Biden Says Putin Will 'Pay a Serious Price' if Russia Invades Ukraine

Speaking at a press conference on January 19, US President Joe Biden said he anticipated Russia would “move in” to Ukraine, adding “Russia will be held accountable if it invades.”

“My guess is he will move in,” Biden said at the press conference, referencing Russian President Vladimir Putin, who he said would “pay a serious price” for any invasion.

“It’s one thing if it’s a minor incursion,” Biden continued, “and then we end up having a fight about what to do and not do … But if they actually do what they’re capable of doing with the forces amassed on the border, it is going to be a disaster for Russia.”

Satellite images released on January 19 showed Russian military activity at locations in western Russia, some of them near the Ukrainian border.

In a statement issued on Wednesday night, White House press secretary Jen Psaki said, “If any Russian military forces move across the Ukrainian border, that’s a renewed invasion, and it will be met with a swift, severe, and united response from the United States and our Allies.” Credit: The White House via Storyful