President of the United States Joe Biden warned that Russia would feel
catastrophic if it attacked Ukraine. The disaster, Biden said, included
heavy casualties and huge economic losses.
"If they actually do what they are capable of with the forces they muster
at the border, it will be disastrous for Russia," Biden said at his first
press conference of the year Wednesday Washington time. 2022).
"Our allies and partners are ready to impose huge costs and significant
losses on Russia and the Russian economy," he said. The US leader said
Russian forces were likely to be able to win over time against Ukraine's
weaker military.
"However, the cost of going to Ukraine in terms of physical loss of life,
for Russia it will be heavy," he said.
Regarding Vladimir Putin, Biden said he believed the Russian president
still didn't want a full-blown war. He said Russia had no good options,
and that going to war would have severe economic consequences, from
cutting energy revenues to painful sanctions.
"Sanctions will make it impossible for Russian banks to transact in US
dollars, the world's main trading currency," he said.
"So this is not all just a cakewalk for Russia," he said again. But,
continued Biden, Putin did want to test the resolve of the United States
and its NATO allies in Europe.
According to him, Putin wants to weaken the Atlantic alliance. The US
leader said he spent a lot of time keeping NATO allies "on the same page"
in dealing with Russia.
"Putin, I know, has a difficult choice of escalation or diplomacy," he
said.
He later also added "I think he will pay a serious and heavy price for it
if he doesn't think about it now."
