late afternoon.
Biden imposed further economic sanctions on the country, specifically going after Russian banks, elites, and “high-tech sectors”, according to the Associated Press.
“Putin is the aggressor,” Biden said. “Putin chose this war, and now he and his country will bear the consequences.”
He also said that he has “no plans” to talk with Putin.
Notably, Biden stopped short of banning Russia’s use of SWIFT, which is a major financial transaction service, even though Ukraine argued that it would effectively cripple their economy.
“The sanctions we’ve imposed exceed SWIFT,” he said, according to the MarketWatch. He added that European allies also do not currently support the decision to cut their use of the service.
While these sanctions will not help Russia in any way, they come across as incredibly weak given the scope of the situation. White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki even revealed on Twitter that reports about the U.S. consider cyberattacks are “off base.”
“This report on cyber options being presented to @POTUS is off base and does not reflect what is actually being discussed in any shape or form.”
This report on cyber options being presented to @POTUS is off base and does not reflect what is actually being discussed in any shape or form.
— Jen Psaki (@PressSec) February 24, 2022
Why did she not leave any gray area with this report? When it comes to specific military matters, this level of transparency is arguably not necessary and weakens the position of the U.S.
Perhaps the biggest flub of Biden’s address to the nation today was when he said, moments after imposing sanctions, that Russia does not care about sanctions.
“No-one expected the sanctions to prevent anything from happening,” Biden said, according to Fox News.
“This could take time and we have to show resolve so he knows what’s coming and so the people of Russia know what he’s brought on them, this is what this is all about.”
“This is going to take time, it’s not going to occur…he’s gonna say ‘oh my God, these sanctions are coming, I’m gonna stand down.’”
Biden: “No one expected the sanctions to prevent anything from happening…Putin’s not going to say ‘oh, my god, the sanctions are coming.'”
Right after a speech announcing a new round of sanctions. #Ukraine pic.twitter.com/0GctfBmTba
— John Cooper (@thejcoop) February 24, 2022
Although the U.S. should not be involved in any physical military operations, it’s obvious the U.S. plays a key role in making sure that Russia does not get away with any more than what they have already. Quickly crippling the Russian economy would be the most peaceful method of deterrence, except that the president seems complacent with the fact that they are taking baby steps against Russia. Lives are being lost and Ukrainians are being armed by their government, so nothing short of a bloodbath is afoot.
Ukraine has had some success in putting up a fight against Russian forces, but it’s unlikely that they will succeed in holding down the fort against them in the coming days and weeks. For example, the capital of Kyiv is expected to fall under Russian control in a matter of hours, Bloomberg reported.
Even during a time of war in Eastern Europe, Biden still seems disinterested in taking any serious step toward asserting the dominance of the Western world.