Biden levels sanctions on Russia for beginning an invasion of Ukraine: live updates
Source: USA Today
President Joe Biden said Russia's actions in Ukraine will trigger massive sanctions, a response he has been threatening for weeks as President Vladimir Putin built up troops on Ukraine's borders. He said President Vladimir Putin had flagrantly violated international law.
Putin on Tuesday received authorization from the upper chamber of parliament to use Russian troops outside of the country. He told reporters this was necessary to formalize the military's deployment in two rebel regions of eastern Ukraine, which Russia recognized as independent on Monday.
Biden says Russia "will pay an even steeper price" if continues aggressions.
"There's not question Russia is the aggressor," Biden said. "Whatever Russia does next, we're ready to respond."
Read more: https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2022/02/22/russia-ukraine-west/6890402001/
From Reuters -
Biden says U.S. to impose sanctions on Russian banks and elites
By Steve Holland
and Jeff Mason
(snip)
The United States had promised severe sanctions against Russia in the event it invades Ukraine, which the White House has previously defined as "any movement of troops across the border."
Biden said the sanctions in the initial tranche applied to VEB bank and Russia's military bank, referring to Promsvyazbank, which does defense deals. He said the sanctions against Russia's sovereign debt meant the Russian government would be cut off from Western financing. "As Russia contemplates its next move, we have our next move prepared as well," Biden said. "Russia will pay an even steeper price if it continues its aggression, including additional sanctions."
On Monday a senior administration official said Russia sending troops to the breakaway regions of Donetsk and Luhansk in Ukraine did not represent a further invasion because Russia had troops there previously. But on Tuesday, deputy national security adviser Jonathan Finer said an invasion had begun. Biden used similar language.
The United States could wield its most powerful sanctioning tool against certain Russian people and companies by placing them on the Specially Designated Nationals list, effectively kicking them out of the U.S. banking system, banning them from trading with Americans, and freezing their U.S. assets.
(snip)
https://www.reuters.com/world/white-house-announce-fresh-sanctions-russia-over-ukraine-2022-02-22/
= new reply since forum marked as read
Most of the sites have the stupid "live updates" stuff and I had run into an article about the Senate suddenly swinging into action or something...
Here is what the NYT just put up (with an update) -
(snip)
Mr. Biden said the United States is imposing “full blocking” on two large Russian financial institutions and “comprehensive sanctions” on Russian debt.
“That means we’ve cut off Russia’s government from Western finance,” he said. “It can no longer raise money from the West and cannot trade in its new debt on our markets or European markets either.”
He also said that the United States would impose sanctions on Russian elites and their families, an effort to ensure that those closest to Mr. Putin do not escape financial pain that is expected to hit hard for average Russian citizens.
(snip)
https://www.nytimes.com/2022/02/22/world/europe/biden-russia-sanctions.html
Good messaging! 
(taken from here - https://www.visualcapitalist.com/visualizing-the-94-trillion-world-economy-in-one-chart/)
Russia is sitting on the edge of that green "Europe" section right next to the world "Europe". So compare and contrast.
Imagine what a financial disruption could do (it's bad enough what the disruption from the pandemic has been here but we have so many more resources than Russia). We will need to watch for cyber attacks however as so much of our infrastructure is vulnerable.
it's him, having been on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee (including as Chair a bunch of times), for decades (let alone as VP for 8 years basically doing the foreign relations type of functions that he has VP Harris doing now)!
