WASHINGTON, 13 December 2021, (TON): US President Joe Biden said “he told Russian President Vladimir Putin that Russia would pay “a terrible price” and face devastating economic consequences if it invaded Ukraine.”

Biden told reporters “the possibility of sending US ground combat troops to Ukraine in the event of a Russian invasion was never on the table, although the United States and NATO would be required to send in more forces to eastern flank NATO countries to beef up their defenses.”

He said after remarks about the deadly tornadoes that hit the United States “I made it absolutely clear to President Putin that if he moves on Ukraine, the economic consequences for his economy are going to be devastating, devastating.”

Biden, who spoke with Putin by telephone for two hours last week, said he had made clear to the Russian leader that Russia’s standing in the world would change “markedly” in the event of an incursion into Ukraine.

Biden spent the weekend at his home in Wilmington.

Foreign ministers from the Group of Seven richest democracies on Saturday sent a similar message to Moscow after a meeting in Liverpool, warning of dire consequences for any incursion and urging Moscow to return to the negotiating table.