Ukraine Live Updates: US President Joe Biden announces sanctions on RussiaNew Delhi: US President Joe Biden on Tuesday announced tough new sanctions on Russia for “beginning” an invasion of Ukraine but said there was still time to avoid war, even as Vladimir Putin signaled plans to send troops beyond Russia’s borders.Russia’s upper house, the Federation Council, gave Putin unanimous approval to deploy “peacekeepers” to two breakaway Ukrainian regions now recognized by Moscow as independent, and potentially into other parts of Ukraine.Biden announced what he called the “first tranche” of sanctions, including steps to starve Russia of financing and target financial institutions and the country’s “elites.”But he left the door open to a final effort at diplomacy to avert a full-scale Russian invasion.”There’s no question that Russia is the aggressor, so we’re clear eyed about the challenges we’re facing,” the president said.”Nonetheless, there is still time to avert the worst case scenario that will bring untold suffering to millions of people.”
Here are live updates of the Ukraine crisis:
Get NDTV UpdatesTurn on notifications to receive alerts as this story develops.Ukraine Crisis: Russian Lawmakers Allow Putin To Use Force AbroadRussian parliament’s upper house on Tuesday voted to allow President Vladimir Putin to use the Russian army outside the country to support separatists in Ukraine.A total of 153 Russian senators backed the decision, with no one voting against or abstaining.Despite Russia’s foreign ministry earlier saying they are not planning to send troops to eastern Ukraine “for now,” Putin asked the Federation Council to approve the army’s use outside the country to back separatists who have been fighting the Ukrainian army since 2014.”Negotiations have stalled. The Ukrainian leadership has taken the path of violence and bloodshed,” Deputy Defence Minister Nikolay Pankov said during a session of the Federation Council called at Putin’s request.
- US President Joe Biden on Tuesday announced the “first tranche” of sanctions against Russia, including steps to starve the country of financing, saying Moscow had started an invasion of Ukraine.
- And Biden threatened tougher steps if Russia “continues its aggression.”
- “We’re implementing sanctions on Russia’s sovereign debt. That means we’ve cut off Russia’s government from Western financing,” Biden said.
- “It can no longer raise money from the West and cannot trade in its new debt on our markets or European markets either.”
- The measures also target VEB, Russia’s state development bank, and members of the country’s “elites,” the US leader said.
- “They share the corrupt gains of the Kremlin policies, and should share in the pain as well.”
