Ukrainian troops hold military exercises near the Russian border. Photo/REUTERS
“We still don’t believe President Putin has made the decision to further attack Ukraine,” Sullivan told reporters at the White House on Tuesday afternoon (7/12/2021).
“What President Biden did today was very clearly explain the consequences if he chooses to move,” he said.
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The Biden administration previously accused Moscow of plotting an invasion of Ukraine in January, which the Kremlin dismissed as “fake news.”
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On Tuesday, Sullivan, who had a phone call with Putin, said “the United States is ready to fortify our NATO allies on the eastern flank with additional capabilities,” should Russian troops cross into Ukraine.
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He would not reveal specific sanctions and actions threatening Russia, but said, “Things we didn’t do in 2014, we are ready to do them now.”
Answering a question about the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline, which will transport natural gas from Russia to Germany after obtaining approval from regulators in Berlin, Sullivan said it was not leverage for Putin at this time, but rather “leverage for the West”.
“The current gas is not flowing right now through Nord Stream 2, and if Putin wants to see it flow, he will refrain from attacking Ukraine,” Sullivan said.
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