Feb 24, 2022

🎥 Biden hits Russia with new sanctions, says Putin 'chose' war

Posted Feb 24, 2022 7:11 PM
 President Biden convened a meeting of the National Security Council in the White House Situation Room early Thursday to discuss the unprovoked and unjustified attack on Ukraine.-photo White House
 President Biden convened a meeting of the National Security Council in the White House Situation Room early Thursday to discuss the unprovoked and unjustified attack on Ukraine.-photo White House

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden on Thursday announced a new round of sanctions targeting Russia after its invasion of Ukraine, charging that Russian leader Vladimir Putin “chose this war” and that his country will bear the consequences of his action.

(CLICK below to listen to the President's comments and answers to questions)

The sanctions target Russian banks, oligarchs, and high-tech sectors, Biden said. The United States and its allies will block assets of four large Russian banks, impose export controls and sanction oligarchs

The penalties fall in line with the White House’s insistence that it would look to hit Russia’s financial system and Putin’s inner circle, while also imposing export controls that would aim to starve Russia’s industries and military of U.S. semiconductors and other high-tech products.

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Biden, for now, held off imposing some of the most severe sanctions, including cutting Russia out of the SWIFT payment system, which allows for the transfers of money from bank to bank around the globe, or Russia’s energy sector.

Biden announced the sanctions as Ukraine’s government reported mounting casualties as Russian forces attack from the east, north and south.