Washington has immediately responded to the decree Russian President Vladimir Putin made in declaring two parts of eastern Ukraine as independent territories backed by Moscow. US President Joe Biden has ordered sanctions against Ukraine’s two separatist regions.
Biden signed an executive order Monday night, imposing sanctions on the separatist regions of the so-called Donetsk People’s Republic and Luhansk People’s Republic. The sanctions would prohibit new investment, trade, and financing by US citizens or companies to, from, and within the two breakaway regions of Ukraine.
The State Department and the Treasury Department will be revealing more details on the sanctions on both parts, according to a statement by White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki.
“To be clear: These measures are separate from and would be in addition to the swift and severe economic measures we have been preparing in coordination with our allies and partners should Russia further invade Ukraine,” said Psaki in the statement that announced the executive order.
This shortly followed the televised address by Putin, where the Russian leader announced recognition of Donbas and Luhansk. A senior Biden administration official condemned the speech, saying that Putin was trying “to justify a war” to the Russian public.
“This wasn’t a speech just about Russia’s security. It was an attack on the very idea of a sovereign and independent Ukraine. He made clear that he views Ukraine historically as part of Russia and he made a number of false claims about Ukraine’s intention that seems designed to excuse possible military action,” said the official, who stressed that more sanctions will come in the next few days.
In other related news, the US is celebrating President’s Day and the Republican Party once again took a swipe on Biden in its latest President’s Day message. The GOP shared an image featuring past presidents such as Abraham Lincoln, Calvin Coolidge, Richard Nixon, George HW Bush, George W. Bush, Dwight D. Eisenhower, Ronald Reagan, and Donald Trump. Biden was featured in the middle with a face mask with the caption “Not you.”
The message earned criticism, with some saying that the post was childish. One commenter made a comparison between Trump and his immediate predecessor Barack Obama, saying that Obama was a Nobel Prize recipient while Trump was impeached twice.
“Every day, the @GOP does or says something to make me feel really good about my decision two years ago to leave the Republican Party. Every single day,” tweeted Joe Walsh.
“The best part is you had to pick 8 of the best Republican presidents and you picked two who were impeached and two who were one term,” tweeted Tony Posnanski.