U.S. sanctions Ukraine officials over Russian ‘disinformation’ while West struggles to present united front in wake of Biden gaffe

by mcardinal

Chris Lange, FISM News

 

The U.S. Treasury Department levied sanctions on four Ukrainian officials Thursday, including two current members of parliament, all of whom the Department says have been working with the Kremlin’s Federal Security Service (FSB) to spread “disinformation” as pretext for an invasion of Ukraine.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the men have been intimately involved in the Moscow’s campaign to “degrade the ability of the Ukrainian state to independently function” since 2020. 

The White House last week said Russian operatives have been stationed in and around Ukraine and expressed concern the Kremlin is weaponizing disinformation in order to justify an invasion, according to Reuters

“The United States is taking action to expose and counter Russia’s dangerous and threatening campaign of influence and disinformation in Ukraine,” Deputy Treasury Secretary Wally Adeyemo said in a statement. “We are committed to taking steps to hold Russia accountable for their destabilizing actions.”

Meanwhile, the U.S. and its Western allies are attempting to present a united front against the Kremlin after President Biden suggested the U.S. would not respond to any “minor incursions” from Russia against Ukraine and signaled that NATO allies remain undecided as to how to deal with Moscow during a Wednesday press conference.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy responded sharply to the potentially catastrophic gaffe Thursday, tweeting in both English and Ukrainian that there is no such thing as “minor incursions” in the standoff between Ukraine and Russia:

The White House attempted to walk back Biden’s remarks Thursday in a series of morning news show appearances and tweets as the President sought to offer reassurances to Ukraine and Western allies that he stands firm with them against Russian aggression.

“I have been absolutely clear with President (Vladimir) Putin, he has no misunderstanding” Biden said ahead of a White House meeting on infrastructure Thursday. “If any, any assembled Russian units move across the Ukrainian border that is an invasion,” which the President said would be met by a “severe and coordinated response, economic response as discussed in details with our allies, as laid out very clearly with President Putin.” 

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg relayed that Biden’s gaffe was not a green light to a potential Russian invasion of Ukraine, while British Prime Minister Boris Johnson stated, “Be in no doubt that if Russia were to make any kind of incursion into Ukraine, or on any scale, whatever, I think that that would be a disaster, not just for Ukraine, but for Russia.”

Other Western officials privately expressed frustration at Biden’s blunder. According to Reuters, one Western security source said, “It was not helpful, in fact it was a gift to Putin, but we should not read too much into it. Biden has not given Moscow the green light for an attack on Ukraine. It was a slip of his tongue, and the official Western position will prevail.” 

Russia has massed tens of thousands of troops on its borders with Ukraine and this week sent additional troops and military hardware, including two battalions of S-400 surface-to-air missile systems, into Belarus, Ukraine’s ex-Soviet neighbor and Russian ally. The two countries plan to engage in joint military exercises, a move many view as a precursor to war. 

Russia denies it is planning an attack, but hints at unspecified military action should the West fail to meet the Kremlin’s demands including a binding agreement barring Ukraine from becoming a member of NATO. Putin, meanwhile, says threats of sanctions by the U.S. are not helpful in defusing the situation.

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