Biden in Ukraine speech tries to appeal to the Russian people: 'You are not our enemy'

• Biden appealed directly to Russians in a speech about Ukraine at the White House on Tuesday.
• "To the citizens of Russia: You are not our enemy," Biden said.

President Joe Biden on Tuesday appealed directly to the Russian people in a speech on the Ukraine crisis, while underscoring that the US is prepared to handle the Russian government's actions concerning Ukraine "no matter what happens."

Biden insisted that the US is not seeking conflict with Russia and pushed against the notion that the West is to blame for the tensions over Ukraine.

"The United States and NATO are not a threat to Russia. Ukraine is not threatening Russia. Neither the US nor NATO have missiles in Ukraine. We do not have plans to put them there," Biden said.

"To the citizens of Russia: You are not our enemy, and I do not believe you want a bloody, destructive war against Ukraine — a country and people with whom you share such deep ties of family history and culture," the president added.

Biden also mentioned that Americans and Russians fought on the same side during World War II.

"77 years ago, our people fought and sacrificed side-by-side to end the worst war in history," Biden said. "World War II was a war of necessity. But if Russia attacks Ukraine, it would be a war of choice."

Russian President Vladimir Putin has blamed the West for the contentious dynamic concerning Ukraine, despite his history of aggression toward the former Soviet republic. Polling has shown that many Russians blame the US and NATO for the Ukraine crisis, suggesting Putin's propaganda is working. Russia in 2014 invaded Ukraine and annexed Crimea, and since that year has supported rebels in a war against Ukrainian forces.

Biden in his remarks also reiterated that he would not send troops into Ukraine if Russia invades, stating the US is "not seeking direct confrontation with Russia." But he warned Moscow that the US would "respond forcefully" if Russia attacks or targets Americans in Ukraine, while once again urging any US citizens in the country to leave as soon as possible.

Russia on Tuesday said it was pulling back some of its troops from its border with Ukraine. Echoing the skepticism of other Western leaders and officials, Biden said the US had not yet verified whether Russia had withdrawn a portion of its troops.

"The fact remains right now, Russia has more than 150,000 troops encircling Ukraine," Biden said. "An invasion remains distinctly possible."

—CBS News (@CBSNews) February 15, 2022

The president emphasized, however, that the US is still open to a diplomatic resolution to the crisis. Biden said the US would give diplomacy "every chance to succeed," while again warning Russia it would face major economic consequences if it invades.

The Kremlin has repeatedly said it has no plans to invade, while accusing the West of ignoring its security concerns. Russia has demanded that Ukraine and Georgia be permanently barred from NATO. But the alliance and Washington have consistently said that NATO's open door policy is non-negotiable.

Putin on Tuesday signaled that Russia was open to continuing negotiations, but accused the West of ignoring Moscow's primary concerns while baselessly suggesting a "genocide" of ethnic Russians was occurring in the Donbas region of Ukraine. Though Ukraine is not on track to become a member of NATO at any point in the near future, the Russian president demanded that the issue be addressed now, per BBC News.

Touching on these disagreements in his speech on Tuesday, Biden said the crisis is "about more than just Russia and Ukraine."

"It's about standing for what we believe in, for the future that we want for our world, for liberty...And the right of people to determine their own futures," Biden said. "If we do not stand for freedom where it is at risk today, we'll surely pay a steeper price tomorrow."