Feb 22, 2022: According to a report by AFP, the United States said Tuesday that Russia’s move into eastern Ukraine amounts to the “beginning of an invasion” and warned that “severe” sanctions would be announced shortly.

The White House also welcomed Germany’s decision to suspend a major Nordstream 2 pipeline project to supply Russian natural gas to Europe. Press Secretary Jen Psaki tweeted that President Joe Biden had “made it clear that if Russia invaded Ukraine, we would work with Germany to ensure that Nord Stream 2 does not move forward.”

Russian President Vladimir Putin escalated the crisis in Eastern Europe on Monday when he announced the recognition of the independence of two separatist states in Ukraine backed by Moscow – and said Russia’s military will be responsible for what they call “peacekeeping”.

It was not immediately clear what the scope and timing of the Russian “peacekeeping” troop deployment would be, and, more importantly, whether Russia now intends to occupy more of Ukraine’s territory in the Donbass region.

Biden immediately responded by imposing economic sanctions on the two states. But while the United States and other Western allies have denounced the violation of the territorial integrity of pro-Ukrainian Western Ukraine, Washington was initially cautious about whether Putin’s move should be considered an attack, thereby triggering much wider Western sanctions against Russia itself.

“We are going to assess what Russia’s done,” a US official told reporters, stressing that Russian forces have already been deployed covertly in the separatist areas for eight years.

“Russian troops moving into Donbas would not be a new step,” he said.

“We’ll continue to pursue diplomacy until the tanks roll.”

Secretary of State Antony Blinken criticized Russia’s recognition of separatist territories, saying Putin had no interest in negotiations, saying the latest move “directly contradicts Russia’s commitment to diplomacy.”

Following the announcement of a halt to the of the Nord Stream 2 pipeline project, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz warned Russia that “there are other sanctions that we may introduce if further steps are taken.”

On Friday, Dilip Singh, the US Deputy National Security Adviser for International Economics, warned that a full set of sanctions under preparation would turn Russia into an international “pariah.”

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