Biden warns Putin against ‘self-inflicted wound’ on Ukraine

President Biden in a Tuesday address warned Russian President Vladimir Putin against invading Ukraine, saying it would be a “self-inflicted wound” for Russia as he reiterated the U.S.’s commitment to resolve the crisis through diplomatic channels.  

“If Russia does invade in the days and weeks ahead, the human costs for Ukraine will be immense and the strategic costs to Russia will also be immense,” Biden said in prepared remarks from the East Room of the White House. “The world will not forget that Russia chose needless death and destruction. Invading Ukraine will prove to be a self-inflicted wound.” 

Biden urged Russia to choose the diplomatic route, and while he welcomed Russian claims that it had pulled back some forces from Ukraine’s border, the president said those claims had not been verified by U.S. officials.  

“That would be good, but we have not yet verified that,” he said. 

In the speech, which was hastily scheduled on Tuesday to provide an update on the U.S. response to the crisis, Biden reiterated that Russia would face steep penalties in the form of sanctions and export controls if it were to launch a renewed military incursion of Ukraine, which he described as “distinctly possible.” 

Biden said that the U.S. was not seeking conflict with Russia, but he promised to respond with force if Russia were to threaten Americans in Ukraine. 

While Biden has addressed the Ukraine crisis in exchanges with reporters, the speech was his first prepared address on the situation that has unfolded over several weeks. It signaled a desire by the White House to address the crisis head-on amid fears an invasion could be imminent.  

“We should give the diplomacy every chance to succeed,” Biden said, noting that the U.S. is prepared to discuss with Russia and NATO agreements on arms control, transparency and strategic stability.  

“As long as there is hope of diplomatic resolution that prevents the use of force and avoids incredible human suffering that would follow, we will pursue it,” he said.  

At the same time, Biden made clear that the U.S. and NATO would not bend to Russian demands that Ukraine be barred from NATO membership.  

The administration has engaged in a flurry of diplomatic engagements not only with Russia but also with European allies in recent weeks in an attempt to defuse the crisis.  

Biden spoke with Putin over the weekend and has since held phone calls with British Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Monday and French President Emmanuel Macron on Tuesday.  

Secretary of State Antony Blinken spoke with his Russian counterpart, Sergey Lavrov, earlier Tuesday and reiterated that the U.S. is committed “to continue to pursue a diplomatic solution to the crisis Moscow has precipitated,” according to a State Department readout.   

White House press secretary Jen Psaki indicated the diplomatic engagements would continue, though she declined to predict whether there would be another phone call between Biden and Putin. 

Asked about the decision behind the timing of Tuesday’s speech, Psaki said it was not motivated by new information or policy but rather by Biden’s desire to speak directly to the American public about the situation. 

“We felt and the president felt it was important to be very clear and direct with the American people about what the impact could be on them, what the consequences would be, what our values are, and why it is important to stand by not just the territorial integrity and sovereignty of a country but also stand among our allies and partners around the world,” Psaki said. 

Biden on Tuesday said Russian troops encircling Ukraine on its border and in Belarus numbered 150,000. Russia has been conducting joint military exercises with Belarus. Biden administration officials have said since Friday that a Russian invasion could happen at any time.

The rhetoric coming out of Moscow on Tuesday suggested that Russia may be willing to de-escalate, however. Speaking to reporters earlier in the day, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said the alliance had “not seen any signs of reduced Russian military presence on the borders of Ukraine.” 

“The signs coming from Moscow about willingness to engage with diplomatic efforts, that gives some reason for cautious optimism,” Stoltenberg said. 

Meanwhile, Ukraine reported cyberattacks targeting its Ministry of Defense and some banks on Tuesday. Psaki indicated the U.S. had not decided who was responsible.  

“I don’t have anything on the attribution at this point in time,” she said.  

Updated 5:42 p.m.