Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky shot back at President Joe Biden on Thursday after the U.S. leader appeared to shrug off the severity of a “minor incursion” by Russia against Ukraine. Biden made the remark at a news conference in which he laid out what action Washington would take against Moscow if the Kremlin were to invade Ukraine. “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 then we end up having to fight about what to do and not do, etc.,” Biden said. Zelensky released an English-language statement hours after the remarks, saying, “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.” Many criticized Biden’s choice of words after his speech, though he later clarified that by “minor incursion” he meant a cyberattack or some other kind of non-military attack.
