President Biden said in an interview released on Saturday that Russian President Vladimir Putin is “producing the exact opposite effect that he intended,” saying that the Russian invasion into Ukraine has drawn the international community together.
“Not only is NATO more unified. Look at what’s going on in terms of Finland. Look what’s going on in terms of Sweden. Look what’s going on in terms of other countries,” Biden said in an interview with progressive political host Brian Tyler Cohen.
“I mean, he’s producing the exact opposite effect that he intended. But all I know is that we have to stay the course with the rest of our allies,” Biden added.
Biden’s remarks come after Finish Prime Minister Sanna Marin on Thursday said that Russia’s invasion of Ukraine will change the debate around NATO membership within her country. Both Finland and Sweden have also brushed off Russian threats of “military and political consequences” if they attempt to join NATO, according to The Associated Press.
NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg earlier this week said he had invited Finland and Sweden to a virtual NATO summit.
“We will have Sweden and Finland and the two EU [European Union] presidents present showing in a way the very strong unity with demonstration of transatlantic NATO and also our close partnership with EU, Finland and Sweden,” Stoltenberg said at the time.
The international community has widely condemned Moscow for invading Ukraine, and protests against the attack have broken out around the world — including in Russia itself.
The U.S. and European allies have imposed multiple rounds of sanctions against Russia in response to the invasion, with the White House on Saturday announcing that the U.S. and its allies will kick certain Russian banks out of a major international banking system.
A senior Defense Department official told reporters during a briefing on Saturday that “we have indications that the Russians are increasingly frustrated by their lack of momentum over the last 24 hours particularly in the north parts of Ukraine.”
Despite concerns on Friday that Kyiv could fall to the Russians, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed Saturday that the capital was still in Ukrainian control.