Sen. Joe Manchin knocks 'hypocritical,' 'senseless' Biden for continuing to buy up Russian oil while they invade Ukraine



President Joe Biden is expected to tout his administration's sanctions campaign against Russia over its invasion of Ukraine during his State of the Union address Tuesday night — but at least one Democratic lawmaker thinks the president's response is mightily lacking one key area.

What are the details?

Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin (W.Va.) rebuked the president on Monday over his refusal to cut off Russian energy imports, calling the White House's response "hypocritical" and "senseless."

Instead of continuing to buy up Russian energy, the moderate Democrat said the U.S. should be hitting the Kremlin where it hurts by curtailing purchases of Russian crude oil and energy while building up American energy independence.

"We produce energy cleaner than anybody in the world," Manchin told Bloomberg. "We’re buying 650,000 barrels a day from Russia. It’s ridiculous. Totally ridiculous."

The senator, who chairs the Senate Energy Committee, later said in a statement: "The entire world is watching as [Russian President] Vladimir Putin uses energy as a weapon in an attempt to extort and coerce our European allies. While Americans decry what is happening in Ukraine, the United States continues to allow the import of more than half a million barrels per day of crude oil and other petroleum products from Russia during this time of war."

Continued reliance on Russian oil poses a "clear and present danger to our nation’s energy security," he added before calling on the Biden administration to "ramp up domestic energy production" right away.

"To continue to ask other countries to do what we can do for ourselves in a cleaner way is hypocritical," Manchin charged. "To continue to rely on Russian energy as they attack Ukraine is senseless."

Chairman @Sen_JoeManchin's statement urging the Biden Administration to take the necessary measures to ensure American energy independence and security.pic.twitter.com/BUIGtLagIs
— SenateEnergyDems (@SenateEnergyDems) 1646095318

Oil sales are a major income stream for Moscow and so remain a key funding source for the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Given that fact, curbing energy imports seems like an obvious strategic maneuver, especially for a country as resource-rich as the U.S.

It's something even Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau figured out — though Trudeau's declaratory ban on Russian crude oil imports was quickly called out as nothing but a public relations move. Canada hasn't imported Russian crude for years.

What else?

Nevertheless, Biden continues to allow Putin and his warring administration to benefit from foreign oil purchases, even while other sanctions levied by the U.S. and Western allies wreak havoc on the Russian economy.

A ban on crude oil imports from Russia could be the death knell for Moscow's war machine.

But just as he initially balked at imposing some of the most severe sanctions — such as removing Russia from SWIFT, a vital international banking system, and personally sanctioning Putin — Biden here again seems content to wait and see if such steps are necessary.

Meanwhile, Ukraine is burning.

Report: Biden admin gave China intelligence on Russia in bid for help — then China handed it off to Russia



President Joe Biden's diplomatic strategy in Russia has been roundly criticized in recent days following Russian President Vladimir Putin's launch of a full-scale invasion of Ukraine over and against the U.S. president's wishes.

In the months preceding the invasion, Biden resolved to appeal to Putin's reason, urging him to "return to diplomacy" for the sake of Russia's "credibility worldwide." The strategy failed. Under threat of certain sanctions, but never military resistance, Putin went ahead with the unprovoked assault.

But Biden's mismanagement of the situation may have been worse than previously understood. According to an eye-opening new report from the New York Times published Friday, the Biden administration since late last year endeavored to enlist Chinese assistance, only to have its plan turned on its head.

What are the details?

Unnamed U.S. officials told the Times that over the past three months, senior administration officials arranged urgent meetings with Beijing during which they shared intelligence showing Russia's troop build-up on the Ukraine border in hopes that China would step in and tell Russia not to invade.

Each time, the officials said the Chinese rebuffed the Americans, playing coy about Russia's intentions — and at least one time, the Chinese turned around to hand over the intelligence to Moscow.

"After one diplomatic exchange in December, U.S. officials got intelligence showing Beijing had shared the information with Moscow, telling the Russians that the United States was trying to sow discord — and that China would not try to impede Russian plans and actions," the Times reported.

The account indicates that the Biden administration began its farfetched, if not foolhardy, Chinese outreach following a video summit held between Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping on Nov.15. Over the course of the next few months, administration officials engaged China with similar diplomatic efforts as they did with Russia.

They warned that economic sanctions on Russia could hurt China, as well, and argued that because China was widely seen as a partner to Russia, its global image would suffer if it stood idly by while Russia invaded, the Times reported.

"But their entreaties went nowhere," the paper added.

The account raises concerns about the White House's naivety regarding Russia and China, the U.S.'s two strongest adversarial powers.

In a statement to the Times, Chinese Embassy spokesman Liu Pengyu said, “For some time, China has actively promoted the political settlement process of the Ukraine issue.”

What else?

Biden so far has been somewhat tepid in his response to Russian aggression in Ukraine, though that is not an assessment the president would give himself. In a press conference Thursday, Biden announced a slew of new sanctions on Russia that he said would be "devastating."

But when reporters questioned whether more could be done — such as personally sanctioning Putin and booting Russia from SWIFT, an international banking system — Biden suggested that the U.S. wait "another month or so" to see if the current sanctions are "working."

Critics slammed the president for not meeting the urgency of the moment. The pressure may have worked because, on Friday, Biden reversed course on one of those items.

CNN reported that the U.S. would move quickly to freeze assets belonging to Putin and Russian Foreign Minister Sergeĭ Lavrov. Earlier in the day, the European Union and U.K. also announced sanctions against the two officials.

Was part of Putin’s Ukraine speech a hidden message for Biden?

Was part of Putin’s Ukraine speech a hidden message for Biden?

Biden admin warns it 'will not be in a position to evacuate US citizens' from Ukraine if Russian invades. Critics compare it to Afghanistan debacle.



The Biden administration warned over the weekend that it "will not be in a position to evacuate U.S. citizens" from Ukraine in the event of a Russian invasion, and critics quickly drew comparisons to the administration's previous failures in Afghanistan.

What are the details?

Hundreds of thousands of Russian troops have been massing on the country's border with Ukraine in recent months, foreshadowing a possible invasion. Diplomatic attempts to resolve the tensions so far have appeared to fail.

In response to the military movements, the U.S. State Department ordered the evacuation of family members of diplomats and authorized the departure of some U.S. government employees.

The department previously increased Ukraine's travel advisory status to "Level 4 — Do Not Travel" due to Russia's military threat. In a news release Sunday, the State Department alerted U.S. citizens in the country that the U.S. government would essentially be unable to assist their evacuation in the event of a Russian attack.

"As President Biden has said, military action by Russia could come at any time and the United States government will not be in a position to evacuate American citizens in such a contingency, so U.S. citizens currently present in Ukraine should plan accordingly, including by availing themselves of commercial options should they choose to leave the country," the State Department said.

State Department officials reportedly echoed the same statements to reporters in a conference call.

"We've authorized the departure of some US government employees, but we have ordered the departure of all family members of US government employees at our Embassy in Kyiv. The State Department has also elevated our travel advisory for Ukraine to level four," a spokesman said, according to Fox News correspondent Jennifer Griffin.

What was the reaction?

Critics on social media quickly responded by slamming the Biden administration's efforts to help U.S. citizens trapped in war zones, or lack thereof. Many drew comparisons to the administration's botched withdrawal from Afghanistan last year, during which hundreds — if not thousands — of Americans were left behind amid a Taliban takeover of the country.

Oliver Jia posted, "The U.S. to its citizens trapped in war zones," followed by a gif of a man throwing up the peace sign before disappearing.

The U.S. to its citizens trapped in war zones: https://twitter.com/JenGriffinFNC/status/1485415912706613249\u00a0\u2026pic.twitter.com/kjGDZ5DzMj
— Oliver Jia (\u30aa\u30ea\u30d0\u30fc\u30fb\u30b8\u30a2) (@Oliver Jia (\u30aa\u30ea\u30d0\u30fc\u30fb\u30b8\u30a2)) 1642990074

What else?

Citing British intelligence, the Daily Beast reported on Saturday that Russian President Vladimir Putin has plans to install a pro-Russian regime in Kyiv and has identified former Ukrainian lawmaker Yevheniy Murayev as a potential front-runner to lead the takeover.

On Sunday, the Biden administration was said to be considering the deployment of thousands of U.S. troops, as well as warships and aircraft to NATO allies in Eastern Europe as a deterrent to Russian action. But some experts said the action would be too little, too late.

Last week, President Biden stunned Ukrainian officials after he appeared to offer an incredibly weak response to Russia's threat in a long, rambling press conference. During the conference, Biden seemed to downplay a potential "minor incursion" by Russia in the coming days.

Ukrainian officials reportedly slammed Biden for effectively giving "the green light to Putin to enter Ukraine at his pleasure."

Ukrainian officials 'stunned' by Biden's weak response on Russia: He just gave Putin the 'green light to enter Ukraine at his pleasure'



President Joe Biden raised alarm bells in Ukraine Wednesday after he appeared to downplay a potential "minor incursion" by Russia in the coming days or weeks, sowing doubts as to whether the U.S. and NATO allies will respond with force if Russia were to invade the neighboring country.

"I think what you're going to see is that Russia will be held accountable if it invades, and it depends on what it does, it's one thing if it's a minor incursion and we end up having to fight about what to do and not do, et cetera," Biden told reporters during a long, rambling East Room news conference.

"But if they actually do what they're capable of doing with the forces amassed on the border, it is going to be a disaster for Russia if they further invade Ukraine," he added, though his passive words didn't inspire confidence.

Later in the news conference, the president strangely predicted that Russian President Vladimir Putin "will move in" because "he has to do something."

Russia has amassed more than 100,000 troops on its border with Ukraine over the last several weeks but has repeatedly denied that it is planning to invade.

What was the reaction in Ukraine?

In response to Biden's remarks Wednesday, CNN senior intelligence correspondent Matthew Chance read directly from his prepared notes to relay that one Ukrainian official was "shocked that President Biden would give a green light to Vladimir Putin in this way."

That official reportedly added, “It gives the green light to Putin to enter Ukraine at his pleasure," Chance told network anchor Jake Tapper.

According to Chance, another Ukrainian official remarked that Kyiv, referring to Ukraine's government, "is stunned at what President Biden had to say."

CNN: \u201cOne Ukrainian official\u2026said that he was \u2018shocked that President Biden would give a green light to Vladimir Putin in this way.\u2019\u201d\n\n\u201cIt gives the green light to Putin to enter Ukraine at his pleasure.\u201dpic.twitter.com/tLkR92GgnK
— RNC Research (@RNC Research) 1642635063

What else?

The two anonymous officials were soon joined in their rebuke of Biden by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Ukraine’s foreign minister, Dmytro Kuleba.

In a tweet Thursday morning, Zelensky said, "We want to remind the great powers that there are no minor incursions and small nations. Just as there are no minor casualties and little grief from the loss of loved ones. I say this as the President of a great power."

We want to remind the great powers that there are no minor incursions and small nations. Just as there are no minor casualties and little grief from the loss of loved ones. I say this as the President of a great power
— \u0412\u043e\u043b\u043e\u0434\u0438\u043c\u0438\u0440 \u0417\u0435\u043b\u0435\u043d\u0441\u044c\u043a\u0438\u0439 (@\u0412\u043e\u043b\u043e\u0434\u0438\u043c\u0438\u0440 \u0417\u0435\u043b\u0435\u043d\u0441\u044c\u043a\u0438\u0439) 1642688959

USA Today called the statement a "remarkable retort from a close U.S. ally that has received millions of dollars in military assistance."

Kuleba similarly admonished Biden in an interview with the Wall Street Journal on Thursday, arguing that the president's half-hearted warning leaves open a window for Putin.

“Speaking of minor and full incursions or full invasion, you cannot be half-aggressive. You’re either aggressive or you’re not aggressive,” Kuleba said. “We should not give Putin the slightest chance to play with quasi-aggression or small incursion operations. This aggression was there since 2014. This is the fact.”

Anything else?

The White House quickly tried to clean up the mess in a subsequent clarification of Biden's remarks.

"If any Russian military forces move across the Ukrainian border, that's a renewed invasion, and it will be met with a swift, severe, and united response from the United States and our allies," White House press secretary Jen Psaki said in a statement Wednesday evening.

Putin Just CALLED OUT Biden. The Media Doesn't See it! | Louder With Crowder

Putin Just CALLED OUT Biden. The Media Doesn't See it! | Louder With Crowder

Biden hits Russia with sanctions, declares 'national emergency' in sweeping response to SolarWinds hack, election interference



The Biden administration on Thursday took sweeping actions against Russia, imposing sanctions and declaring a "national emergency" in response to the country's alleged involvement in the SolarWinds cyberattack and interference in the 2020 presidential election.

In a White House news release, the administration announced the Treasury Department had sanctioned 32 entities and individuals — including government officials and members of intelligence agencies — as well as six Russian technology companies for their involvement in attempting to influence the 2020 election as well as for "other acts of disinformation and interference."

The Treasury Department also issued a directive prohibiting U.S. financial institutions from participating in the primary market for new debt issued by the Russian Central Bank, its National Wealth Fund, or its Ministry of Finance.

Bloomberg News reported that the directive restricting U.S. investors from buying ruble-denominated Russian government debt has "long been seen as the 'nuclear option' in financial markets, where the bonds, known as OFZs, have been a popular investment."

The outlet added that foreigners presently hold approximately 20% of that debt, worth about $37 billion.

"This directive provides authority for the U.S. government to expand sovereign debt sanctions on Russia as appropriate," the news release stated.

In addition to the sanctions, the administration also moved to expel 10 Russian diplomats from the country's diplomatic mission in Washington, D.C.

In a letter sent to Congress, President Biden also announced that he had issued "an Executive Order declaring a national emergency with respect to the unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security, foreign policy, and economy of the United States posed by specified harmful foreign activities of the Government of the Russian Federation."

The news comes only days after Biden's first phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin. It also comes alongside rising tensions in Eastern Europe as Russian forces again amass near the Ukrainian border.

"The President signed this sweeping new authority to confront Russia's continued and growing malign behavior," Treasury Secretary Janet L. Yellen said in a statement. "Treasury is leveraging this new authority to impose costs on the Russian government for its unacceptable conduct, including by limiting Russia's ability to finance its activities and by targeting Russia's malicious and disruptive cyber capabilities."

As a part of the sweeping actions, the U.S. "formally named" the Russian Foreign Intelligence Service as the perpetrator of the cyberattack on SolarWinds Orion Platform software. That hack was carried out as early as March 2020 when malicious code was snuck into an update for the popular software, which is used by a wide range of large companies and government agencies.

Shortly after the hack was discovered in December, U.S. intelligence officials raised suspicions of Russia's involvement. Former Homeland Security adviser to President Trump, Tom Bossert, subsequently warned that Russia could have "persistent access" to hacked U.S. government networks for years to come with the power to "destroy or alter data," as a result of the hack.

New Senate report purportedly 'confirms' Biden family's business ties to Chinese, Russian governments



Two top Republican senators who have been investigating Hunter Biden's overseas business dealings have released additional findings that they say "confirm" troubling connections between the Biden family and the Chinese and Russian governments.

Senate Finance Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) and Senate Homeland Security Chairman Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) published the findings Wednesday in a "supplemental" to their September report, which was titled, "Hunter Biden, Burisma and Corruption: The Impact on U.S. Government Policy and Related Concerns."

In the new five-page report, Grassley and Johnson disclosed new evidence of ties between Hunter Biden and a business partner, Rob Walker, who they said "appears to have been associated with at least three companies connected to Hunter Biden: Oldaker, Biden and Belair LLP; Seneca Global Advisors; and Rosemont Seneca Advisors."

The senators connected the dots based on information provided to their committees by former Hunter Biden associate Tony Bobulinski. In the report, they said WhatsApp messages between Bobulinksi and Walker, which were handed over to their committees, purportedly show a close working relationship between Walker and the Biden family, including Hunter and his uncle, James Biden.

"The new information is consistent with other records within the Committees' possession which show millions of dollars being transferred from a Chinese entity linked to the communist party to Robinson Walker LLC," the senators noted before detailing the transactions.

In the report, two separate wires are cited, each totaling $3 million, which were sent by a Shanghai-based company called State Energy HK Limited to a bank account for Robinson Walker LLC in 2017. The senators noted that State Energy HK Limited was at the time associated with another Chinese company with ties to the communist government, CEFC China Energy.

"These transactions are a direct link between Walker and the communist Chinese government," the senators stated.

"These new records confirm the connections between the Biden family and the communist Chinese government, as well as the links between Hunter Biden's business associates and the Russian government, and further support the Committees' September 23, 2020 report's finding that such relationships created counterintelligence and extortion concerns," they concluded in the report.

They added that "to date, the Committees have requested records from Hunter Biden, James Biden, James Gilliar, Tony Bobulinski, and Rob Walker. At this time, only Bobulinski has cooperated with the Committees."

The senators' September report purportedly concluded that Hunter Biden, among other things, "received a $3.5 million wire transfer from Elena Baturina, the wife of the former mayor of Moscow."

Prior to the election, several Democratic lawmakers and members of the media claimed that reports about the Biden family's overseas business dealings were part of a Russian disinformation campaign. But Grassley and Johnson have vehemently denied the accusation, arguing their reporting has been based on documented evidence.