‘Swift and severe costs’: Biden warns Putin against Ukraine invasion

Russia has more than 100,000 Russian troops massed near Ukraine’s borders but denies that it intends to launch an offensive against Ukraine.

In a phone call with President Vladimir Putin on Saturday, President Joe Biden made clear that if Russia invades Ukraine, the U.S. and its allies would respond “decisively and impose swift and severe costs,” the White House said.

According to a readout of the hourlong call, Biden told Putin that an invasion would “produce widespread human suffering and diminish Russia’s standing.” The U.S. remains committed to diplomacy, but was “equally prepared for other scenarios,” according to the White House.

The two presidents spoke the day after Biden’s national security adviser, Jake Sullivan, warned that U.S. intelligence shows that a Russian invasion could begin within days and before the Winter Olympics in Beijing end Feb. 20.

The Biden administration has been warning for weeks that Russia could invade Ukraine soon, but U.S. officials had previously said the Kremlin would likely wait until after the Games ended so as not to antagonize China.

Sullivan told reporters on Friday that U.S. intelligence gleaned show that Russia could take military action the during the Olympics.

Russia has more than 100,000 Russian troops massed near Ukraine’s borders but denies that it intends to launch an offensive against Ukraine.