White House reiterates that US is equipped to act if Russia invades Ukraine

 White House reiterates that US is equipped to act if Russia invades Ukraine

Washington (CNN) - The Biden administration on Thursday reiterated its warnings to Russia over a attainable invasion of Ukraine, with one senior administration professional telling newshounds that the US is "ready to act if and when we want to."

"We have been clear that there will be large consequences" if Russia attacks, the reputable said. The penalties would be coordinated carefully with US allies and companions and would severely harm Russia's economy, the professional said. Such a pass would additionally end result in NATO skills being moved nearer to Russia.In a assertion posted to Twitter on Thursday, UK Foreign Secretary Liz Truss used comparable language, emphasizing that any incursion would be "a large strategic mistake and would be met with strength, together with coordinated sanctions with our allies." She condemned Russia's "aggressive and inflammatory rhetoric" towards Ukraine and NATO, including that the UK's aid for Ukraine used to be "unwavering."

The US and Russia each indicated on Thursday that the ball is in the other's courtroom when it comes to deterring an invasion of Ukraine, displaying little signal that a diplomatic settlement is drawing close as Russian President Vladimir Putin has persisted to mass forces close to Ukraine's border -- no matter a direct warning by means of President Joe Biden formerly this month to de-escalate.

Speaking simply hours after Putin's marathon year-end information conference, in which he stated Russia's movements will rely on the US's and NATO's "unconditional making sure of Russia's safety these days and in the future," the US authentic stated the Biden administration is organized to talk about some of Russia's concerns.

But the authentic said Russia has made some needs "that they understand we can by no means agree to." And in an obvious rebuke of Russian officials' insistence in latest days that it would have interaction solely in bilateral talks with the US, the professional stated any talk "must additionally take region in full coordination with our allies."

Still, the professional said, "the Biden administration is inclined to have interaction with Russia via more than one channels as quickly as early January." A date and time for the discussions has now not been set yet.

In his annual year-end information convention on Thursday, Putin deflected when requested whether or not Russia plans to invade Ukraine. "How would the Americans react if, on their frontier with Canada, we deployed our missiles?" he informed reporters. "It's a query of security, and you understand our crimson lines."

"They simply deceived us blatantly. Five waves of NATO expansion. And there you go -- they're now in Romania and Poland, with weapons systems," Putin added.

White House press secretary Jen Psaki pushed lower back on Putin's remarks on Thursday: "Well, data are a humorous thing, and statistics make clear that the solely aggression we're seeing at the border of Russia and Ukraine is the navy buildup with the aid of the Russians and the bellicose rhetoric from the chief of Russia."

Psaki delivered that NATO "is a protecting alliance, now not an aggressive alliance. There is no proof to the contrary, to advise something to the contrary, from the United States or NATO members, and of direction our efforts are to work with and shield our NATO partners."

Adding to the flurry of diplomatic undertaking surrounding the crisis, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken spoke with each Truss and NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg on Thursday about the Russian aggression and the penalties they would be organized to impose in the tournament of an invasion.

The White House stated countrywide safety adviser Jake Sullivan had spoken Thursday with Ukrainian Head of Presidential Administration Andriy Yermak, discussing "their shared worries and frequent method concerning Russia's navy build-up close to Ukraine's border." The White House announcement stated Sullivan additionally had "underscored the United States' unwavering dedication to Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity."

More Russian navy gadgets have been despatched to the border region in current days, sources acquainted with the Genius inform CNN. The ultra-modern US Genius assessments region greater than 50 so-called "Battalion Tactical Groups" deployed on and round the Ukraine border.

US and Ukrainian officers have additionally considered proof that Russia has begun diverting industrial air and rail structures to assist the navy effort, even though comparable air and rail pastime used to be seen in the spring all through Russia's closing navy buildup, which was once finally pulled back.

Russia has been disturbing safety ensures from the US and NATO, which includes a binding pledge that NATO may not enlarge farther east and will no longer permit Ukraine to be part of the navy alliance, in accordance to a draft concept posted on line remaining week with the aid of Russia's Foreign Ministry. The senior administration legit instructed journalists on Thursday that "we do not format to negotiate in public" and declined to say which components of Russia's proposals have been open to negotiation.

"I count on we will have our great response in these talks" in January, the reliable said. "We have now not answered substantively to the proposals that have been made different than to say ... in reality there are some matters that have been proposed that we will in no way agree to, and I assume the Russians possibly recognize that on some level. We assume there are different areas the place we may additionally be in a position to discover what's possible."