US warns of consequences to Russian aggression in eastern Ukraine

Washington (PTI) – The Biden administration is carrying a review of its policies against Russia over its escalating aggression in eastern Ukraine and there will be “consequences”, some seen and some unseen, to Kremlin, the White House has warned.

White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki during her daily briefing said the US is in close consultation and working with partners and allies in the region over Russia’s troop movements on Ukraine’s borders.

Of the actions that have already been taken, that we’ve had an ongoing review about we’ve been clear, There will be consequences, some unseen and some seen. We will hope to have more about those soon, Psaki said on Friday.

As it relates to the escalating Russian aggression in eastern Ukraine, including Russia’s troop movements on Ukraine’s borders, we are, of course, in close consultation and working with partners and allies in the region to assess, to share intelligence, to determine what’s happening, and what can be done about it, Psaki said.

Responding to a question, Psaki said there’s ongoing diplomatic engagement between the US and a number of countries in the region, including Russia, including Ukraine, including European partners and allies who share a number of American concerns about the aggression of Russian movements on the border.

The long-running conflict in Ukraine’s mainly Russian-speaking east has claimed more than 13,000 lives since 2014.

Fighting in the conflict, which erupted after Russia’s annexation of Crimea from Ukraine in 2014, subsided in 2020 as a new ceasefire agreement took hold last July.

But clashes have picked up again since the start of the year. Ukrainian separatists are widely seen as having Russia’s political and military backing, which Moscow denies.

Ukraine last week accused Russia of massing thousands of military personnel on its northern and eastern borders as well as on the Crimean peninsula.

The Russian buildup has become the latest point of friction in icy relations between Moscow and the Biden administration. The two sides have differences over arms control, human rights and other issues.

Meanwhile, media reports said that Biden Administration has completed its security review of Russia and is planning new sets of actions against Russia.

From his first phone call with President Putin, President Biden has been clear that the United States will respond to a number of destabilising Russian actions, in a manner and timing of our choosing, a White House spokesperson said in response to a question.