President Biden announced the U.S. will end normal trade relations with Russia to cripple their economy

WASHINGTON – President Biden announced the United States will end normal trade relations with Russia and will join the G7 and EU to call for revoking “most favored nation” status with Moscow.

In an effort to isolate them from the global stage by giving the U.S. and its allies the ability to increase tariffs on the Kremlin.

Today’s action also includes a ban on the export of luxury goods to Russia like diamonds, seafood, and vodka.

“We’re going to hit Putin harder because the United States and our closest allies and partners are acting in unison. The totality of our sanctions, and our export controls, is crushing the Russian economy,” Biden said.

Despite this latest move and bans, Russia shows no sign of slowing down as Russian forces launch multiple attacks on major cities across Ukraine including Mariupol.

This is an area under siege, hit hard by airstrikes.

As hundreds of thousands of people remain trapped with no power or heat while food, medicine, and water run low, satellite images show a convoy that had been stalled for days regroup and is now nine miles from the capital of Kyiv.

“We do assess that the Russians are beginning to make more momentum on the ground towards Kyiv particularly from the east,” Pentagon press secretary John Kirby said.

As the White House warns Russia could use chemical or biological weapons.

“We know that Moscow has used these banned substances in the past, it has used them against dissidents at home,” State Department spokesman Ned Price said.

President Biden says Russia will pay a severe price if they do in fact use chemical weapons in Ukraine as they watch out for false flag operations.

The United Nations says 2.5 million refugees have fled from Ukraine due to this war.