President Joe Biden predicted on Wednesday that Russia would invade Ukraine, just as the United States launched a new effort to resolve the standoff and Moscow continued to mass troops at its neighbor's doorstep.
"My guess is he will move on, he has to do something," Biden said during a news conference, referring to Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukraine on the occasion of his first year in office.
Biden's announcement was striking given rising tensions there and continued efforts by the US and its allies to find a diplomatic solution.
Biden said Putin would be "held accountable" and "never seen sanctions like I promised" if Russia takes further steps against Ukraine. He said the US would increase the level of its troops in the region, including in Poland, in keeping with its obligations under the NATO treaty.
But Biden appeared to be distinguishing between a "minor intrusion" and a full-blown attack to evade his threats.
"And it depends on what it does. It's one thing if it's a minor intrusion and we end up fighting about what to do and what not to do," Biden said.
A senior administration official told reporters in a telephone briefing on Wednesday night that the United States is ready to impose broad sanctions on Russia, regardless of the amount of territory seized in a possible invasion of Ukraine.
The official said that if conventional military forces are acquiring land in Ukraine, the U.S. Will consider an invasion, regardless of size.
If Putin does invade, "it would be the most consequential thing in the world since World War II," Biden said.
Biden gave some of his thoughts on Putin's thinking.
"I think it matters which side of the bed he gets up in the morning what he's going to do," he said.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken was in a hastily arranged diplomatic mission to meet with Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky in Kiev this week, indicating the urgency of the crisis.
Blinken was also scheduled to meet with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in Geneva on Friday, even after a flurry of talks last week with no success and little hope of de-escalation Went.
With Europe facing one of its biggest security crises since the Cold War, Washington's warning that a Russian attack could come "at any point" was ringing through the winter air as Blinken early Wednesday. reached the continent.
Speaking to diplomats at the US embassy in Kiev, Blinken echoed those concerns as he warned that building Moscow's military would allow Putin to attack "at very short notice".
Reuters reported that Biden's top diplomat said he sincerely hoped Russia could stick to a peaceful path. According to the agency, the Russian buildup, he said, was happening "without any provocation, for no reason".
In a later meeting with Zelensky, Blinken said Ukraine faced an "unprecedented" threat. He reiterated Washington's commitment to the country's territorial integrity and repeatedly warned that a renewed Russian offensive would have "very serious consequences".
During his time in Kiev, Blinken will also meet with US embassy staff and their families to discuss efforts to "plan for contingency," the State Department said.
On Wednesday, a bipartisan group of senators briefed Biden on a trip to Ukraine this week to meet with Zelensky, ahead of Blinken's visit.
"Democrats and Republicans must stand united in the urgent need to support Ukraine in defending its sovereignty and pro-democracy aspirations," D-NH Senator Jean Shahin tweeted on Wednesday. "Now together we must find a way forward that responds to those needs and takes Putin into account."
After speaking with Biden on Wednesday morning, a group of GOP senators, some of whom took part in a weekend trip to Ukraine, accused the administration of not doing enough to stop Russia.
James Inhofe, R-Okla., the ranking member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, told reporters that the U.S. should provide additional assistance and strengthen Ukraine's security. The Biden administration, he said, is "three months behind where they should be at the moment."
Rob Portman, R-Ohio, who led Shaheen's visit to Ukraine, also said that in addition to imposing sanctions, the US should tell Russia that it will provide Ukraine with additional military protection and lethal weapons.
"This kind of deterrence is needed now to avoid aggression in Ukraine and destabilization in Europe," he said.
White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said on Tuesday that a "very dangerous situation" was brewing along the Ukrainian border. "We believe we are now at a stage where Russia can attack Ukraine at any time. I would say it is much harsher than we are," Saki said during his daily press briefing.
Last week, the Biden administration said it has information that the Russian government is planning a "false-flag" campaign to justify a fresh military incursion into its neighbor, when Russia annexed Crimea in 2014. and supported the ongoing separatist war with Ukrainian forces. east of the country.
The growing alarm comes after inconclusive talks between Moscow and the West following Russia's demands for security guarantees that the U.S. And his allies have consistently denied it.
Russia has gathered more than 100,000 troops along the Ukrainian border in recent months, fueling Western fears that Moscow is planning to invade. The Kremlin has strongly denied any such plans.
Adding to those fears, Moscow and Minsk continued to arrive in Belarus on Tuesday as Russian forces and equipment for a planned joint military exercise next month. The former Soviet state is a staunch ally of Moscow and borders Ukraine to the north.
A senior administration official called the arrival of Russian troops and equipment in Belarus "neither an exercise nor a general military movement", but a "show of strength" that could have given a false excuse for the crisis.
"It is a move that is extremely dangerous. We are now at a stage where Russia can attack Ukraine at any time," the official said at a briefing ahead of Blinken's visit.
But Moscow was defiant about the activities of its troops on Wednesday, with the Russian embassy in Washington calling it a "sovereign authority".
"Once again we emphasize: Russia is not going to attack anyone," the embassy said in a Facebook post.
The US has warned of dire economic consequences if it invades Russia, and has sought to rally allies across Europe to present a strong and united front.
Following his meetings with Zelensky and other senior Ukrainian officials, Blinken will continue to visit Berlin on Thursday for talks with German and other European allies.