Iran Press/ America: Russian operation in Ukraine continues into the seventh day. It began on Thursday after President Vladimir Putin ordered his forces to enter Ukraine, following months of a heavy military build-up on the border.
Putin says he had no other choice than to launch the military operation to stop the Ukrainian military’s interference in two eastern republics that have broken away from Ukraine. Russia perceives NATO’s eastward expansion as a threat.
"While he may make gains on the battlefield – he will pay a continuing high price over the long run," US President Joe Biden said on Tuesday in his State of the Union address. Straying from the prepared text, Biden added: "He has no idea what's coming." He did not elaborate.
Biden spoke to Congress on the sixth day of Russia's operation in its European neighbor and as Kyiv stared down a miles-long armored Russian column potentially preparing to take over the Ukrainian capital, and the US and a growing group of allies tighten sanctions, Reuters reported.
In the prime time speech, Biden announced a new step banning Russian flights from using American airspace and a Justice Department effort to seize the yachts, luxury apartments and private jets of wealthy Russians with ties to Putin.
He also signaled steps to hobble Russia's military in the future, even as he acknowledged it could improve its position in Ukraine.
"We are choking off Russia's access to technology that will sap its economic strength and weaken its military for years to come," he said.
Biden, who spoke earlier in the day with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, has rejected direct US military participation on the ground in Ukraine.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said earlier that his country had been left on its own to fight Russia.
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