WASHINGTON (AP) 鈥� President Joe Biden hit back Thursday against , unleashing robust new sanctions, ordering the deployment of thousands of additional troops to NATO ally Germany and declaring that America would stand up to Russia's Vladimir Putin.
He also acknowledged that the invasion -- and efforts to thwart Putin -- will have a cost for Americans. But he sought to reassure that the economic pain that may come with rising energy prices will be short lived in the U.S.
As for the Russian president, Biden said, 鈥淗e鈥檚 going to test the resolve of the West to see if we stay together. And we will.鈥�
Targeting Russia's financial system, Biden said, the United States mpose export controls aimed at the nation's high-tech needs and sanction its business oligarchs.
The president said the U.S. also will be deploying additional forces to Germany to bolster NATO after the invasion of Ukraine, which is not a member of the defense organization. Some 7,000 additional U.S. troops will be sent.
But some U.S. lawmakers鈥攁nd Ukrainian officials鈥攃alled on Biden to do more.
鈥淭here is more that we can and should do,鈥� said Sen Bob Menendez, D-N.J., the chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee, pointing to the possibility of removing Russian banks from the SWIFT international banking system and sanctioning Putin personally. 鈥淐ongress and the Biden administration must not shy away from any options.鈥�
Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell expressed support Thursday for Biden's latest moves but also urged Biden to apply maximum pressure on Putin.
鈥淲e鈥檙e all together at this point and we need to be together about what should be done,鈥� McConnell said. 鈥淏ut I have some advice: Ratchet the sanctions all the way up. Don鈥檛 hold any back.鈥�
Biden declared that Putin, who has referred to the collapse of the Soviet Union as the 鈥済reatest geopolitical catastrophe鈥� of the past century, is looking beyond Ukraine.
鈥淗e has much larger ambitions,鈥� Biden said. 鈥淗e wants to, in fact, reestablish the former Soviet Union. That鈥檚 what this is about.鈥�
The penalties announced Thursday fall in line with the White House鈥檚 insistence that it would hit Russia鈥檚 financial system and Putin's inner circle, while also imposing export controls that would aim to starve Russia鈥檚 industries and military of U.S. semiconductors and other high-tech products.
鈥淧utin is the aggressor,鈥� Biden said. 鈥淧utin chose this war, and now he and his country will bear the consequences."
But Biden, for now, held off imposing some of the most severe potential sanctions, including cutting Russia out of the SWIFT payment system, which allows for the transfers of money from bank to bank around the globe.
Biden announced the sanctions at the White House while Ukraine鈥檚 government reported mounting casualties inflicted by Russian forces attacking from the east, north and south.
Oil and natural prices have already surged over concerns that Russia -- an energy production behemoth -- will slow the flow of oil and natural gas to Europe. Biden, however, acknowledged the sanctions are 鈥済oing to take time鈥� to have their effect on the Russian economy.
He also acknowledged that the invasion -- and efforts to thwart Putin--will have a cost for Americans. But he sought to reassure that the economic pain that may come with rising energy prices will be short lived for them.
Biden added that after Russia鈥檚 鈥渂rutal assault鈥� against Ukraine it would be a mistake for Putin's actions to go unanswered. He said if they did, 鈥渢he consequences for America would be much worse.鈥�
鈥淎merica stands up to bullies, we stand up for freedom,鈥� Biden said. 鈥淭his is who we are.鈥�
Biden spoke hours after holding a virtual meeting with the leaders of Britain, sa国际传媒, France, Italy and Japan. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, European Council President Charles Michel, and NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg also joined the meeting.
The president also met with his national security team in the White House Situation Room as he looked to flesh out U.S. moves in the rapidly escalating crisis.
While Biden described the sanctions as severe, Ukrainian officials urged the U.S. and West to go further and cut the Russians from the SWIFT financial system.
鈥淲e demand the disconnection of Russia from SWIFT, the introduction of a no-fly zone over Ukraine and other effective steps to stop the aggressor,鈥� Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in a tweet.
The Biden administration, however, has shown some reluctance to cut Russia from SWIFT, at least immediately, because of concerns the move could also have enormous ramifications for Europe and other Western economies. Biden, answering questions from reporters, appeared to push a decision on SWIFT to European allies.
鈥淚t is always an option but right now that鈥檚 not the position that the rest of Europe wishes to take,鈥� Biden said. He also contended that the financial sanctions he announced would be more damaging to Russia.
The Belgium-headquartered system allows for tens of millions of transactions daily among banks, financial exchanges and other institutions. The U.S. notably has previously blocked Iran from the system because of its nuclear program.
Officials in Europe have noted that the loss of SWIFT access by Russia could be a drag on the broader global economy. Russia has also equated a SWIFT ban to a declaration of war. And because the system cements the importance of the U.S. dollar in global finance, outright bans also carry the risk of pushing countries to use alternatives through the Chinese government or blockchain-based technologies.
Brian Frey, a former Justice Department prosecutor during the Trump administration said while SWIFT is the primary messaging system for financial payments, 鈥渢here are alternatives to the system鈥� and cutting Russia off would create a 鈥渟plashback and immediate problems for the international community.鈥�
The sanctions include targeting Russia鈥檚 two largest banks, Sberbank and VTB Bank. The U.S. Treasury Department says the sanctions overall 鈥渢arget nearly 80 percent of all banking assets in Russia and will have a deep and long-lasting effect on the Russian economy and financial system.鈥�
Individuals close to Putin were also targeted in the latest sanctions. They include former chief of staff Sergei Ivanov; Andrey Patrushev, a Putin ally who has held high-ranking positions at the state-owned Gazprom Neft, and former Deputy Prime Minister Igor Sechin, chairman of the management board of the oil company Rosneft.
Treasury also announced , the country's defense industry and security officials over support for Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Biden said the export control measures he ordered would "impose severe cost on the Russian economy, both immediately and over time.鈥� The measures will restrict Russia access to semiconductors, computers, telecommunications, information security equipment, lasers and sensors.
鈥淲e鈥檙e going to impair their ability to compete in a high tech 21st century economy," Biden said.
Meanwhile, Russia鈥檚 second-ranking diplomat in Washington was expelled in retaliation for the Russian expulsion of the No. 2 U.S. diplomat in Moscow earlier this month, a senior State Department official said Thursday.
The expulsion was unrelated to the invasion and is part of a long-running dispute between Washington and Moscow over embassy staffing. However, it comes as tensions between the two capitals have hit a post-Cold War high.
The official said the State Department had informed the Russian Embassy on Wednesday that it was expelling Minister Counselor Sergey Trepelkov, who is currently the No. 2 at the mission under Ambassador Anatoly Antonov. Russia expelled U.S. Deputy Chief of Mission Bart Gorman from Moscow in mid-February.
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Associated Press writers Lolita C. Baldor, Josh Boak, Fatima Hussein, Matthew Lee, Lisa Mascaro, Chris Megerian in Washington and Bruce Schreiner in Louisville, Kentucky, contributed reporting.
Aamer Madhani, Zeke Miller And Ellen Knickmeyer, The Associated Press
