Biden adviser says Russian deployment into Ukraine is ‘an invasion’

A top Biden national security adviser said Tuesday that Russia’s decision to send troops to two breakaway regions in Ukraine represented “an invasion” of the country and indicated “significant sanctions” against Moscow would be forthcoming. 

“We think this is, yes, the beginning of an invasion, Russia’s latest invasion into Ukraine,” White House principal deputy national security adviser Jonathan Finer said during an appearance on CNN.

“And you are already seeing the beginning of our response that we have said will be swift and severe,” he continued.

Finer said the Biden administration planned to issue more sanctions Tuesday in response to Russia’s aggression, which would “go directly at Russia.”  

Finer later denied there was any difference between the “beginning of an invasion” and an “invasion.”   

“An invasion is an invasion, and that is underway,” he said.  

The remarks represented a decisive shift for the Biden administration, which had held off Monday on calling Russia President Vladimir Putin’s decision to send troops into the two Russian-backed separatist-controlled regions in eastern Ukraine an invasion that would trigger sweeping sanctions. 

Putin sent troops into the area after recognizing as independent the so-called Luhansk and Donetsk People’s Republics. The regions in Ukraine’s Donbas region have been controlled by Russian-backed separatists since Putin invaded the Crimean Peninsula of Ukraine in 2014. 

“They will be significant sanctions against Russia,” Finer said of the forthcoming sanctions, indicating the measures would be imposed in waves if Russia continues “down a path toward war.” 

“This will be our severe and swift sanctions response to a Russian invasion and we will retain the right to impose additional steps, additional sanctions, if Russia continues to move forward,” Finer said.  

President Biden on Monday signed an executive order imposing sanctions on Luhansk and Donetsk, but held off on issuing the punishing sanctions against Russia the U.S. has promised if Moscow invades Ukraine. 

Republican and Democratic lawmakers called for sanctions to be imposed after Putin directed troops to perform “peacekeeping operations” in the regions. 

“To be clear, if any additional Russian troops or proxy forces cross into Donbas, the Biden administration and our European allies must not hesitate in imposing crushing sanctions,” Senate Foreign Relations Chairman Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), said in a statement Monday evening. “There must be tangible, far-reaching and substantial costs for Russia in response to this unjustified act.” 

Earlier Tuesday, Germany halted certification of Russia’s Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline, after Biden promised that the pipeline project would be halted in the event of a Russian invasion.

Biden “made clear that if Russia invaded Ukraine, we would act with Germany to ensure Nord Stream 2 does not move forward,” White House press secretary Jen Psaki tweeted Tuesday. “We have been in close consultations with Germany overnight and welcome their announcement. We will be following up with our own measures today.”  

The United Kingdom issued sanctions targeting Russian oligarchs and banks on Tuesday. The U.S. has been coordinating with allies on its sanctions package and the Biden administration’s forthcoming announcement Tuesday is likely to resemble those of European nations.    

The White House has not detailed precisely what a sanctions package would entail, but officials have signaled the measures will include sanctions on Russian banks and state-owned businesses as well as Kremlin-linked figures. The Biden administration has also forecast plans to impose export controls on Russia to prevent Moscow from obtaining key U.S. technologies.  

Updated at 10:27 a.m.