WASHINGTON - When Russian President Vladimir Putin authorized troops to cross Ukraine's border into regions controlled by Russian-backed separatists, the White House initially stopped short of calling it an invasion.
That changed on Tuesday, and key allies in Europe joined in saying Putin had crossed a red line."This is the beginning of a Russian invasion of Ukraine," President Joe Biden said.NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg was equally explicit."We saw last night that further Russian troops moved into the Donbas into parts of Donetsk and Luhansk, " he said Tuesday, referring to the two areas of Ukraine's eastern Donbas region controlled by Russian-backed separatists. "What we see now is that a country that is already invaded is suffering further invasion."But not all invasions are viewed as equal.Asked whether Putin's decision to send in what he called "peacekeepers" amounts to an invasion, the European Union's foreign policy chief, Josep Borrell, said, "I wouldn’t say that’s a fully-fledged invasion, but Russian troops are on Ukrainian soil."Use of the term "invasion" is important in this case because it sets the stage for what Biden said could become multiple waves of economic sanctions, in coordination with NATO allies and other countries who view Putin's aggression as a violation of international law and a threat to order in Europe.Sanctions are the West's main tool for pushing back because they have ruled out taking on Russia militarily.Russia's actions in the last 24 hours have signaled the "beginning of an invasion" President Joe Biden said, as UN and U.S.