President Joe Biden said Wednesday that he expects Russian President Vladimir Putin to order an invasion of Ukraine, and warned that a disaster awaits Russia if that happened.
Intelligence agencies warned that an attack could happen within a month.
Biden said that he believed that the more than 100,000 Russian troops were going to move in.
If Russia invades Ukraine it will be a disaster. Biden said during his second news conference that his allies and partners are ready to impose a severe cost on Russia.
Biden thinks that he will regret having done it.
The deployment of Russian forces and equipment to the eastern border with Ukraine has been watched by the West for months.
The annexation of the Black Sea peninsula of Crimea by Russia triggered an international uproar and led to a series of sanctions against Moscow. Russia was removed from the Group of 8, or G-8, as a result of the seizure of Crimea.
The Kremlin denied that the troop movement was preparing for an attack against Ukraine. Russia asked that the North Atlantic Treaty Organization deny the bid from Ukraine.
Russian officials told NATO members and the U.S. that it was mandatory to prevent Ukraine from becoming a member of NATO.
We need ironclad, waterproof, bulletproof guarantees. Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov told reporters during a January 10 press conference that they were not assurances, but guarantees.
NATO states that an attack on one member country is considered to be an attack on all of them, and that has been the case since 2002.
The Biden administration and NATO members do not agree with the request from the Kremlin.
Biden downplayed the idea that Washington and European allies won't be able to agree on a sanctions package if Moscow attacks.
Moscow will pay a stiff price immediately, near term, medium-term and long term, after the president said that Putin has never seen sanctions like the ones he promised.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken is leaving Kyiv after meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba.
As the West waits for Putin to make a decision, Blinken worked to reiterate America's support and commitment to Ukraine.
The future of this country is up to Ukrainians and no one else, according to Blinken before meeting with Zelenskyy.
The Russian Foreign Minister will meet with the US Secretary of State later this week.
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