Billionaire investor Bill Ackman called on the US to deploy its military in defense of Ukraine. This is because Russian troops are constantly advancing into the country from various directions.
In a series of tweets to his more than 400,000 followers, the founder and CEO of Pershing Square Capital Management urged President Joe Biden to start considering taking action beyond economic sanctions if the conflict is not resolved.
"I hope Russia stops this onslaught, but I don't see how Putin stops this. We need to be prepared for what's coming next which means we have to start thinking about intervening in the military," Ackman said in a Twitter thread. "Isn't it about time we set a real red line?"
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“We cannot sit idly by and let hundreds of thousands of Ukrainians and maybe millions die. I don't want to live in that world and neither do you. @POTUS, it's in your hands. You can correct the mistakes of the past and protect our future. With all due respect Mr President, this is the time," said Ackman, citing CNBC International in Jakarta, Tuesday (1/3/22).
The Biden administration has announced sanctions against Russia's central bank, the National Wealth Fund of the Russian Federation and the Russian Ministry of Finance, the move effectively barring Americans from doing any business with the entity. The move would also freeze Russia's central bank assets in the United States.
In a recent development, a Ukrainian delegation has arrived near the border with Belarus for talks with Russian officials. Ukrainian armed forces continue to contain Russian troops, maintain control of key cities, and slow Russian advances in Kyiv.
Ackman later moved to clarify his earlier statement, saying he was not proposing US troops on the ground as soon as possible.
"I'm not advocating US boots in the field today. Putin has threatened the nuclear option," Ackman wrote in a separate post.
“We need to set a red line on the use of nuclear weapons to prevent their use. If the unthinkable happens, I see no alternative but us entering the war."
For information, the White House told CNBC that the government continues to provide security assistance to Ukraine to help defend its country.
“Deliveries of US security assistance to help the Ukrainian military defend their country are ongoing and have been arriving regularly. And we are working with the Allies to facilitate the transfer of US-made military equipment from their inventories to Ukraine," a White House spokesman said.
