White House: Putin's Ambitions Stretch Beyond Ukraine

The White House revealed, on Thursday, that Russian President Vladimir Putin's ultimate goals are beyond Ukraine.

In a press briefing, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said: "The prayers of the entire world are with the people of Ukraine today as they suffer an unjustified, unprovoked, and premeditated attack by the Russian military forces."

"President Biden has said from the start of this crisis: If Putin chooses to invade, the cost to Russia will be immediate and profound — to its financial system, to its economy, to its technology base, and to its strategic position in the world," Psaki added, asserting that Putin had rejected diplomacy and chose war.

Hence, U.S. President Joe Biden imposed an unprecedented package of financial sanctions and export restrictions in lockstep with other allies and partners that will isolate Russia from the global financial system.

On her part, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova emphasized that Russia’s special operation in Ukraine is not the beginning of a war.

“This is not a beginning of war. It prevents a global military confrontation and puts an end to the war that has been underway [in Donbass],” Zakharova said.