Vice President Joe Biden quickly reversed course Monday, noting that Russia did not "invade" Ukraine as he started to assert during a television interview — a position that would have deviated from the White House's ongoing diplomatic line that portions of the country were simply annexed,
Business Insider reports.
The vice president, appearing on
CNN Monday in an interview with Gloria Borger, raised eyebrows when he publicly noted — and then quickly corrected — his telling of Russian troops "crossing" the Ukraine border over the summer.
"When the Russians invaded — crossed the border — into Ukraine. It was, 'My god. It's over,'" Biden said, catching himself and changing his wording. "We've put it under control," he added.
The White House earned criticism for its softening of the description of Russia's hostilities toward Ukraine, dubbing it an "incursion," Business Insider reported of the awkward "terminology debate."
The crisis in Ukraine escalated in February as armed military forces patrolled two airports there in a confrontational move as a new government took control, sparking fears that Russia's ambitions in the region were rising,
Fox News reported. Ukraine argued that its territorial sovereignty must be honored, even as internal conflicts continued.
In April, Biden was dispatched to Ukraine to help ease tensions in the region. There he offered a strong message of support, telling Russia in a meeting with the Ukrainian prime minister that "no nation has the right to simply grab land from another,"
The New York Times reported.
Biden also came with a pledge for $50 million in U.S. energy aid geared at helping Ukraine retain its independence from Russia, the Times said.