The United States and Western countries announced a set of sanctions against Russia against the backdrop of the Ukrainian crisis, while Washington said it had moved troops and military equipment east towards the Baltic region, and Kiev announced the call-up of the reserve army.

US President Joe Biden announced the imposition of sanctions on two Russian financial institutions and Russia's sovereign debt in response to the actions taken by Russian President Vladimir Putin, which Biden considered the beginning of a Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Biden confirmed - in a speech at the White House - that sanctions will also be imposed on Russian elites and their family members who benefit from the Kremlin's policies, and Biden pledged to impose tougher sanctions if Russia continues to escalate them.

He added that this means cutting off the Russian government's access to Western financing, it can no longer raise money from the West, and it cannot trade its new debt in the US or European markets.

US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken said that Putin's plan was always to invade Ukraine and make it part of Russia, and that this is the biggest threat in Europe since World War II, and he added - in a press conference with his Ukrainian counterpart in Kiev - that US sanctions will deprive the Russian government of entering investor markets. the basics.

And the US Secretary of State said he had canceled a meeting with his Russian counterpart, Sergey Lavrov, that had been scheduled for Thursday.

Press conference of the US (right) and Ukrainian foreign ministers (Reuters)

Putin

A senior official in the US administration said - in a telephone briefing in response to a question about whether the imposed sanctions might include Russian President Vladimir Putin - that all options are on the table.

The official stated that Washington is implementing a plan in coordination with major oil consumers and producers to ensure the stability of global energy supplies, and that the imposed measures will not disrupt the flow of energy to global markets.

He stressed that the sanctions cut off funding for the Russian government, the Russian Central Bank and sovereign wealth funds in Russia. The official added that these sanctions include two Russian financial institutions;

One of them is the fifth largest financial institution in the country.

The US official indicated that these measures are a first batch of sanctions that were coordinated with allies from the European Union, Britain, Canada, Japan and Australia.

European sanctions

And the European Union's foreign and security policy official, Josep Borrell, announced the imposition of European sanctions on Russia, including 27 entities and people - as part of a first package of sanctions - which he said had contributed to undermining Ukraine's sovereignty.

In a press conference with French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian in Paris, Borrell made it clear that the sanctions include banks that finance Russian decision-makers and any activity in the separatist regions.

German Chancellor Olaf Schultz also announced yesterday, Tuesday, the suspension of the natural gas pipeline project "Nord Stream 2" following the Russian decision, and said - in a press conference with Irish Prime Minister Michael Martin - "We must re-evaluate the situation, especially with regard to (project) Nord. Stream 2".

On Tuesday, Britain announced the imposition of economic sanctions on 3 Russian businessmen, in addition to 5 Russian banks, against the backdrop of Moscow's official recognition of the "Republics" of Donetsk and Luhansk.

And Prime Minister Boris Johnson warned - in a speech before the House of Commons - that other sanctions "will be ready to be imposed on Moscow" in partnership with the United States and the European Union if the escalation continues, and expected that the Ukraine-Russia crisis will last "for a long time."

Meeting of the Ukrainian President with the participation of parties (Reuters)

Military reinforcements

On the other hand, Biden announced that he had ordered additional movements of US forces and equipment in Europe to support the Baltic states;

Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, and the US President stressed that these moves are defensive, and that his country does not seek to fight Russia, as he put it.

A US official - who spoke on condition of anonymity - said that Biden's announcement of the redistribution of forces in Europe includes sending 800 infantry soldiers to the Baltic region and up to 8 F-35 fighter jets to several operating sites along the eastern flank of NATO. .

In addition, the United States will send 32 AH-64 Apache attack helicopters to the Baltic region and Poland from locations within Europe, he said.

reserve call

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Tuesday that he called up reservists for a special period, but ruled out general mobilization after Russia announced that it would move its forces to eastern Ukraine.

Zelensky added that he was still seeking diplomatic ways out of the crisis, and welcomed Turkey's willingness to participate in multilateral talks, but said Ukraine would not cede any territory to Russia.

Zelensky also revealed in a speech to the nation - after a meeting in parliament with the participation of parties - about the "economic patriotism" program, which included incentives for local production and a reduction in value-added tax on gasoline.


Russian Empire

On the other hand, the Russian President stressed on Tuesday that the possible entry of the Russian army into Ukraine to support pro-Moscow separatists would depend on "the situation on the ground."

He explained - in a press conference - that the peace agreements brokered by Western countries to end the conflict in eastern Ukraine no longer exist after his recognition of the independence of two separatist regions in the former Soviet republic.

"The Minsk agreements no longer exist, we have recognized the Donetsk and Lugansk People's Republics," he added.

Putin considered that the "best solution" to end the crisis over Ukraine lies in Kiev's abandonment of its desire to join NATO, and said, "The best solution to this issue is for the authorities currently ruling in Kiev themselves to refuse to join NATO and to choose neutrality."

President Putin was keen on Tuesday that he was not seeking to restore the Russian Empire, and said - during a meeting with his Azerbaijani counterpart Ilham Aliyev in the Kremlin, "that there would be speculations that Russia intends to rebuild an empire," adding that "this does not correspond at all with reality."

The Russian Federation Council approved the request of President Vladimir Putin to use the Russian armed forces outside the country, and the decision entered into force with immediate effect, a day after the Russian President recognized the regions of Lugansk and Donetsk in eastern Ukraine as independent republics.

Russia annexed Ukraine's Crimea peninsula in 2014, and in 2008 Moscow also backed two breakaway regions of Georgia, as well as the breakaway region of Transnistria in Moldova since the 1990s.