U.S. Issues New Warning To Russia Over Ukraine Threat

The Biden administration on Saturday (Sunday, Jan. 9, 2022, in Manila) issued new, forceful warnings to Russia on penalties it may face if it goes ahead with threats to invade Ukraine, Matthew Lee and Aamer Madhani reported for the Associated Press (AP).

Photo Insert: Border crossing Hoptivka between Ukraine and Russia

US officials raised the possibility of incremental shifts in decisions about America’s future strategic posture in Europe. But they also said Russia would be hit with debilitating sanctions should it intervene in Ukraine.

The officials said the administration would be open to discussions with Russia on curtailing possible future deployments of offensive missiles in Ukraine and putting limits on U.S. and NATO military exercises in Eastern Europe.

Yet, they said Russia will be hit hard with economic sanctions should it intervene in Ukraine. In addition to direct sanctions on Russian entities, those penalties could include significant restrictions on products exported from the US to Russia and potentially foreign-made products subject to US jurisdiction.

The comments came as senior US and Russian officials prepare to meet in Switzerland on Monday amid heightened tensions over Ukraine. The officials said the US is willing to discuss certain, limited aspects of its European security posture in those talks.

But they stressed that any agreements would be contingent on Russia removing threats to Ukraine and that no decisions would be made without the consent of Ukraine or NATO. And, they said there is no chance the US will reduce its military presence or arsenal in Eastern Europe as Russia has demanded.

In the event of a Russian invasion of Ukraine, “we – in coordination with our allies and partners – would immediately impose severe and overwhelming costs on Russia’s economy, including its financial system and sectors deemed critical to the Kremlin,” another official said.

In addition to sanctions on energy and consumer goods, the U.S. and its allies are considering bans on the export to Russia of advanced electronic components, software, and related technology that uses American equipment. Russia could be added to the most restrictive group of countries for export control purposes, together with Cuba, Iran, North Korea, and Syria, officials said.

That would mean that Russia’s ability to obtain integrated circuits, and products containing integrated circuits, would be severely restricted, because of the global dominance of US software, technology, and equipment in this sector. The impact could extend to aircraft avionics, machine tools, smartphones, game consoles, tablets, and televisions.

WEEKLY FEATURE : MVP Group Keeps Lights On During Pandemic