President Joe Biden again ruled out any direct intervention by the United States to halt Russia’s invasion of Ukraine on Friday, warning that such conflict pitting the NATO alliance against the Kremlin is World War III.
We will not fight a war against Russia in Ukraine, Biden said in a speech at the White House, refuting increasingly desperate calls from Kyiv for NATO to intervene against the Russian assault.
Russian President Vladimir Putin shows no sign of being willing to engage in diplomacy, U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris said on Friday during a visit to Romania in the third week of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Harris expressed U.S. support for Romania’s efforts to help refugees from Ukraine and restated America’s commitment to protecting fellow NATO members during a tour of the alliance’s eastern flank countries. She said any attack on or targeting of civilians in Ukraine is a war crime.
Putin said that Western sanctions were illegimate and Russia would calmly solve the problems arising from them. He also said Moscow – a major energy producer which supplies a third of Europe’s gas – would continue to meet its contractual obligations. He acknowledged that sanctions imposed since the start of what Russia calls its special military operation in Ukraine were being felt.