Washington — Ukraine's Ambassador to the U.S. Oksana Markarova mentioned Sunday that Ukraine "can not afford to panic" over the ongoing disaster with Russia and its navy buildup alongside Ukraine's borders, however is conscious of Moscow's capabilities.
"For eight years, we're at conflict and we're defending our nation," Markarova mentioned in an interview on "Face the Nation," referencing Russia's invasion and occupation of Crimea in 2014. "On the identical time, with the intention to defend our nation, we can not afford to panic. We now have to prepare, all of us, not solely our navy, our very succesful navy and veterans, but additionally all civilians."
Whereas the Biden administration and U.S. allies have warned a Russian invasion of Ukraine is "imminent" given the build-up alongside Ukraine's borders, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has known as the escalation by Russia an act of "psychological strain." A White Home official, although, mentioned "on the identical time [Zelenskyy is] downplaying the danger of invasion, he is asking for lots of of thousands and thousands of dollars in weapons to defend towards one."
Markarova rejected that notion, and mentioned Ukraine as an alternative is aware of "what Russia is able to."
"Let's be very clear right here, we all know who the aggressor is. Everybody is aware of who the aggressor is. It is Russia," she mentioned.
Russia's continued amassment of greater than 100,000 forces, in addition to tanks and different weaponry, alongside Ukraine's borders has escalated considerations among the many U.S. and allies of a full-scale Russian invasion. In an effort to discourage Russian President Vladimir Putin from mounting an assault, the Biden administration has pursued a diplomatic route, and has threatened to hit Russia with sanctions if it assaults Ukraine.
Ukraine, although, has been pushing for sanctions on Russia now in response to its 2014 invasion of Crimea, in addition to sooner or later ought to Putin order an assault.
"There are causes to proceed sanctioning Russia for his or her assault that already occurred," Markarova mentioned.
Ambassador Victoria Nuland, undersecretary of state for political affairs, instructed "Face the Nation" that the U.S. has labored with European allies on a "large package deal of financial sanctions" to make sure that if Putin invades Ukraine, "he'll really feel it acutely, as will the Russian folks by way of their financial system. It would have a crushing blow on them."
"Deterrence is finest when there's somewhat little bit of strategic ambiguity round precisely what we're going to do," she mentioned. "So we have mentioned monetary measures, we have mentioned export controls, we have mentioned new sanctions on Russian elites. But when we put them on the desk now, then Russia will be capable to begin mitigating and that does not make any sense to us."
Whereas the U.S. has made clear it prefers to ease the disaster between Russia and Ukraine by diplomacy, Nuland mentioned there has not been indicators of de-escalation. Putin has as an alternative moved extra forces, she mentioned, although the U.S. doesn't imagine he has decided on what to do subsequent.
"As he has achieved previously, he is given himself each possibility, together with ... an enormous potential invasion of all of Ukraine, together with cyberattacks, together with incursion from Belarus, the place he's shifting as much as 30,000 troops there as nicely. So we now have to be ready for all choices," Nuland mentioned.
In response to the continuing tensions between Ukraine and Russia, the U.S. is sending $200 million extra in navy help for Ukraine, along with the $450 million in defensive assist provided in 2021. The Pentagon additionally positioned 8,500 troops on excessive alert for deployment to the area if requested by the NATO alliance, and NATO has despatched fighter jets, troops and ships to jap Europe.
President Biden instructed Zelenskyy throughout a name Thursday that the U.S. can be "exploring further macroeconomic assist to assist Ukraine's financial system amidst strain ensuing from Russia's navy build-up," in keeping with a readout of the dialog from the White Home.
Markarova, although, mentioned Ukraine can be searching for help from the U.S. with build up its protection capabilities, which she mentioned is "not just for Ukraine. It is for European safety."
"It is not combating for Ukraine solely, it is truly combating for values and rules that all of us share, that each nation has the proper to be sovereign, that each nation has the proper to be free and that each one nations have the proper to decide on how they wish to dwell," she mentioned. "We're combating for our independence and if Ukraine will probably be additional attacked by Russia, after all they won't cease after Ukraine."