Ukrainian foreign minister says an 'invasion is an invasion' and urges U.S. to step up sanctions


After Russian President Vladimir Putin recognized the independence of two separatist regions in eastern Ukraine on Monday and ordered Russian troops into their territory, several critics recalled comments President Biden made last month in which he suggested that the U.S. and NATO might not respond as forcefully to a "minor incursion" by Russia.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba recalled Biden's comment on Tuesday at the U.S. State Department. "There is no such thing as minor, middle, or major invasion. Invasion is an invasion," he said.
Biden said at a Jan. 19 press conference that "Russia will be held accountable if it invades. And it depends on what it does. It's one thing if it's a minor incursion, and then we end up having to fight about what to do and not do,"
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
"Are you effectively giving Putin permission to make a small incursion?" a reporter asked.
Biden didn't give a concrete answer, but White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki insisted later that day that if "any Russian forces move across the Ukrainian border ... that's a renewed invasion."
But that clarification, prompt as it was, may have been too little too late.
Daily Mail opinion writer Jim Geraghty wrote that "Biden is getting the 'minor incursion' that he invited."
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Kuleba also urged the U.S. to intensify sanctions against Russia. He said sanctions will only be effective "if it continues in a very sustained ... way. President Putin should not have a single minute when he starts to think that this is the threshold."
Biden said Tuesday that more sanctions would follow and also described Russia's actions an "invasion," but Republican critics like former United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley were quick to argue the U.S. should have delivered a more "swift and severe" response, Politico reported.
Grayson Quay was the weekend editor at TheWeek.com. His writing has also been published in National Review, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Modern Age, The American Conservative, The Spectator World, and other outlets. Grayson earned his M.A. from Georgetown University in 2019.
-
Alchemised: how Harry Potter fanfic went mainstream
In The Spotlight Traditional publishers are signing up fan fiction authors to rewrite their ‘explosively popular’ romances for the mass market
-
Sudoku hard: October 6, 2025
The Week's daily hard sudoku puzzle
-
Crossword: October 6, 2025
The Week's daily crossword
-
Russia: already at war with Europe?
Talking Point As Kremlin begins ‘cranking up attacks’ on Ukraine’s European allies, questions about future action remain unanswered
-
Museum head ousted after Trump sword gift denial
Speed Read Todd Arrington, who led the Dwight D. Eisenhower Presidential Library and Museum, denied the Trump administration a sword from the collection as a gift for King Charles
-
Trump declares ‘armed conflict’ with drug cartels
speed read This provides a legal justification for recent lethal military strikes on three alleged drug trafficking boats
-
Supreme Court rules for Fed’s Cook in Trump feud
Speed Read Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook can remain in her role following Trump’s attempts to oust her
-
Judge rules Trump illegally targeted Gaza protesters
Speed Read The Trump administration’s push to arrest and deport international students for supporting Palestine is deemed illegal
-
Trump: US cities should be military ‘training grounds’
Speed Read In a hastily assembled summit, Trump said he wants the military to fight the ‘enemy within’ the US
-
US government shuts down amid health care standoff
Speed Read Democrats said they won’t vote for a deal that doesn’t renew Affordable Care Act health care subsidies
-
YouTube to pay Trump $22M over Jan. 6 expulsion
Speed Read The president accused the company of censorship following the suspension of accounts post-Capitol riot