Saying Vladimir Putin "chose this war," U.S. President Joe Biden on Thursday announced new sanctions against Russia while reiterating past comments that American military forces will not be sent to Ukraine.
Biden's comments came hours after Putin, the president of Russia, ordered an invasion of Ukraine, a sovereign nation on its southern border.
Biden labeled the Russian attack a contrast "between democracy and autocracy, between sovereignty and subjugation."
"This aggression cannot go on answered," Biden said during a televised address to the nation. "If it did, the consequences for America would be much worse. America stands up to bullies. We stand up for freedom. This is who we are.
"... Freedom will prevail."
Putin "is the aggressor," Biden said.
"Putin chose this war, and now he and his country will bear the consequences," he added.
Biden noted that the U.S., as a part of a coalition, is "authorizing additional strong sanctions and new limitations on what can be exported to Russia." The coalition is made up of 27 countries, including France, Germany, Italy, the United Kingdom, Canada, Japan, Australia and New Zealand.
"This is going to impose severe costs on the Russian economy, both immediately and over time," Biden said. "We have purposely designed these sanctions to maximize a long-term impact on Russia and to minimize the impact on the United States and our allies. … We will limit Russia's ability to do business in dollars, euros, pounds and yen to be part of the global economy."
Russia's stock market fell nearly 40 percent Thursday.
"We've cut off Russia's largest bank – a bank that holds more than one-third of Russia's banking assets by itself," Biden said. "... We're also blocking four more major banks."
The sanctions also will impact trade, Biden said.
"Between our actions and those of our allies and partners, we estimate that we'll cut off more than half of Russia's high-tech imports, and we will strike a blow to their ability to continue to modernize their military," the president added.
Biden asserted that the sanctions exceed "anything that's ever been done."
Meanwhile, he said it's "highly unlikely" the crisis would last a "long time," as long as "we continue to stay resolved in imposing the sanctions we're going to impose on Russia."
Related:
4 Things Christians Should Know about the Situation in Ukraine
'God Save Ukraine': Christian Leaders React to Russian Invasion
Ukrainians Kneel in Prayer Outdoors as Russia Invades: 'Lord Please Intervene'
Photo courtesy: ©Getty Images/Kevin Dietsch/Staff
Video courtesy: CNBC
Michael Foust has covered the intersection of faith and news for 20 years. His stories have appeared in Baptist Press, Christianity Today, The Christian Post, the Leaf-Chronicle, the Toronto Star and the Knoxville News-Sentinel.
