Zelensky Pleads “What Are You Waiting For?” on Sanctions as Harris Gives Non-Answer, Lankford and Cruz Demand Immediate Action

On 2/21/2022, with Russian troops massed on Ukraine’s border, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky pleaded with Western allies to impose sanctions on Russia immediately rather than waiting for an invasion. “What are you waiting for?” Zelensky asked. Vice President Harris gave a non-answer when asked what Americans should “brace for,” while simultaneously saying Putin had “made the decision” to invade and that sanctions would “deter” a decision he had already made. Senators Lankford and Cruz demanded pre-invasion sanctions, with Cruz tying the crisis directly to Biden’s decision to waive Nord Stream 2 sanctions.

Zelensky: “What Are You Waiting For?”

Zelensky made his appeal directly. “We are being told that you have several days and then the war will start. And I said, OK, then apply the sanctions today,” Zelensky said. “They say we apply sanctions when the war will happen. I’m saying, fine, but you are telling me that it’s 100% that the war will start in a couple of days, and then what are you waiting for?”

The plea highlighted the gap between Western rhetoric about the severity of the threat and the refusal to act before an invasion.

Harris: Sanctions Will “Deter” a Decision Already Made

A reporter asked Harris whether she was “convinced Putin has made a decision” to invade. “As of this moment, I’m convinced he’s made the decision,” Harris said. But moments later, she argued sanctions would still serve as a deterrent — to a decision she had just said was already made.

“The purpose of the sanctions has always been and continues to be deterrence,” Harris said. When pressed on the contradiction, she insisted: “Absolutely. We strongly believe. Remember also, we still sincerely hope that there is a diplomatic path out of this moment.”

When asked what Americans should “brace for,” Harris offered only generalities. “When America stands for her principles and all of the things that we hold dear, it requires sometimes for us to put ourselves out there in a way that maybe we will incur some cost. And in this situation, that may relate to energy costs,” she said.

Lankford: “Prevent a War, Don’t Stop One”

Senator Lankford argued the Biden administration was making a fundamental error by withholding sanctions until after an invasion. “It is so much easier to prevent a war from starting than it is to stop a war once it’s already started,” Lankford said.

He described White House opposition to pre-invasion sanctions. “The White House has actually been pushing hard against putting any kind of sanctions issue out, saying if we put out any kind of sanctions word now, then that will encourage Russia to actually attack,” Lankford said. “I think that’s absurd to think that Russia would attack because the House and the Senate actually applied sanctions.”

Lankford also noted the failure to sanction the Nord Stream 2 pipeline earlier. “We brought up about five weeks ago the issue with Nord Stream 2 pipelines to apply sanctions on that. All these things should have already been done in place,” he said.

Cruz: Biden “Gave the Green Light”

Senator Cruz connected the crisis to Biden’s first days in office. “In 2019, I authored sanctions, bipartisan sanctions in Congress. President Trump signed my sanctions legislation into law. And Putin stopped building the pipeline the day President Trump signed those sanctions,” Cruz said.

“That pipeline was dead for over a year until Joe Biden became president. And Putin began building that pipeline again on January 24th, 2021 — four days after Biden was sworn into office,” Cruz continued. “Joe Biden formally waived sanctions on Russia, on Putin, and gave the green light to build Nord Stream 2. That is why we have over 100,000 troops and Russian tanks on the border of Ukraine preparing to invade. That’s why we’re on the brink of war in Europe.”

Pentagon “Still Digesting” Afghanistan

When asked what the administration had learned from the chaotic Kabul evacuation six months earlier, Pentagon spokesman Admiral Kirby offered a remarkable answer: “We’re still digesting what happened in August.”

Lankford noted the significance. “Everyone forgets, Russia’s economy is smaller than the size of Texas’s economy,” he said, arguing that strong and clear sanctions could have real impact — if applied before invasion rather than after.

When Secretary Blinken was asked why Putin had not invaded during the Trump administration, he deflected. “Ask him,” Blinken said.

Key Takeaways

Zelensky pleaded “what are you waiting for?” and demanded sanctions be applied immediately rather than after an invasion was underway.
Harris said she was “convinced” Putin had “made the decision” to invade, then argued sanctions would still “deter” that already-made decision.
Lankford said it was “absurd” for the White House to argue that pre-invasion sanctions would provoke Russia, saying it was “much easier to prevent a war than to stop one.”
Cruz traced the crisis to Biden waiving Nord Stream 2 sanctions four days after taking office, saying Putin resumed pipeline construction “because he knew what was going to happen.”
Pentagon spokesman Kirby said the administration was “still digesting” the Afghanistan withdrawal six months later.

Transcript Highlights

The following is transcribed from the video audio (unverified — AI-generated from audio).

You are telling me it’s 100% that the war will start in a couple of days, and then what are you waiting for?
As of this moment, I’m convinced he’s made the decision. The purpose of the sanctions has always been and continues to be deterrence.
It is so much easier to prevent a war from starting than it is to stop a war once it’s already started.
Putin stopped building the pipeline the day President Trump signed those sanctions. He began building again on January 24th, 2021 — four days after Biden was sworn in.
We’re still digesting what happened in August.
Why didn’t he act then? I hope you get a chance to ask him.

Full transcript: 1104 words transcribed via Whisper AI.