WATCH LIVE: Biden Address U.S. Response to Russia’s ‘Invasion’ of Ukraine

President Joe Biden will give an address from the White House where he is expected to provide an update on America’s response to Russia’s threat toward Ukraine. The remarks are scheduled for 1:00 P.M. ET.

The president’s speech comes after Vladimir Putin announced his plan to send Russian “peacekeeping” forces into Ukraine after weeks of escalating tensions and military activity. The move represents a significant incursion into Ukraine’s territory, and it follows Putin’s speech where he claimed Russia’s suzerainty over the nation while declaring the Ukrainian separatist regions of Donetsk and Luhansk as independent states.

As Biden faces political pressure to take strong action against Putin, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said that the president will sign an executive order to “prohibit new investment, trade, and financing by U.S. persons to, from, or in the so-called DNR [Donetsk People’s Republic] and LNR [Luhansk People’s Republic] regions of Ukraine” and “provide authority to impose sanctions on any person determined to operate in those areas of Ukraine.” Biden’s update is likely to elaborate on these sanctions and other measures the U.S. may enact to counter Russia’s aggression, which the White House has termed as an “invasion.”

Biden’s remarks come as America’s European allies are also responding to Russia, for Germany announced earlier today that their government will suspend work on the Nord Stream 2 pipeline. Psaki welcomed this development as she promised “We will be following up with our own measures today.”

@POTUS made clear that if Russia invaded Ukraine, we would act with Germany to ensure Nord Stream 2 does not move forward. We have been in close consultations with Germany overnight and welcome their announcement. We will be following up with our own measures today.

— Jen Psaki (@PressSec) February 22, 2022

Watch above, via The White House.

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