乔·拜登总统表示，世界正在见证“俄罗斯入侵乌克兰的开始”几周后他周二宣布对俄罗斯实施新的经济制裁，加剧了该地区的紧张局势。

拜登发表上述言论之前，俄罗斯总统弗拉基米尔·普京周一晚上向俄罗斯公众发表了一篇措辞激烈的讲话，当时这位领导人宣布，他承认乌克兰东部顿巴斯地区两个俄罗斯支持的分离主义地区的独立:自称的顿涅茨克和卢甘斯克人民共和国(DNR和LNR)——这引发了西方国家的一系列制裁，包括德国停止批准一条来自俄罗斯的主要天然气管道。

尽管美国表示，估计约有19万俄罗斯军队和分裂势力集结在乌克兰边境附近，但俄罗斯否认有任何不当行为，并在周二重申了要求乌克兰承诺永远不加入北约的要求。

俄罗斯支持的分裂分子声称“恐怖袭击”,俄罗斯继续制造借口

俄罗斯控制的分裂分子声称，周二晚上在他们的领土上发生了两起大型“恐怖袭击”，分裂分子和俄罗斯继续加紧努力，为俄罗斯可能的袭击制造借口。

分裂分子声称爆炸发生在一个电视塔和一个无轨电车站附近，他们随后发布了视频，声称显示紧急救援人员正在查看损坏情况。

这些说法非常可疑，而且是在大量所谓乌克兰袭击的虚假报道迅速被揭穿的情况下出现的。

与此同时，乌克兰发布了一段视频，显示分裂分子用重炮袭击了前线乌克兰一侧的一个名为Chastiya的村庄，Chastiya的意思是“幸福”。视频似乎显示火箭击中了一所房屋。

昨天炮火还击中了附近的一个发电站。

看起来，俄罗斯控制的分裂分子加强了对乌克兰阵地的火力攻击，希望激起反击，并制造一种全面升级的印象。

白宫官员誓言如果普京升级将采取更强硬的行动

白宫负责制定制裁措施的最高国家安全官员达利普·辛格(Daleep Singh)向记者谈到了政府对俄罗斯的制裁，并暗示这只是美国保卫乌克兰计划的开始。

“如果普京进一步升级，我们将进一步升级，使用金融制裁和出口控制，”辛格说。

辛格声称制裁只会伤害俄罗斯经济。

“我们的措施没有一项旨在中断全球市场的能源流动。我们现在正在与主要石油生产国和主要石油消费国协调执行一项计划，以确保全球能源供应的稳定。

当ABC新闻的塞西莉亚·维加(Cecilia Vega)问及针对普京个人将采取什么措施时，辛格说，他不会说“具体会采取什么措施”，但补充说，“没有任何选项不在考虑范围内。”

泽伦斯基从军事储备中征召一些士兵

乌克兰总统弗拉基米尔·泽伦斯基(Volodymyr Zelenskyy)签署了一项法令，征召一些乌克兰预备役军人，但他表示，目前不需要全面动员该国军队。

泽伦斯基在国家电视台宣布了他的计划，并补充说，这些士兵来自“现役预备役”，具有军事经验。

泽伦斯基说:“他们必须提高乌克兰军队对当前局势中所有可能变化的准备状态。”

布林肯取消与俄罗斯外长的会晤

美国国务卿安东尼·布林肯(Antony Johnson)在美国国务院与乌克兰外交部长Dmytro Kuleba共同露面时宣布，他不会按计划参加周四与俄罗斯外长的会晤。

布林肯周二表示:“既然我们看到入侵正在开始，而且俄国已经明确表示全面拒绝外交手段，那么在这个时候继续进行那次会议是没有意义的。”。“我与我们的盟友和伙伴进行了磋商。都同意。今天，我给拉夫罗夫外长写了一封信，向他通报了这一情况。”

布林肯上周同意在周四会见俄罗斯外长谢尔盖·拉夫罗夫(Sergei Lavrov)，前提是不入侵乌克兰，但称普京最近的言论“令人深感不安”，并不顾克里姆林宫的主张，将该地区的侵略直接归咎于俄罗斯。

“俄罗斯的任何进一步升级措施都将受到与盟友和伙伴协调的进一步迅速和严厉的措施，”布林肯补充说，呼应了拜登的言论。

据白宫称，早些时候与国防部长劳埃德·奥斯丁会晤后，在与布林肯一起露面之前，库勒巴前往白宫会见拜登，总统向他介绍了美国的最新回应，包括新的制裁，并重申美国将继续提供安全和经济援助。

Russia-Ukraine updates: White House vows stronger actions if Putin escalates

President Joe Biden said the world is witnessing "the beginning of a Russian invasion of Ukraine"after weeksof escalating tensions in the region as he announced new economic sanctions on Russia Tuesday.

Biden's remarks followed a fiery address from Russian President Vladimir Putin to the Russian public on Monday evening, when the leader announced he was recognizing the independence of two Russia-backed separatist areas in eastern Ukraine's Donbas region: the self-proclaimed People’s Republics of Donetsk and Luhansk (DNR and LNR) -- prompting a set of sanctions from Western countries, including Germany halting approval of a major gas pipeline from Russia.

While the U.S. says some 190,000 Russian troops and separatist forces are estimated to be massed near Ukraine's borders, Russia has denied any wrongdoing and reiterated its demands Tuesday that Ukraine pledge to never join NATO.

Russia-backed separatists make ‘terror attacks’ claim as Russia continues to build pretext

Russian-controlled separatists are claiming two large “terrorist attacks” took place in their territory Tuesday night, as the separatists and Russia continue to intensify their efforts to create a pretext for a possible Russian attack.

The separatists claimed explosions went off at a TV tower and near a trolley bus depot, and they released video afterward they claim shows emergency workers looking at damage.

The claims are highly suspect, and they came amid a barrage of fake reports of supposed Ukrainian attacks that are being swiftly debunked.

The claims also came as Ukraine released video showing heavy artillery fire from separatists hitting a village called Chastiya -- which means “happiness” -- on the Ukrainian side of the frontline. The video appears to show rockets striking a house.

Artillery fire also hit a power station nearby yesterday.

It appears the Russian-controlled separatists have intensified their fire onto Ukrainian positions in the hope of stoking return fire and creating an impression of a general escalation.

White House official vows stronger actions if Putin escalates

Daleep Singh, the White House's top national security official crafting sanctions, spoke to reporters about the administration's sanctions against Russians and hinted that this is only the beginning of the United States' plan to defend Ukraine.

"If Putin escalates further, we will escalate further, using financial sanctions and export controls," Singh said.

Singh claimed the sanctions will only hurt the Russian economy.

"None of our measures are designed to disrupt the flow of energy to global markets. And we are now executing a plan in coordination with major oil producers and major oil consumers to secure the stability of global energy supplies," he said.

When asked by ABC News’ Cecilia Vega what it will take to target Putin personally,Singh said he wouldn’t say “exactly what it would take” but added that “no option is off the table.”

Zelenskyy calls up some soldiers from military reserves

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy signed a decree calling up some of Ukraine’s military reservists but said a full mobilization of the country’s military is not needed for now.

Zelenskyy announced his plan on state TV, adding that the soldiers were from the “active reserve” and have military experience.

“They must heighten the readiness of the Ukrainian army for all possible changes in the active situation,” Zelenskyy said.

Blinken calls off meeting with Russian counterpart

Secretary of State Antony Blinken, in a joint appearance from the State Department with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba, announced that he would not attend a meeting with his Russian counterpart on Thursday as planned.

"Now that we see the invasion is beginning, and Russia has made clear its wholesale rejection of diplomacy, it does not make sense to go forward with that meeting at this time," Blinken said Tuesday. "I consulted with our allies and partners. All agreed. And today I sent Foreign Minister Lavrov a letter informing him of this."

Blinken had agreed last week to meet with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Thursday, provided there was no invasion of Ukraine, but called Putin’s recent comments “deeply disturbing” and placed aggression in the region squarely on Russia despite the Kremlin’s claims.

"Any further escalatory steps by Russia will be met with further swift and severe measures, coordinated with allies and partners," Blinken added, echoing remarks from Biden.

After meeting earlier with Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin and ahead of his appearance with Blinken, Kuleba went to the White House to meet with Biden where the president updated him on the U.S. response, including the new sanctions, and reaffirmed U.S. security and economic assistance will continue, according to the White House.