US President Joe Biden has announced a raft of sanctions after Russia recognised two separatist territories, Donetsk and Luhansk, as independent states.

Mr Biden says he expects a “massive military attack against Ukraine” and sanctions imposed by the US will go far beyond those implemented against Russia in 2014.

“This is the beginning of a Russian invasion of Ukraine,” he said.

The US will introduce sanctions on major Russian financial institutions – VEB and the military bank – and comprehensive sanctions on the nation’s foreign debt.

Sanctions will also be imposed on Russia’s elite and their family members.

It comes after Germany put a halt to the Nord Stream 2 pipeline.

“They share in the corrupt gains of the Kremlin policies and should share in the pain as well,” Mr Biden said.

The US President warned, “Russia will pay an even steeper price if it continues its aggression”.

The US will continue to provide defensive assistance to Ukraine and additional American forces will be deployed to Estonia, Lithuania and Latvia.

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