‘Ukraine will never be a victory for Putin’: Biden says Russian leader wants to continue on his ‘murderous path’ but will NEVER be able to hold the country and vows to keep going after oligarchs’ yachts, luxury apartments and jets
- Joe Biden said Putin will never be able to declare victory in Ukraine as he banned Russian oil imports
- In a speech on Tuesday, he said the Russian military might win battles but it would never control the country
- ‘Putin may be able to take a city, but he’ll never be able to hold the country,’ he said at the White House
- It comes as US intelligence officials said they believed 2000-4000 Russian troops had been killed
- Russia’s main convoy of armor remains stalled outside Kyiv amid reports of poor morale and a lack of supplies
President Joe Biden warned Vladimir Putin that he would never be able to claim victory in Ukraine, as he announced on Tuesday that he was banning imports of Russian oil and gas.
In a White House speech, Biden promised to hunt down oligarchs’ assets, praised Ukrainian resistance and condemned the Russian leader for failing to allow ceasefires for humanitarian relief.
‘Putin seems determined to continue on his murderous path no matter the cost,’ he said.
But as he tightened the economic noose on Moscow, Biden said Putin had miscalculated.
‘He has already turned two million Ukrainians into refugees,’ he said.
‘Russia may continue to grind out its advance at a horrible price, but this much is already clear: Ukraine will never be a victory for Putin.
‘Putin may be able to take a city, but he’ll never be able to hold the country.
‘And if we do not respond to Putin’s assault on global peace and stability today, the cost of freedom, and to the American people, will be even greater tomorrow.’
President Joe Biden warned Vladimir Putin that he would never be able to claim victory in Ukraine on Tuesday, as he announced on Tuesday that he was banning imports of Russian oil and gas.
Firefighters in action trying to extinguish a fire at a chemical storage facility, on the outskirts of Brovary, the eastern frontline of Kyiv region, after it was shelled on Tuesday. The Russian invasion has displaced hundreds of thousands of Ukrainians
Civilians prepare to board a train during snowfall as they flee Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, in Odessa, Ukraine
CIA Director Bill Burns says Putin planned to take Kyiv in TWO DAYS before invasion stalled
The director of the Central Intelligence Agency on Tuesday revealed that Vladimir Putin planned to capture the Ukrainian capital Kyiv within two days and warned that a frustrated Russian president could be about to escalate attacks on civilians.
‘You know, this is a matter of deep personal conviction for him,’ he told the House intelligence committee.
‘He’s been stewing in a combustible combination of grievance and ambition for many years.’
He said after two weeks of fighting, Russian forces had still not been able to encircle Kyiv, which Putin planned to capture in two days.
‘He’s likely to double down and try to grind down the Ukrainian military with no regard for civilian casualties,’ said Burns.
‘But the challenge that he faces – and this is the biggest question that’s hung over our analysis of his planning for months now – … he has no sustainable political endgame in the face of what is going to continue to be fierce resistance from Ukrainians.’
Russia’s main column of armor has been stalled outside Kyiv for days amid reports of poor morale, lack of supplies and technical problems.
Captured soldiers have complained of a lack of food, fuel, and overall battle plan.
Although Russian forces have made gains elsewhere, it means Putin has failed in what US officials said was his plan to seize the capital within two days.
They say he miscalculated he strength of Ukrainian opposition and over-estimated the success of his efforts to protect his economy from sanctions.
Biden said: ‘We are enforcing the most significant package of economic sanctions in history, and it’s causing significant damage to Russia’s economy.’
And he promised not to cease efforts to make life difficult for the oligarchs around Putin.
‘The US Department of Justice has assembled a dedicated task force to go after the crimes of Russian oligarchs and we’re joining with our European allies to find and seize their yachts, their luxury apartments or private jets and all their ill begotten games to make sure that they share in the pain of Putin’s war
‘Some of them are … I think I’ve read one was over 400 feet long. I mean, this is worth hundreds of millions of dollars.’
Biden has been working with allies in Europe, who are far more dependent on Russian oil, to isolate Russia’s energy-heavy economy.
Britain announced shortly before Biden’s remarks that it would phase out the import of Russian oil and oil products by the end of 2022.
‘We’re banning all imports of Russian oil and gas energy,’ Biden told reporters at the White House.
‘That means Russian oil will no longer be acceptable in U.S. ports and the American people will deal another powerful blow to Putin’s war machine.’
The president is already under intense pressure because of rising prices at gas pumps, which now stand at $4.17 a gallon, according to AAA – the highest since 2008.
Biden warned that prices would rise further because of ‘Putin’s war,’ but said he would do all he could to reduce the impact on the American people.
He also warned companies against exploiting the situation to engage in profiteering or price gouging.
“The decision today is not without costs here at home,’ he said.
‘Putin’s war is already hurting American families at the gas pump … I’m going to do everything I can to minimize Putin’s price hikes here at home.
Biden made his announcement as his intelligence chiefs offered their assessment of the Russian invasion during a hearing of the House intelligence committee.
CIA Director Bill Burns said Putin had underestimated Ukraine’s fighting ability and the global response, leaving him angry and frustrated by setbacks.
CIA Director Bill Burns (l) said President Vladimir Putin had planned to seize Kyiv within two days of an invasion. ‘I think Putin is angry and frustrated right now,’ said Burns, warning that he expected Russia to escalate its attacks
A Ukrainian tank rolls along a main road in Kyiv on Tuesday. Russia’s main invasion column remains stalled outside the capital
Russian troops continue to try and surround Kyiv ahead of what is expected to be an attack on the city, with intense fighting reported in the north west including hand-to-hand combat with Russian forces
‘Instead of seizing Kyiv within the first two days of the campaign, which was what his plan was premised upon, after nearly two weeks they still have not been able to fully encircle the city,’ said Burns, revealing for the first time what US intelligence circles knew of the Russian game plan.
The committee heard that latest U.S. intelligence estimates suggest 2000-4000 Russian soldiers have been killed since the invasion was launched.
Without an off-ramp for Putin, Burns said the result was likely to be a grinding conflict with terrible consequences for civilians.
‘I think Putin is angry and frustrated right now,’ said Burns.
‘He’s likely to double down and try to grind down the Ukrainian military with no regard for civilian casualties.
‘But the challenge that he faces – and this is the biggest question that’s hung over our analysis of his planning for months now – … he has no sustainable political endgame in the face of what is going to continue to be fierce resistance from Ukrainians.’
He added that US intelligence agencies were sharing information with Ukraine every day.
But he said CIA analysts said they could not currently see how Putin could accomplish his goal of seizing Kyiv and installing a puppet regime.
Instead, he predicted an ‘ugly next few weeks.’
A day earlier, a Pentagon official said Putin had now sent all his invasion troops – estimated at more than 150,000 massed around the border – into Ukraine.
Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines said intelligence analysts believed Putin would not be deterred by the setbacks
Belarusian volunteers receive military training at the Belarusian Company base in Kyiv, Ukraine, Tuesday, March 8, 2022. Hundreds of Belarus’ emigrants and citizens have arrived in Ukraine to help the Ukrainian army fight against Russian invaders
Armed Ukrainian servicemen stand guard next to Czech-supplied ‘hedgehog’ defenses in downtown Kyiv
Russia was not moving forces from elsewhere into the attack, but was instead looking to sign up foreign fighters, he said.
‘We do believe … that the reports are accurate that the Russians are trying to recruit Syrians in particular to sign up and fight in Ukraine,’ said the official
‘We find that noteworthy that [Putin] believes that he needs to rely on foreign fighters to supplement what is a very significant commitment of combat power inside Ukraine as it is.’
The assessment given by Burns was supported by Avril Haines, Director of National Intelligence.
‘Our analysts assess that Putin is unlikely to be deterred by such setbacks and instead may escalate,’ she told the hearing.
And she warned of the danger that misunderstandings could lead to unintended consequences.
‘With tensions this high there is always an enhanced potential for miscalculation, unintended escalation, which we hope our intelligence can help to mitigate,’ she said.
Putin had made four key miscalculations when it came to planning his swift victory over Ukraine, added Burns.
The Russian leader thought Ukraine was easily intimidated and that Europe, particularly France and Germany, was distracted by internal politics and was ‘risk averse.’
Third, he believed he had ‘sanction-proofed’ his economy and fourth that he had overhauled his armed forces so that they were capable of a quick, decisive victory.
‘He has been proven wrong on every count,’ said Burns. ‘Those assumptions have proven to be profoundly flawed over the last 12 days of conflict.’
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