White House calls Russian moves on Ukraine an invasion

By VLADIMIR ISACHENKOV, YURAS KARMANAU and AAMER MADHANI
Associated Press

MOSCOW (AP) — The White House had begun referring to Russian troop deployments in eastern Ukraine as an “invasion” after initially hesitating to use the term. That’s a red line that President Joe Biden has said would result in the U.S. levying severe sanctions against Moscow. Several European leaders said earlier in the day that Russian troops have moved into rebel-held areas in eastern Ukraine after Russian President Vladimir Putin’s recognized their independence. But some indicated it was not yet the long-feared, full-fledged invasion. Later, the White House signaled a shift in its own position. A U.S. official said the White House decided to begin referring to Russia’s actions as an “invasion” because of the situation on the ground.