President Joe Biden has no intention of sending US troops to fight in Ukraine, White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki said Thursday.
“That has not changed,” Psaki said at a press conference.
She said Washington will respond to Russia with strong economic measures due to its military intervention in Ukraine.
Asked about the possibility of nuclear war after Russian President Vladimir Putin said there would be “consequences” for those defending Ukraine, Psaki said “we don’t see any increased threat in that regard at this time.”
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Psaki also said the US is prepared to provide “a significant amount more” of humanitarian aid to Ukraine.
“In terms of humanitarian assistance, we have been the biggest provider of humanitarian assistance to Ukraine. We’ve provided over $52 million in humanitarian assistance to Ukraine in the past year. Over the past few weeks, we’ve committed additional funding and supplies to humanitarian organizations,” she added.
Biden reiterates that while he has no intention to send US troops into Ukraine, the US continues to supply Ukrainian forces with weapons, training and economic support.
— Vivian Salama (@vmsalama) February 15, 2022
Putin announced a military intervention in Ukraine early Thursday, days after recognizing two breakaway enclaves in eastern Ukraine, drawing international condemnation and vows of tougher sanctions on Moscow.
Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy signed a decree early Friday on a general mobilization of the population as Russian attacks continued. He said 137 people including civilians were killed in Russia’s military operation on the first day.
Read more: Trump says he could’ve stopped Russia if he were in power
US announces sanctions
In recent weeks, US officials have accused Russia of amassing more than 150,000 troops around Ukraine to launch a military attack, but Moscow repeatedly denied any intent to launch an invasion.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken tweeted that Putin’s decision required “a swift and firm response, and we will take appropriate steps in coordination with partners”.
The United States announced financial sanctions against the rebel territories freshly recognized by Russia in eastern Ukraine and warned that more were ready if necessary.
Anadolu with additional input by GVS News Desk