Washington (CNN) Secretary of State Antony Blinken amplified his warning against a Russian invasion of Ukraine, saying "a single additional Russian force" entering Ukraine "in an aggressive way" would result in a severe response by the US and its allies. "If a single additional Russian force goes into Ukraine in an aggressive way, as I said, that would trigger a swift, a severe and a united response from us and from Europe," Blinken told CNN's Dana Bash on "State of the Union" on Sunday. The comments from the secretary further clarify the US' position on any additional aggressive military action by Russia after the country amassed tens of thousands of troops on its border with Ukraine. The President later clarified that any Russian troops crossing Ukraine's border would constitute an invasion, and Blinken, following a meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov last week, also warned that any Russian invasion of Ukraine would be "met with a severe and a united response." Blinken on Sunday also defended the administration's unwillingness to impose sanctions against Russia preemptively, despite Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky urging the US and its allies to penalize Moscow now for its massive troop buildup along Ukraine's borders.

Source: CNN January 23, 2022 21:26 UTC