Biden in Black Sea U-Turn as he CANCELS deployment of two warships despite calling Putin and threatening 'repercussions' over troop build-up on Ukraine border: President hits Moscow with sanctions and expels ten diplomats
08:34 - News

President Joe Biden has cancelled the deployment of two US warships from the Black Sea despite warning Vladimir Putin there would be 'repercussions' for the troop build-up in Ukraine.

Last week, Turkey said Washington was sending two warships to the Black Sea, in a decision Russia called an unfriendly provocation.

But the Biden administration has reversed the decision after the Kremlin warned them to 'stay away for their own good'.


Washington's U-turn in Crimea came on the day Biden announced sweeping new sanctions against Moscow as the White House seeks to rein in Russian aggression while avoiding an all-out diplomatic war with the Kremlin.

'We have no desire to be in an escalating war with Russia,' a senior administration official said Thursday on a briefing call with reporters, saying the White House doesn't want things 'spinning out of control.'

'We do not seek a downward spiral. We can and think we can avoid that,' the official said.

Officials made it clear, however, that the administration 'will not accept its destabilizing behavior that harms the United States, its allies and its partners.'

To give the sanctions teeth - in a way financial sanctions have not deterred Russia before - the US is seeking to choke off lending to the Russian government.

The US also expelled 10 diplomats in retaliation for the Kremlin's interference in American elections, its aggressive actions in the Ukraine, and the SolarWinds cyber hack.

The Treasury Department and Western allies - including the UK and Canada - also targeted eight individuals and entities associated with the 'ongoing occupation and repression in Crimea'.

'The Transatlantic community stands united in supporting Ukraine against unilateral Russian provocations along the Line of Contact in eastern Ukraine, in occupied Crimea, and along Ukraine's borders, as well as agreeing on the need for Russia to immediately cease its military buildup and inflammatory rhetoric,' the White House said.

The White House also denounced Moscow for offering the Taliban bounties for U.S. troops serving in Afghanistan.

Administration officials described its actions as 'tailored and proportional' and reiterated it seeks a 'predictable and stable' relationship with Moscow.

In a series of actions on Thursday, the United States sanctioned 32 Russian entities and individuals along with six technology companies, formally attributed the SolarWinds cyber breach to Russian intelligence agencies, and accused Moscow of still trying to hack American targets.

http://www.stationgossip.com/2021/04/biden-in-black-sea-u-turn-as-he-cancels.html