Biden weighs in on Russian troop withdrawal

 

US President Biden claims Russian troops continue “encircling Ukraine” despite Moscow saying it’s withdrawing them

US President Joe Biden delivers remarks on Russia and Ukraine in the East Room of the White House in Washington DC ©  Alex Wong/Getty Images

US President Joe Biden has reacted to Moscow’s statement on Russian troops beginning to leave the Ukrainian border after military exercises, telling the reporters on Tuesday that the US has “not verified” the information.

Biden continued to insist an invasion of Ukraine could still happen, saying at the presser that Americans should follow previous orders and leave the area. He claimed some 150,000 Russian troops continue “encircling Ukraine,” without providing any evidence for the number cited.

Russian troops leaving Ukraine “would be good, but we have not yet verified it,” Biden said. He did not take questions following his speech.

https://youtu.be/On7CzH9vHys

Other world leaders cast doubt on reports of troops departing, with some western journalists going as far as to claim they are instead repositioning for an attack.

READ MORE: West has doubts over Russian troop withdrawal from Ukraine border

Moscow has repeatedly denied it harbors any attack plans, while pointing finger at the NATO for escalating the situation and endangering security in Europe.

Biden claimed, however, that the US and others do not pose a threat to Russia.

https://youtu.be/3DaXky_AEf0

Biden added that in his latest conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin on the Ukraine crisis, both world leaders agreed to continue to “keep pursuing high-level diplomacy.”

READ MORE: What does Russia’s troop pullback mean?

Should the alleged “invasion” take place, Biden threatened it will be answered “forcefully.” He said the US would support Ukraine through weapons, training, and intelligence. The president said he would not go so far as to send US servicemen to “fight in Ukraine.”

Biden acknowledged though that an invasion would lead to a “war.”

“If Russia attacks Ukraine, it would be a war of choice or a war without cause or a reason. I say these things not to provoke but to speak the truth. Because the truth matters. Accountability matters,” he said. 

Biden admitted further sanctions on Russia in the case of military aggression would mean economic consequences at home in the US, including rising energy prices, a crisis Americans have been dealing with on an ongoing basis since last year. He added that he is working with energy producers and suppliers on contingency plans. 

“The American people understand that defending democracy and liberty is never without cost,” he said.

READ MORE: Biden to snub Ukrainian invitation

Biden said both the US and Russia will continue diplomatic efforts to address "our respective security concerns." Putin has previously accused the US of "ignoring" security demands, saying earlier this month that Moscow “hasn’t seen an adequate response to our key concerns: non-expansion of NATO, the refusal to deploy offensive weapons next to the Russian borders, and bringing back the military infrastructure of [the NATO bloc] to the status quo of 1997, when the Russia-NATO treaty was signed.” 

Biden said on Tuesday that both countries "should give diplomacy every chance to succeed."

"I believe there are real ways to address our respective security concerns," he said, adding that proposals are being made that include "new arms measures, new transparency measures, [and] new strategic stability measures." These will apply "to all parties, NATO and Russia alike," Biden said.

https://www.rt.com/russia/549485-biden-ukraine-russia-troop-withdrawal/