ExplainerUkraine crisis: why the word ‘invasion’ matters, as Russian troops move in

Name: Biden imposes sanctions, calls Putin’s moves ‘start of Russian invasion’ of Ukraine
Uploaded: 2022-02-22T23:32:18.000Z
Duration: 4 min 2 s
Description: Biden imposes sanctions, calls Putin’s moves ‘start of Russian invasion’ of Ukraine

After initial hesitation, the US and Western allies have embraced the ‘I’ word to indicate that Putin has crossed a red line

This sets the stage for waves of economic sanctions against Moscow, but questions remain about what Biden is prepared to do next

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A carnival float depicts Russia’s President Vladimir Putin playing with building blocks like the Ukraine to restore the Soviet Union is seen at the Rose Monday Parade in Cologne, Germany on Tuesday. Photo: AP

Associated Press

Published: 7:32am, 23 Feb 2022Updated: 1:33pm, 9 Mar 2022

When Russian President Vladimir Putin authorised troops to cross Ukraine’s border into regions controlled by Russian-backed separatists, the White House initially stopped short of calling it an invasion.

That changed on Tuesday, and key allies in Europe joined in saying Putin had crossed a red line.

“This is the beginning of a Russian invasion of Ukraine,” President Joe Biden said.

Nato Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg was equally explicit.

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Biden imposes sanctions, calls Putin’s moves ‘start of Russian invasion’ of Ukraine

“We saw last night that further Russian troops moved into the Donbas into parts of Donetsk and Luhansk, ” he said Tuesday, referring to the two areas of Ukraine’s eastern Donbas region controlled by Russian-backed separatists.

“What we see now is that a country that is already invaded is suffering further invasion.”