By Alex Leary and Laurence Norman
WSJ
February 13, 2022
President Biden told Ukraine’s leader the U.S. and its allies would respond rapidly to any further Russian aggression against his country, the White House said, as Russia deployed some of its most powerful weapons and best-trained battalions around Ukraine and the prospect of imminent war loomed in Europe.
A day earlier, Mr. Biden’s warning to Russian President Vladimir Putin of “swift and severe costs” if Russia moves against Ukraine yielded no change in the Russian stance, U.S. officials said. Meanwhile the fear of conflict has led to canceled flights to Ukraine and heightened volatility in energy and financial markets.