Biden, EU sanction Russia

The United States joined 27 European Union members in levying financial sanctions against Russian banks and oligarchs on Tuesday with more to come if Russian troops proceed further into Ukrainian territory. Germany also halted plans for the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline from Russia. President Joe Biden said the sanctions essentially cut off Russia’s government from Western finance. President Vladimir Putin recognized the independence of Donetsk and Luhansk, two separatist regions in eastern Ukraine, on Monday and ordered forces into the regions for “peacekeeping” purposes.

What’s happening at the border? Russian lawmakers voted unanimously on Tuesday to allow Putin to use military force outside of their country. Biden said the deployment of troops to the separatist regions violates international law and marks the beginning of an invasion. More than 150,000 Russian troops are stationed along Ukraine’s border. U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin ordered roughly a thousand more U.S. troops to Eastern Europe to join the 90,000 currently stationed there. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken canceled plans on Tuesday to meet with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, saying Russia is not serious about a diplomatic solution. 

Dig deeper: Read Esther Eaton’s report in The Stew about the significance of the Nord Stream 2 pipeline.