Biden says Russian President Putin faces a "stark" choice: "Get out of Ukraine or face international isolation" and economic problems at home.
Biden: Putin can "get out" of Ukraine or face "isolation":
U.S. Vice President Joe Biden says Russian President Vladimir Putin faces a choice to either "get out" of Ukraine or face "continued international isolation" and domestic economic problems.
Biden, speaking at the Munich Security Conference on February 7, said that unless Russia changes course in its involvement in Ukraine, the international community will continue to "impose costs" on Moscow for its "violation of international norms."
He said that Russia is disregarding Ukraine's sovereignty with its involvement in eastern Ukraine, where a conflict between rebels and the government has killed more than 5,350 people since April, and charged that pro-Russian separatist leaders and the core of the "trained fighters" in eastern Ukraine "directly answer to Mr. Putin."
Biden told an audience that included world leaders and senior officials that no country has spheres of influence and said at every independent country has the "sovereign right to choose its own alliances" -- a warning that Russia cannot keep Ukraine out of NATO against its will.
He said that the United States wants to reassert the "bedrock principle" of a "Europe whole and free."