US President Biden held a press conference hours ago announcing sanctions against Russia. The day before, I was confronted head-on with Russian President Putin, who decided to send troops to eastern Ukraine. Let’s connect to Washington for more information.
Correspondent Pil-gyu Kim, yesterday (22nd) alone, the White House looked worried, did you define Russia’s decision as an invasion?
[기자]
The White House was ambiguous about Putin’s decision, as Russian troops were originally seen in the Donbas region of eastern Ukraine, where there are pro-Russian separatists.
Then today, I made a clear statement, let’s hear it.
[조 바이든/미국 대통령 : (푸틴 대통령이 러시아군의 우크라이나 동부 진입을) 지시하고 의회에 승인을 요청한 것은 러시아 침공의 시작입니다. 저는 이에 대해 제재를 부과할 겁니다.]
[앵커]
What sanctions were announced specifically?
[기자]
Two Russian banks, including the Russian Foreign Economic Bank (VEB), Russia’s largest state-run bank, said they would prevent Western money from entering, and that they would also impose sanctions on Russian leaders and their families.
The European Union and the UK also announced sanctions against Russia at once, and Germany in particular decided to suspend the ‘Nordstream-2’ gas pipeline project linking Russia and Germany.
[앵커]
Yesterday, in a speech to the public, President Putin explained the historical reasons for intervening in Ukraine. It is said that Ukrainians are strongly opposed to this attitude?
[기자]
The day before, there was a large rally in Washington, where you could hear the stories of the Ukrainians firsthand. Ready for the screen.
Russian President Putin spent considerable time explaining his view of history during his address to the public.
[블라디미르 푸틴/러시아 대통령 : 근대 우크라이나는 순전히 러시아에 의해 만들어진 겁니다. 정확하게는 볼셰비키, 공산 러시아에 의해서죠.]
Ukraine is not just a neighbor, it is said that it has the same historical and spiritual roots.
This is a retelling of what I have been insisting on, but the Ukrainians I met at the Washington rally the day before had a completely different opinion.
[옥산나/우크라이나계 미국인 : 소련에 속하기 전 우크라이나는 항상 독립된 국가였습니다. 그러다 볼셰비키 공산주의에 빼앗겼던 거죠.]
He also criticized Putin’s view of history.
[야로우 햇맨/우크라이나계 미국인 : 우크라이나는 키예프 공국, 지금 수도인 키예프에서 시작됐습니다. 우크라이나는 강한 역사를 가지고 있기 때문에 역사를 날조하려는 시도는 실패할 겁니다.]
[미국은 우크라이나를 지원하라!]
The Ukrainians gathered on that day demanded that the U.S. be held accountable for giving up its nuclear weapons.
He said that if we just skip the taunt this time, the same problem will happen again in other areas.
[야로우 햇맨/우크라이나계 미국인 : 흥미로운 것은 지금 중국도 마찬가지라는 점입니다. 중국 역시 역사를 다시 쓰려 합니다. 미국과 세계가 우크라이나와 함께 서지 않는다면 이런 일은 계속될 겁니다.]
[앵커]
Will the US and Russia have no choice but to go to an all-out war?
[기자]
President Biden said he was still open to diplomacy, and President Putin left room for negotiations, saying that he would not be sending troops to the Donbas region right away.
Since the foreign ministers’ meeting scheduled for the 24th is still held, there is one more chance to find a breakthrough.