President Joe Biden hit Russia with a wave of sanctions on Thursday after Moscow invaded Ukraine, measures that impede Russia's ability to do business in major currencies along with sanctions against banks and state-owned enterprises.
Biden described Russian President Vladimir Putin as an aggressor with a "sinister vision of the world" and a misguided dream of recreating the Soviet Union.
But he held back from imposing sanctions on Putin himself and from disconnecting Russia from the SWIFT international banking system, amid differences with Western allies over how far to go at this juncture and criticism from Republicans that he should have done more.
Ukrainian forces battled Russian invaders on three sides on Thursday, prompting tens of thousands of people to flee their homes.
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