Russian Invasion of Ukraine

By now, you are surely aware that Russia has invaded Ukraine. The invasion has been concentrated in the eastern regions Russian premier Vladimir Putin recognized as independent states on Monday, but President Joe Biden, in an address Tuesday afternoon, said Putin has already said (in a Monday night speech) that more territory in eastern Ukraine should also become independent. 

Biden said sanctions are now in place and more to come if Russia expands its aggression, which he said he believes is likely.  Biden also said more American troops already in Europe are being sent to Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia.  "We don't want a war with Russia," Biden said, "but we will defend our NATO allies." 

Among the many who spoke out about the invasion Tuesday morning was NC US Senator Thom Tillis, a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee:

“History has repeatedly proven that appeasement never works. The entire world, including our adversaries like Communist China, will be carefully watching our response. There can be no doubt: Putin must be severely punished for his illegal actions and provocations, and crippling economic sanctions on Russia are long overdue. The U.S. and our NATO allies must stand with the Ukrainian people, ensuring its military has the weapons it needs to defend its citizens and sovereignty from Russia's aggression.”

Putin is unlikely to stop at declaring those two regions independent, as he did when Russia invaded Georgia under a similar pretense in 2008. He'll almost certainly try to take the southwestern port of Odessa from Ukraine. It's an important port for commerce and could be a key for military operations if he decides to invade other eastern European countries. President Biden said Putin's Monday night speech set the stage for further aggression.