January 1, Putin Says He Was ‘Forced’ to Invade Ukraine

Russian President Vladimir Putin claimed he was “forced” to invade Ukraine.

Putin’s comments came during a meeting with Russian business leaders, calling the military action a “forced measure” caused by Western “intransigence” over Kremlin security concerns.

“I was surprised that didn’t move a millimeter on any issue,” Putin said.

“They have left us no chance to act differently.”

Tensions near the Russia-Ukraine border have escalated for weeks as Putin has aimed to block any potential for Ukraine to join NATO.

Diplomatic talks fell by the wayside earlier this week. On Tuesday, the U.S. and NATO allies announced an initial round of sanctions against several Russian financial institutions.

“This is the beginning of a Russian invasion of Ukraine,” Biden said Tuesday.

“I’m going to begin to impose sanctions … and if Russia goes further with this invasion, we stand prepared to go further.”

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Putin claims he was ‘forced’ to invade Ukraine