"We are ready to respond decisively to a Russian attack on Ukraine," President Joe Biden said. -EPA
President Joe Biden has urged Russia to step back from the brink of war and says reports that Russia has withdrawn some forces from the Ukraine border have not been verified.
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"To the citizens of Russia: you are not our enemy, and I don't believe you want a bloody, destructive war against Ukraine," Biden said in nationally televised remarks from the White House on Tuesday.
Biden said the United States is "not seeking direct confrontation with Russia" but that if Russia were to attack Americans in Ukraine, "We will respond forcefully."
Biden said the United States and its NATO allies were prepared for whatever happens and that Russia would pay a steep economic price if Moscow launched an invasion.
He said a Russian attack on Ukraine remained a possibility and reports that some Russian forces had moved away from the Ukraine border had not yet been verified by the United States.
"We are ready to respond decisively to a Russian attack on Ukraine, which remains very much a possibility," Biden said.
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