The US President Joe Biden warned the Russian President Putin of slapping personal sanctions in case Russia invaded Ukraine.
Biden has issued this warning today as the Western leaders have stepped up preparations for any Russian military action in Ukraine, with the United States focusing on how to protect energy supplies.
Tensions mounted further after NATO said it was putting forces on standby and reinforcing Eastern Europe with more ships and fighter jets in response to a Russian troop build-up near its border with Ukraine.
Russia has denied of planning an attack on Ukraine and the Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that the crisis was being driven by US and NATO actions, not the Russian troop build-up.
Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy today urged his compatriots to stay calm and said work was under way to bring about a meeting between him and the leaders of Russia, Germany and France.
The US and the European Union have threatened economic sanctions if Russia were to launch an invasion and Western leaders have said unity is paramount, though differences have emerged among European nations about how best to respond.
Biden repeated on Tuesday that there were no plans to send US troops to Ukraine, which is not a NATO member, but said he would consider imposing direct sanctions on Putin and that there would be “enormous consequences” if Russia were to invade.
