As the United Nations Security Council gathered Monday to discuss Ukraine, it remained uncertain whether Russian troops massed along the border of that country would actually launch an invasion. Russia has denied that it is planning an attack, and on Monday its U.N. representative accused Washington of “provoking escalation.”
What is clear is that a Russian invasion of a nation from which it already has seized territory would be a dangerous violation of international norms. The United States and its NATO allies must demonstrate to Vladimir Putin that Russia — and perhaps the Russian president himself — will pay a high price if the troops he has massed near Ukraine’s border enter that country.
Biden administration officials said last week that an invasion would result in “massive consequences” including export controls and sanctions directed at the Russian financial sector. “The gradualism of the past is out, and this time we’ll start at the top of the escalation ladder and stay there,”a White House official said. Economic penalties would be imposed not only by the U.S. but also by “allies and partners.” (The allies are less united on the question of supplying Ukraine with weapons.)
