Vice President Kamala Harris finished off a weekend of outreach to European allies with an effort to reinforce the West's determination in confronting Moscow with severe sanctions, despite mounting evidence that Russian President Vladimir Putin is planning an invasion of Ukraine.
In a burst of diplomacy at the annual Munich Security Conference, Harris attempted to persuade American allies that fast-growing tensions on the Ukraine-Russian border posed a "direct threat" to European security and that economic sanctions should be enacted if Russia attacked its neighbor.
Kamala Harris Warns Severe US Response if Russia Invades Ukraine
Later Sunday in Washington, President Joe Biden met with his national security staff to examine the latest developments. Harris took part in the event while on his way back from Germany. Harris and her colleagues updated them on her contacts and discussions during the conference before departing Munich, as per BPR.
On Thursday, Biden will convene a virtual conference with Group of Seven leaders to discuss Ukraine. His senior diplomat, Secretary of State Antony Blinken, will meet with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in Europe this week - meetings that the US warns would be canceled if Moscow invades.
Shelling intensified in and around areas held by Russia-backed rebels in Ukraine on Sunday, as separatists evacuated hundreds of women and children and Putin witnessed nuclear-capable missile tests. Putin has amassed a force of about 150,000 Russian troops on the Russian side of the border.
Kamala Harris warned world leaders they were at a "defining" and "decisive" moment for the globe during a series of orchestrated meetings and a big presentation at the security summit.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of Ukraine, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, the leaders of the three Baltic countries, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, and Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis were among others Harris met with.
Rising Inflation in US Caused by Ukraine Crisis
On Saturday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy urged allies to apply such measures ahead of any possible invasion, questioning the wisdom of acting thereafter. In response to his concerns, Kamala Harris assured him that the penalties would serve Putin's deterrence.
The United States has already provided Ukraine with $1 billion in guaranteed loans and $650 million in defense equipment and other services over the past year. In view of the tensions with Russia, Harris stated over the weekend that the US would rethink the help it provides to Ukraine, according to Newsweek via MSN.
Biden made similar remarks on Tuesday, warning Americans about rising gas prices. Mike Pompeo, Donald Trump's former Secretary of State, suggested on Thursday that the US should strive to decrease the economic sustainability of its energy exports in order to "destroy the Russians."
Vice President Kamala Harris cautioned that a Russian invasion of Ukraine might have "costs" for Americans, which is terrible news for those already paying the price of rising inflation. With Russia being one of the world's biggest oil producers, part of the expenditures that will strike American wallets "may relate to energy cost," according to Harris.
Per Fox Business, the vice president's remarks come as consumer prices in the United States have already risen due to a four-decade high in inflation, according to the consumer price index. Those price hikes have affected practically all everyday items, including medical care, clothing, transportation, food, and housing.
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